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DTV Transition | Digital TV Transition

In the United States all full power television broadcasters will be required to cut off their analog tv broadcast signals on February 17, 2009. From that date on, broadcast television from full power broadcasters will be in digital only.

The new digital broadcasting offers some improvements over Analog.

First, it’s possible to transmit several different video streams within the bandwidth that a single old analog tv stream occupied. This gives broadcasters the opportunity to subdivide their channel up into subchannels. I’ve seen as many as 5 sub channels from a single broadcaster.

Additionally, broadcasters can transmit programming information for program guides, much the way digital cable or satellite users have onscreen guides to display what channel they are watching and what is currently showing.

Another potential benefit is multiple audio streams so that programming can be broadcast in English as well as spanish for instance. To a certain extent some of this feature is already available in analog broadcasting with SAP (Secondary Audio Program).

Of course for many the biggest improvement of Digital TV or DTV is the improved picture quality. Areas that saw snow or poor signal will be able to get a crystal clear picture. Our area used to see all sorts of ghosting and snow on even the closest channels with a good antenna. We are in the mountains. With digital we will for the first time be able to get a clear picture from our local broadcaster. Unfortunately our area requires a bit better antenna than most due to the mountainous terrain.

For most people in urban and suburban areas with good “line of sight” to the broadcast towers you will see a great improvement from the switch to digital television.

It’s worth noting that HDTV (High Definition Television) is NOT the same as Digital Television. Digital Television is just a means of getting the picture to the viewers, High Definition Television refers to the quality of the picture. Many Digital Broadcasters are moving to what is called Standard Definition and offering a simultaneous High Definition feed. Digital broadcasting is required to have High Definition.

The Federal Government in the United States has setup a page with information about the DTV Transition | Digital TV Transition.

See below for the latest news on the DTV Transition.

digital tv transition - Google News

Free cable part of Comcast's plan as digital deadline nears - Examiner.com


Examiner.com
Free cable part of Comcast's plan as digital deadline nears
Examiner.com - 2 hours ago
by Darrell Proctor, Business Examiner The deadline for the nation's transition to all-digital broadcast television is just over four months away.




Comcast promotion helps consumers convert to digital TV - Bizjournals.com

Comcast promotion helps consumers convert to digital TV
Bizjournals.com, NC - 4 hours ago
“The simple fact is that basic cable is the easiest path through the digital transition and now consumers can get it for free,” Harrar said.




FCC sets Knoxville meeting on transition to digital TV - Knoxville News Sentinel

FCC sets Knoxville meeting on transition to digital TV
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN - 5 hours ago
FCC Commissioner and former Tennesseean Deborah Taylor Tate will visit Knoxville on Oct. 13 to hold a Town Hall meeting on the transition to digital




FCC Commssioner Explains Digital TV Switch to Chattanooga Seniors - WTVC

FCC Commssioner Explains Digital TV Switch to Chattanooga Seniors
WTVC, TN - 7 hours ago
NewsChannel 9's Erica Green spoke with one of the FCCCommissioners who was in town to explain the transition to senior citizens. The days of watching TV




Ed's View: Local HD in Indy - Lucky "13" - HDTV Magazine


HDTV Magazine
Ed's View: Local HD in Indy - Lucky "13"
HDTV Magazine, OR - 8 hours ago
There is another digital transition taking place in the TV broadcast industry not well known by the "receiving" community. It is called the Broadcast




WINDSOR: Session On Digital TV - Hartford Courant

WINDSOR: Session On Digital TV
Hartford Courant, United States - 12 hours ago
The meeting will be at the LP Wilson Community Center, 599 Matianuck Ave., where Steve Rabb from Fox 61 TV will discuss the transition, which will occur Feb




Idaho City residents may lose access to channels when TV converts … - IdahoStatesman.com

Idaho City residents may lose access to channels when TV converts
IdahoStatesman.com, ID - 13 hours ago
You won't be affected by the conversion to digital TV signals if you have a newer model (made in the last few years) digital TV, if you subscribe to




Questions linger over DTV switch - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Questions linger over DTV switch
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN - 22 hours ago
"People shouldn't have to upgrade to a digital package." For more information about the transition to digital TV, check out the NAB's informational website




LA Asian TV Station Aims to Smooth the DTV Transition - MarketWatch

LA Asian TV Station Aims to Smooth the DTV Transition
MarketWatch - Oct 1, 2008
Southern California's #1 Asian TV station, LA 18 KSCI-TV, is holding an unprecedented Digital Television Transition Seminar to reach out to the




Digital TV transition concerns get technical - The Associated Press


Broadcasting & Cable
Digital TV transition concerns get technical
The Associated Press - Sep 23, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) — Even if all goes smoothly, next February's digital television shift is likely to generate hundreds of thousands of complaints from
Senator warns of DTV-transition 'crisis' CNET News
Early Switch to Digital TV in Wilmington Provides Preview of Civilrights.org
Will Obama or McCain Inherit a DTV Nightmare? Washington Post
Broadcasting & Cable - BetaNews
all 169 news articles


dtv transition - Google News

FCC sets Knoxville meeting on transition to digital TV - Knoxville News Sentinel

FCC sets Knoxville meeting on transition to digital TV
Knoxville News Sentinel, TN - 5 hours ago
that under FCC regulation must switch to digital broadcasts, to raise awareness and educate consumers in the weeks leading up to the DTV transition.




Ed's View: Local HD in Indy - Lucky "13" - HDTV Magazine


HDTV Magazine
Ed's View: Local HD in Indy - Lucky "13"
HDTV Magazine, OR - 8 hours ago
BAS transition to WTHR and other broadcasters is that the all-digital structure and increased BAS spectrum space will greatly facilitate full HDTV ENG




Questions linger over DTV switch - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Questions linger over DTV switch
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN - 22 hours ago
For more information about the transition to digital TV, check out the NAB's informational website DTV Answers (www.dtvanswers.com).




FCC Representative Hosts DTV Transition Meetings - LocalNews8.com

FCC Representative Hosts DTV Transition Meetings
LocalNews8.com, ID - Oct 2, 2008
The transition will take place on February 17th. After this date, power TV stations will broadcast only in digital. The DTV transition will affect those who




McCaskill Staff to Discuss Transition to DTV with Constituents in … - Memphis Democrat

McCaskill Staff to Discuss Transition to DTV with Constituents in
Memphis Democrat, MO - Oct 2, 2008
The DTV transition is something that will affect thousands of Missourians, and too few are prepared for it. We need to get the word out about how the




LA Asian TV Station Aims to Smooth the DTV Transition - MarketWatch

LA Asian TV Station Aims to Smooth the DTV Transition
MarketWatch - Oct 1, 2008
on preparing for the DTV transition on its multi-language DTV Transition website ( http://www.la18dtv.com) and Public Service Announcement TV spots.




Senator warns of DTV-transition 'crisis' - CNET News


Broadcasting & Cable
Senator warns of DTV-transition 'crisis'
CNET News, CA - Sep 24, 2008
At a hearing September 23rd on the impending DTV transition, Senator Daniel Inouye, chairman of the Commerce Committee, warned that the loss of analog
Will Obama or McCain Inherit a DTV Nightmare? Washington Post
Congress may see the glass half-empty on DTV transition BetaNews
Early Switch to Digital TV in Wilmington Provides Preview of Civilrights.org
Broadcasting & Cable - The Associated Press
all 169 news articles




Ahead of the Bell: DTV transition - CNNMoney.com


Broadcasting & Cable
Ahead of the Bell: DTV transition
CNNMoney.com - Sep 16, 2008
Lawmakers also have approved $15 million for DTV education and outreach at the FCC. The FCC is requesting another $20 million for fiscal 2009.
FCC Claims 99 Percent Success in DTV Shift PC Magazine
Retranmission Deals May Get Derailed by DTV Transition, Cable Television Week
Are We Ready for DTV? Internet News
Broadcasting & Cable - Washington Post
all 14 news articles




New Noises About DTV Transition; Push for 'Grace Period' - Wired News

New Noises About DTV Transition; Push for 'Grace Period'
Wired News - Sep 15, 2008
By Betsy Schiffman September 15, 2008 | 5:18:03 PMCategories: DTV The digital television trial in Wilmington, NC was widely hailed as a success — public
Court Hears Dual Must Carry Case Multichannel News
all 2 news articles




Digital TV transition: Are you ready? - Kansas City Star

Digital TV transition: Are you ready?
Kansas City Star, MO - Sep 14, 2008
As you can see here, it even passes along the closed captioning (though I did find it odd that I was being lectured about the DTV transition while watching


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