Analog to Digital Television Transition

1. Analog to Digital Television Transition

2. Government Mandate • Implementation started with first wave of digital stations on-air November 1999 • Affects all full power television stations • Full power analog television broadcast must cease February 17, 2009 12:59:59 PM • Low power television and translators are not affected

3. WHY????????? • Current television stations broadcast on channels 2-69 • Each channel takes up 6Mhz of spectrum • Only 1 program can be broadcast on an analog channel • More spectrum needed for public service communications

4. What’s Gained • Multiple programs can be broadcast on a digital channel • More programs in the same amount of spectrum • Better quality pictures and sound • Digital television will broadcast on channels 2-51 which frees up18 channels for other use • These channels can be broken down into many smaller pieces and auctioned off to the highest bidder…. Government makes money • Some spectrum will be used for public safety

5. What’s It Mean • All analog TV’s that receive OTA signals will quit working. • Unless: • Connected to a digital converter box • Connected to Cable TV (not MATV) • Connected to Satellite with local into local • Cable is required to maintain analog delivery and gradually phase it out.

6. Government Sponsored Converter Boxes • Congress created a program to provide two coupons to all U.S. households wishing to continue using existing analog TV’s with OTA antennas. The coupons are worth $40 each and can be used towards the purchase of qualified converters.

7. Converter Box Coupons • Deaf or hard of hearing callers may dial 1-877-530-2634 (English/TTY) or 1-866-495-1161 (Spanish/TTY). TTY Service is available from 9 AM - 9 PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday. • Download a Coupon Application @ https://www.dtv2009.gov/

8. Call the Coupon Program 24-hour hotline 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009). Mail a coupon application to: PO BOX 2000, Portland, OR 97208-2000. Fax a coupon application to 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632)

9. Digital TV's • All digital sets manufactured today must be capable of receiving ATSC broadcasts. • Some early sets had digital processing but are not ATSC compatible. • Check your owners manual to be sure.

10. As The Transition Occurs • Stations can transition early • Some stations will be changing channels, when they do converter boxes and digital sets will have to be re-scanned • Broadcasters, Cable and Satellite operators will have to work closely together to make it a smooth transition

11. Closed Captioning

14. CC Must Work • Closed Captioning rules still apply after the transition for the PRIMARY digital channel. They DO NOT ALWAYS apply for sub-channels but will be phased in • Aspect ratio conversion can cause problems with CC • Improper connection / setup between STB and TV can cause problems as well

15. The Life of CC DataExternal Programs • Captions are added by program provider • Transmitted up to satellite • Downlink at station, recorded, playback and later rebroadcast over the air • Received by cable system and rebroadcast to the cabled home

16. Closed Captioning Data • The top image is a shot of first generation CC data. • The bottom image is the same data after broadcast with errors.

17. IF You Experience CC Problems • Check other channels • Check another TV set • Call a friend and ask them to check the same program • If you can’t solve the problem and contact the station be prepared to provide the following info:

18. Is the problem just on this program or channel? • Analog or Digital? • Is it on all sets? • Are you watching OTA, on Cable or Satellite? Which provider? • The more info you can provide the better !

19. WFLA Contact Info Mark Schaefer mschaefer@wfla.com 813 225-2708

20. FCC Contact Info • Toll-Free: (866) 918-5777 (Voice) or (866) 787-6222 (TTY) • Fax: (202) 418-2827 • E-Mail: tvinfo@fcc.gov

21. The News Center

22. QUESTIONS