Aunt Emily's TV

Right after the Super Bowl telecast and right before March Madness in 2009, all US television stations will cease analog over-the-air broadcasting. That’s right, about two years from now, on February 17, 2009, all US TV stations will turn off their analog transmitters. It is interesting but not surprising to note that a new study by CBS found that less than 30% of the population is aware of the FCC's drop dead date for analog television. Is that a problem? Well most likely not.

For many viewers this promises to be a non-event. For those of us with cable or direct satellite service, that’s currently about 75-80% of all US households and growing, it won’t matter. In fact you may already be receiving digital signals on your analog TV from your cable or satellite provider and you are watching them quite satisfactorily on your trusty 25 year old TV. That is because the cable or satellite provider’s set top box makes the conversion for you … Digital signal in …Analog signal out.

So why are we doing this? The governments in the US and in most of the rest of the world decided to upgrade to all digital TV systems in order to open up more broadcast “real estate.” In the US it is being phased in over a period beginning in the early 2000s and ending for us in 2009. The new digital system allows for a much more efficient use of the public airwaves. With devices from garage door openers to cell phones to wireless door bells all vying for the finite supply of radio frequencies, the end of TV broadcasting on local channels 5, 9,12, 19, 48 and 64 will free up a tremendous amount of valuable vacant “broadcasting real estate.” The Federal Government has already begun auctioning off the resource. Companies like Verizon, AT&T and others have great plans for mobile Internet access on devices in cars, in pockets and on wrists throughout the country. All of this depends on a robust supply of available radio spectrum.

In 2009, when analog over-the-air broadcasting ceases, it is true that your old TV will no longer be able to “tune in” over-the-air the digital signals, but there promises to be inexpensive adapters available that will convert the over-the-air digital signals to signals that your old TV can handle. Some of us old timers remember the UHF converters of the 50s and 60s. Same idea. In fact Congress is considering a program that will provide vouchers toward the purchase of these converters.

So for most of us the availability cable or satellite providers, inexpensive adapters and the steady increased rate of sales of new digital sets should alleviate any problems in watching our favorite programs. So don’t throw away that black & white “Philco” TV your aunt Emily gave you for your dorm room back in ‘78. Your grand kids will get a kick out of it.