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Monday, 26th January 2009

Resources of the Week -- Digital TV Transition

Resources of the Week -- Digital TV Transition
By Shirl Kennedy, Senior Editor
As this article is being written, it looks like the there's an impending deal in the Senate to delay the nation's switch to all-digital television from next month until June 12. Among other things, it would give consumers access to more of those coupons to subsidize the purchase of converter boxes for older TVs. According to the Nielsen Company, more than 6.5 million U.S. households are not prepared for the switchover.

The Nielsen Company, it just so happens, is a great source of information on the transition, if you want to keep up with what's going on. Focus on: Digital TV Transition is actually an offshoot of the company's always-interesting Nielsen Wire blog.

In 2005, Congress mandated that television stations switch from analog to digital signals in 2009. The purpose of this switch was to increase the efficient use of the spectrum, to expand consumer choice for video programming, and to increase the amount of spectrum available for public safety and other wireless services. In addition, Congress was able to raise nearly $20 billion by auctioning the analog spectrum that has been used for broadcast television.

The switch to all-digital television broadcasting, which was originally scheduled to occur on February 17, but which could be postponed four months, is arguably the most significant change in television since the introduction of color. It means that every household will have to get ready for these new transmissions. Since the mandate, broadcast stations have invested billions of dollars to upgrade their facilities and towers to comply. Networks and cable and satellite operators have built infrastructure to support the enhanced capabilities of the digital world. And tens of millions of Americans have bought new televisions, signed up for cable or satellite transmission or acquired digital converter boxes.

Nielsen’s role in digital transition has been two-fold:

to provide the television industry, policy-makers and local communities with information about how ready television households are for this transition, and
to make sure we are ready to measure television broadcasting when it moves to digital transmission.

Be sure to check out the interactive "readiness map," which provides data on "digital readiness" in the top 56 U.S. television markets.
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The official government site -- The Digital TV Transition -- is an effort by the Federal Communications Commission to provide consumers with all the information they will need to weather this transition -- although actually, if you have a newer TV and/or cable or satellite service, this will basically be a non-issue for you. At any rate, there's enough stuff here to truly make your head spin. BTW, if you're interested in one of those converter box coupons, you'll want to go here or here.
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Cruising around the Internet, we find various guides, including...
+ Your Guide to the Digital TV Conversion (Popular Science)
+ Get Ready for Digital TV (AARP)
+ A Guide to the Digital TV Conversion (SmartMoney.com)
+ Preparing for the DTV Conversion (Washington Post)
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Our friend Al Tompkins at the Poynter Institute has a roundup of pros-and-cons on delaying the conversion. (Note: Shirl Kennedy works for the St. Petersburg Times, which is owned by the Poynter Institute.)
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