Rich Fiscus
12 Jun 2009 11:07
After years of planning and preparation, the remaining full power TV stations in the US will be turning off analog broadcasts and switching to all digital tranmission. The switch was supposed to be made on February 17 of this year, but was delayed due to problems with the government's voucher program.
Although most broadcasters have had a digital signal for months or even years, many have been using temporary frequencies until their permanent locations on the dial are freed up today. If you suddenly stop receiving one or more channels make sure to re-scan.
If you need help with DTV reception the FCC has a hotline at 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322). In addition, the FCC is requiring TV stations to have their own support lines available, which they have been publicizing during their programming for several months.
If don't know the number for your local broadcaster you can call the FCC hotline and they should be able to transfer you.
For general information you can also consult the last section of our guide Preparing for the US DTV Transition, which gives an overview of some reception issues and how to address them.
If you subscribe to either cable or satellite television this transition won't affect you unless you have TVs still receiving over the air signals through an antenna.