On February 17th of 2009, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) decrees that TV stations in the United States must convert to Digital TV transmission. In Canada, the CRTC (Canadian Radio and Television Commission) will change broadcasting standards on Aug 31, 2011 (except for stations in the far north). Stations must stop broadcasting analogue signals and convert to digital. This winter, if they do not prepare now, many Canadian RV’ers travelling south for the winter could lose the TV signals that they now receive through the antenna on the roof of their RV.
            Digital transmission of TV signals through the air provides better quality images on your screen with higher resolution, better sound and the possibilities of more programming choices on each station. In demonstrations that we have seen, a standard TV channel can provide multichannel broadcasting with up to five different programs at the same time as long as you have the proper equipment to decode this information. In Burlington, Vermont, this summer, Channel 3 was broadcasting in digital with regular programming on channel 3, and other programs on 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3. These extra channels were selected by the infrared remote control for the digital converter box.
            By transmitting pictures as data bits, more information can be transmitted than with the older analogue type system. This is similar to the difference between cassette tapes for music and Compact Discs.  The analogue system has been with us since television was first introduced in the late 40's and uses 6 megacycles of bandwidth to transmit each picture. Digital transmission is more economical and uses less bandwidth so the extra can be used for other services. The government may auction off the left over space for things like police and fire communications, cell phone transmission and high speed wireless internet services.
            With digital TV, you either get the picture or nothing at all. There will no longer be snowy pictures as you try to see the action through the fog. This will be familiar to subscribers of satellite TV.
            If you presently receive your TV signals through a Pay-TV cable system or by satellite distribution, you need to do nothing to watch your programs on an older TV set. The cable companies and the satellite providers will make the conversion for you. Actually, cable companies are required under FCC rules in the USA to offer local broadcast stations to their customers in analog, as long as they offer any analog service. This requirement will continue for at least three years after February 17, 2009. The FCC will decide in 2011 whether the requirement should be extended beyond February 17, 2012. This means that customers who receive analog cable service (without a cable set-top box) will be able to continue doing so.
            If you use a roof top antenna on your RV or are connected through a Community Antenna System (an antenna picks up the TV signals, amplifies them, and distributes them to each campsite) in a campground, you will need a converter box in your RV. The converter box is about the size of a book and can be installed by the owner. In the USA, converter boxes are being sold for $60 to $70 with a free coupon available from the government for $40. Each American residence can receive two coupons for free.  To obtain the free coupons, applicants must meet the U.S. Census Bureau definition of a household. This free coupon program is not available to RV’ers who live full-time in their RV. Coupons will not be mailed to post office box addresses unless that is the only way mail is delivered in that area. These coupons expire 90 days after they are mailed, so don’t wait to purchase your converter box. American citizens can go to “www.dtv2009.gov.com”. No coupon program has been announced for Canada.
            If you have one TV receiver in the RV, you will need one converter box. If you have one receiver in the front of the RV and another in the bedroom and want to watch different programs on each at the same time, you will need a converter box connected to each TV. If you want to watch one program and record another, this is the same as having two different TVs on separate channels, so you will need two converter boxes. If you will watch the same program on each TV at the same time, only one converter box is necessary, connected to the incoming cable from your antenna to the switching system over your windshield.
            Every TV set made before 1998 was an analogue receiver. If you bought a large screen projection receiver between 1998 and 2004 there is a good chance that it has an internal digital tuner. After 2004 most receivers that were sold had internal digital tuners to select the channels. If your receiver has a digital tuner, you will not need a converter box. Your old analogue TV set will continue to work after February 2009 if you have connected a set-top converter box, or if it connected to a gaming console, a VCR, or DVD player or other similar electronic device. To receive HDTV (High Definition Television) programs you will still need to have a HDTV receiver and a subscription to a service provider such as a pay cable system or a satellite provider.
             Digital TV reception is best with an amplified antenna. Some stations broadcasting on the 2-13 VHF channel band may switch to a different frequency (UHF band- channels 14-83) that will necessitate a different antenna than the one you now use. To determine which antenna is best for you, go to “www.antennaweb.org”. For Canadians, we should purchase a converter box that has a “pass through” option, so that we can receive analogue broadcasts in Canada and digital broadcasts when we travel south of the border in the USA until 2012. The best way to watch the programming is to purchase a new receiver that has both an analogue and a digital tuner included.
            The advantage for the television station itself is that the signal can travel 30% further and the transmitter will use 70% less electricity. Cable companies have the option of dropping the transmission of any analogue signals.
One good website for information is “www.dtvanswers.com”, another is “www.dtvtransition.org”.

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