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Division of Aging and Division of Aging and DHS Divisions General Eldercare Locator
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This
column appears in the April 2008 edition of Aging Arkansas,
A State of Mass Confusion? FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein has warned of a "state of mass confusion" if Federal agencies don't coordinate their efforts to let the public know that February 17, 2009 is the last day of analog broadcasting according to Broadcasting and Cable. As previously reported in Aging Arkansas big changes are coming in television broadcasting. On February 17, 2009, all full power television stations are required to stop broadcasting in analog and continue broadcasting in digital only. This is known as the DTV transition. On February 18, 2009 when DTV transition occurs, around 21 million analog-only TV sets won't work in the all-digital broadcasting environment. Adelstein said in a press release “The DTV chain of communication has many weak links principally because we never created a coordinating mechanism between government, industry and the public. Communication is the FCC's middle name, but we haven't lived up to it.” The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, agreed. Late last year it issued a report that found there was no comprehensive plan or strategy to measure progress and results of the government’s DTV transition efforts. Major public-private efforts have been undertaken, but the GAO stated “It remains unclear whether public-private sector interaction can ensure a consistent message to prevent consumer confusion.” Some consumers are asking why they need to switch. First, all-digital broadcasting will give needed communications channels to police, fire and emergency rescue personnel. It will also allow for new wireless services for consumers. In addition, since digital is more efficient than analog, it allows stations to broadcast several programs at the same time, instead of just one program with analog. This means broadcasters can offer consumers more choices. Digital also allows broadcasters to offer improved picture and sound quality, including high definition (HDTV) programming. The end of analog broadcasting does not mean that consumers must purchase new TVs, and you certainly don’t need an HDTV to watch digital broadcasts. If you currently receive over-the-air programming on an analog television using a broadcast antenna, either through “rabbit ears” on your set or an antenna on your roof, you will only need a digital-to-analog converter box to continue watching broadcast television on that set after February 17, 2009. These boxes will cost approximately $40 to $70, and are now available in many stores that sell TVs and other electronic devices. A lot of homes will not need a converter box. If you subscribe to a paid television service such as cable or satellite TV, you will not need a digital-to-analog converter box, and the TVs connected to your paid service will continue to receive local broadcast programming. Some consumers have expressed concern about how the converter boxes will work and whether consumers will continue to receive closed captions after the transition to digital television takes place. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules require digital-to-analog converter boxes to pass through closed captions. The digital-to-analog converter box receives closed caption signals and passes those closed caption signals to your TV automatically. In addition, many converter boxes will generate captions through the converter box itself, thus enabling you to change the way your captions look. Analog TVs that are 13 inches or larger, and were manufactured after July 1993, can display closed captions. When using any digital-to-analog converter box on one of these TVs, you can follow the instructions that came with your TV to turn closed captions on/off through your TV or TV remote control, just as you always have. If you were able to see closed captions on your TV before you got the converter box, you will continue to see closed captions on your TV the same way after attaching the box. As before, captions will appear as white text on a black background. Analog TVs that are smaller than 13 inches and TVs manufactured before July 1993 are not required to display closed captions. If your converter box is equipped to generate closed captions itself, however, you may be able to see closed captions on these TVs. In addition to passing through closed caption signals, many converter boxes also include the ability to take over the captioning role that the tuner plays in your analog TV set. To determine whether your converter box is equipped to generate captions in this way, you should check the user manual before you buy the converter box. If your converter box is equipped to generate captions in this way, then follow the instructions that came with the converter box to turn closed captions on/off via your converter box or converter box remote control. When you access the closed captions in this way, you also will be able to change the way your digital captions look. The converter box will come with instructions on how to change the caption size, font (style), caption color, background color, and opacity. This ability to adjust your captions is something you cannot do now with an analog television and analog captions. If you turn on the digital-to-analog converter box and see a double row of overlapping captions, it may mean you are seeing captions through both your TV and your digital-to-analog converter box. You should turn off the closed captioning function either on your television or on the converter box. If you are able to get captions when you tune to one station, but not another, most likely this is not a problem with your converter box. You should contact the television station airing the program that does not have captions. If you need a coupon, get one soon since there are a limited number. It will likely take several weeks for you to receive it once you ask for it. It is only good for 90 days, so use it before it expires. The change from analog TV to digital TV will occur in February 2009. It is a done deal. Spread the word, help avoid mass confusion. Division of Aging and Adult Services |
