Most Americans know by now that television is going digital on Feb. 17, 2009. They also know -- well about 70 percent of them, anyway -- that they've got to buy a converter box or a digital TV in order to get basic television reception after that date.
So with five months to go, how is the transition going? It's a bumpy road, as far as we can tell. Of the estimated 21 million analog TV households, a hefty percentage is resisting the transition, according to various surveys. And of those who bought converter boxes, we've heard nothing but complaints.
Converter-box users say the channel selection stinks and the reception is grainy. Consumer Reports, which tested three mid-price converter boxes, came to the conclusion that analog TV users might be better off just splurging on a digital TV.
"These converter boxes are all capable of handling their basic function reasonably well, and they'll enable you to use an analog
TV after the switch to all-digital broadcasts ... Still, if you want optimal picture quality from digital broadcasts, you'd be better off buying a decent digital TV," says Consumer Reports.
Furthermore, they found that although the higher-priced converter boxes had greater capabilities, they aren't optimized for analog TV sets; also, the premium converter boxes aren't eligible for purchase with the $40 converter box government-issued coupons.
For broadcasters, who are desperately grasping at older viewers as younger demographics leave TV for the web, the transition presents a significant risk. If it isn't easy and cost effective for anyone to upgrade to digital TV, there's serious concern that those analog households could abandon TV altogether.
"Of course we're worried about the transition," says
Tania Panczyk-Collins, a spokeswoman with the Association of Public Television Stations. "We obviously don't want to have fewer viewers -- we've been involved in educating the public about this for years ... It is what it is."
The problem is probably not with the converter boxes, though, says Panczyk-Collins.
"I don't know if it's an issue of [converter box] quality as much as it's an issue of antennas," says Panczyk-Collins. "There are so many variables -- [reception quality] depends on where you're located, whether you're in an apartment building or a single-family home with an antenna on the roof. When you hook up the converter box, you've got to make sure you've got a proper antenna. If you don't, you'll either see nothing or it will look pixelated."
Here's the other problem with this picture: The government backed a plan to fund a converter box coupon program -- as opposed to a digital TV coupon program -- because it's supposed to be more affordable and manageable for most Americans. But suppose an analog household spends $50 on a converter box and another $20 on an antenna -- couldn't those funds go toward new $200 digital TVs? And of the millions of dollars spent educating Americans about the coming transition, couldn't some of those funds have gone toward coupons to help people buy digital TVs?
*Photo: *Flickr/uglyagnes
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