Frequently Asked Questions About Digital TV

DTV is a new technology that provides viewers with better pictures, sound and even more programming choices. Once you switch to DTV, you can start watching digital broadcasts right away. And it's all free when you watch over the air with an antenna or rabbit ears.

Do you live in a rural area? Your digital conversion date will likely be later than February 2009. Find out more.

The federal government has required that all broadcasters with full-power TV stations switch to digital broadcasting after February 17, 2009 in order to free up valuable broadcast spectrum for other purposes, including use by public agencies and emergency first responders, and for expanded wireless services. For your public television station and other broadcasters, this switch is not optional — it's an FCC mandate.

Do you live in a rural area? Your digital conversion date will likely be later than February 2009. Find out more.

If your TV is more than a couple of years old, it's probably not digital. Check your owner's manual to see if it mentions a digital tuner, or look on the set for an indication of an ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) tuner. If your TV has one, your TV set is digital and you've already made the switch.

You can also check the manufacturer's Web site for further details about your model. If there's no mention of digital ("digital-ready" does not mean your set is digital) or ATSC, then you have an analog set and you'll need to make the switch. Find out how to switch.

No. If you are watching analog TV over the air using an antenna or rabbit ears, all you need to buy is a converter box. The converter box, available for as little as $10 after you redeem a coupon from the government, (This link will open in a separate window.) will convert the digital TV signals into a picture that can be displayed on your analog television.

Order a converter box coupon. (This link will open in a separate window.)

Find a converter box retailer in your area. (This link will open in a separate window.)

See a list of coupon eligible converter boxes. (This link will open in a separate window.)

Do you live in a rural area? You'll need a converter box with an analog pass-through feature. Find out more.

If you do decide to purchase a new TV set, be sure to select a set with a built-in digital tuner. With this TV set, you can watch digital TV over the air using an antenna or rabbit ears for free — no paid subscription to a cable or satellite service is needed.

When you are shopping for TV sets, you'll need to choose between standard-definition digital TV (SDTV) and high-definition digital TV (HDTV). High definition offers the very best picture, but the extra step up to HDTV is entirely optional. Although prices are coming down, high-definition TVs are more expensive than standard-definition digital sets. As long as you buy a set with a built-in digital tuner, you'll be ready to watch digital channels.

If you are watching TV over the air using an antenna or rabbit ears — and you do not own a TV with a built-in digital tuner — you will need to purchase a converter box. The federal government has set up a special coupon program to make digital converter boxes affordable for everyone so you can continue to receive free television after the switch to digital.

Converter box coupons are good for 90 days from the date of issue, and each household can request up to two $40 coupons. If you have requested one coupon and it expires before you use it, you can apply for your second coupon. If you have requested two coupons and they both expire before you have used them, your household is no longer eligible for additional coupons - so pay close attention to the coupon expiration date.

Order a converter box coupon. (This link will open in a separate window.)

Find a converter box retailer in your area. (This link will open in a separate window.)

See a list of coupon-eligible converter boxes. (This link will open in a separate window.)

Do you live in a rural area? You'll need a converter box with an analog pass-through feature. Find out more.

No. If the antenna or rabbit ears you are currently using to watch TV captures a good incoming signal, your antenna should continue to work well when your TV is hooked up to a converter box or with your TV with built-in digital tuner. In the right location, a simple low-tech antenna will often produce the best on-screen images and CD-like sound — even better than cable or satellite.

However, you will want to make sure you have a UHF/VHF antenna. Some digital channels appear in the UHF band and others on the VHF band. An antenna that receives both UHF and VHF signals will allow you to access a full range of digital channels.

For customized advice about the best placement and orientation for your antenna, plus information on which antenna is most likely to work best for you, visit antennaweb.org. (This link will open in a separate window.)

For more information about antenna installation and placement, download this article: "Choosing and Installing an Antenna for Digital TV or HDTV" (This PDF document will open in a separate window.)

While the advantage of digital television is better pictures and sound — with no static or ghosting — the challenge of DTV is that you either receive stellar reception or none at all.

If you hook up your rabbit ears to your analog TV plus converter box or your digital TV and you do not receive reception, first make sure that all the antenna connections are working correctly and are clean and tight. If you still do not receive reception with your rabbit ears, try installing an outdoor antenna. For customized advice about the best placement and orientation for your antenna, plus information on which antenna is most likely to work best for you, visit antennaweb.org. (This link will open in a separate window.)

If you install an outdoor antenna and still do not receive reception, you may need to contact a local company for assistance in positioning and installing your outdoor antenna. If that does not result in reception, you may need to explore a different solution, such as cable or satellite, for receiving digital television.

You will need to switch to digital in order to continue watching full-power TV stations television after February 17, 2009. Switching to digital TV is easy and inexpensive. Plus — once you make the change — you can start watching digital channels. Find out how to switch to digital TV.

Do you live in a rural area? Your digital conversion date will likely be later than February 2009. Find out more