30 Days to Digital Television Transition

Yesterday, Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell held a press conference to mark the start of a 30-day countdown to the transition from analog to digital television. Most local stations will cease their analog broadcasts at 9 a.m. on June 12, 2009; others will close out their analog broadcasts earlier.

It would be hard to say that the city, in conjunction with the FCC, hasn’t been doing everything it can to alert viewers about the upcoming change. Since the President extended the deadline in February, more than 11,000 households have requested the $40 coupon (looks like a gift card) to help pay for the digital converter box that will bring digital signals to their TVs over the air.

Harrell’s purpose for the press conference was to remind people of the upcoming deadline. His office estimates that there are more than 20,000 households locally that aren’t prepared for the switchover. "We’ve done a good job getting the word out so far," he said. "Right now, we have about 4 percent of our TV households who aren’t ready. I’d love to get that number down to less than 1 percent and I think we can do that."

The process to get the box is fairly simple. You can visit the DTV website or the City’s website to order the $40 coupon. The coupon can be used towards the purchase price of the converter boxes, which usually run in the $40-$70 range. Boxes can be purchased at most electronic outlets including Best Buy, RadioShack, and Sears.

The box won’t work unless you have an antenna with a UHF band, so many current TVs may need an upgrade. Also, the digital broadcast signal has trouble reaching some pockets within Seattle, so an enhanced antenna may be needed as well. Harrell’s office says a map showing the affected areas will be placed online shortly. In the short run, you can ask about the various antenna options at the outlet where you purchase your box.