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About Eight Digital Broadcasting

In April 2001, thanks to member support and a series of matching grants, Eight/KAET began broadcasting simultaneously in both analog (Eight/KAET) and digital (Eight Digital Broadcasting).

The conversion to digital required years of planning and fundraising — including more than a year installing the new transmitter and tower on South Mountain, the home to most of the Valley's radio and TV towers. We fortified our 300' broadcasting tower to hold a new 14,000 pound, 60' digital antenna. Our fund raising efforts continue for additional equipment required at the station including: cameras, upgrading our production and operations facilities, and the cost of upgrading our translators around the state.

The new equipment allows us to transmit multiple channels of high definition television (HDTV) and standard definition television (SDTV) programming simultaneously. (Further explanations of HD and SD are below.) This is called multicasting. Just as an art gallery cannot display all of its collections at once, Eight/KAET has many more hours of educational programming and services than we have airtime. Multicasting enables us to share more of our wealth of educational and cultural programming with Arizona viewers than ever before. Currently, our multicast schedule includes:

• Eight HD 8.1 presents high-definition and wide-screen programming | View full schedule


• Eight Create 8.2 broadcasts PBS' favorite how-to programming | View full schedule


• Eight World 8.3 features public affairs programming, opinions and newsmakers, political commentary | View full schedule

About Digital Television

Digital Television (DTV) enables broadcasters to offer television with movie-quality picture and sound. It can also offer multiple programming choices, called multicasting, and interactive capabilities.
Converting to DTV also will free up parts of the scarce and valuable broadcast spectrum. Those portions of the spectrum can then be used for other important services, such as public and safety services (police and fire departments, emergency rescue), and advanced wireless services.

The Transition to Digital TV

TV stations serving all markets in the United States are airing digital television programming today, although most will continue to provide analog programming through February 17, 2009. At that point, full-power TV stations will cease broadcasting on their current analog channels, and the spectrum they use for analog broadcasting will be reclaimed and put to other uses.

Your analog TVs Will Need Additional Equipment to Receive Over-the-air Television When the DTV Transition Ends

Consumers who rely on antennas (including outside antennas and "rabbit ears") to receive broadcast signals on TV sets having only analog tuners will need to obtain separate digital-to-analog set-top converter boxes to watch over-the-air TV. These boxes receive digital signals and convert them into analog format for display on analog TVs. Analog sets connected to such converter boxes will display digital broadcasts, but not necessarily in the full, original digital quality.

Converter Box Coupon Program

Beginning in 2008, your household may be able to obtain up to two coupons worth $40 each toward the purchase of converter boxes. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has responsibility for administering the coupon program, and will issue rules regarding the coupons in the future. Additional information can be found at www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/DTVconsumers.pdf

Any television sold in the United States after March 1, 2007, includes a built-in digital tuner.

Cable and Satellite TV

Cable subscribers may need new DTV equipment to view DTV programming in digital format. You should ask your cable provider what you will need and when. Satellite subscribers may need new DTV equipment to receive and view high definition digital programming. You should ask your satellite company what you will need and when.

Digital television
Quality Levels
There are many quality levels of digital television programming. The most common are:

• Standard Definition TV (SDTV) - SDTV is the basic level of quality display and resolution for both analog and digital. Transmission of SDTV may be in either the traditional (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) format.

• Enhanced Definition TV (EDTV) - EDTV is a step up from Analog Television. EDTV comes in 480p widescreen (16:9) or traditional (4:3) format and provides better picture quality than SDTV, but not as high as HDTV.

• High Definition TV (HDTV) - HDTV in widescreen format (16:9) provides the highest resolution and picture quality of all digital broadcast formats. Combined with digitally enhanced sound technology, HDTV sets new standards for sound and picture quality in television.
(Note: HDTV and digital TV are not the same thing -- HDTV is one format of digital TV.)

Facts at a Glance

Analog	DTV	HDTV
• Date for final transition to digital is February 17, 2009. After that date, stations will only broadcast digital signals. • Consumers will always be able to connect an inexpensive receiver(a set top box) to their existing analog TV to decode DTV broadcast signals • Set top boxes will not convert your analog TV to high-definition. • Analog TVs will continue to work with cable, satellite, VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, video games consoles and other devices for many years.	• Digital cable or digital satellite does not mean a program is in high-definition. • Digital pictures will be free from the "ghosts" and "snow" that can affect analog transmissions. • Multicasting is available. • HDTV is available. • Data streaming is available.	• High-definition broadcasts offered. • Best available picture resolution, clarity and color. • Dolby theatre surround-sound. • Dolby surround-sound. • Wide screen "movie-like" format

 

About Eight/KAET-TV

Eight specializes in the education of children, in-depth news and public affairs, lifelong learning, and the celebration of arts and culture — utilizing the power of noncommercial television, the Internet, educational outreach services, and community-based initiatives. The PBS station began broadcasting from the campus of Arizona State University on January 30, 1961. Now more than 80 percent of Arizonans receive the signal through a network of translators, cable and satellite systems. With more than 1.3 million viewers each week, Eight consistently ranks among the most-viewed public television stations per capita in the country. Arizonans provide more than 60 percent of the station’s annual budget.