Give your old TV a chance in the digital age

We get concerned to hear or read that old TV sets (non-digital) will be heading for landfills once digital broadcasting becomes the standard. This need not be true.

You do not need to discard your old TV.

Yes, purchasing a flat screen, high-definition television (HDTV) can enhance your viewing pleasure, but even your oldest TV set can work with digital broadcasting.

The “digital transition” on February 17, 2009 is a congressionally mandated change for America’s broadcasters. Locally this includes Eight, Arizona PBS and our commercial brethren—such as 3TV, CBS 5, Fox 10, NBC 12, ABC 15 and several other local broadcasters. The law requires all analog transmitters in Arizona and throughout the United States to shut off—only our digital channels will be broadcast.

But the concept of free, over-the-air (OTA) broadcasting is not shutting off. Even TV’s of yesteryear using “rabbit ears” or rooftop antennas can work. Homes using TV antennas can purchase digital-to-analog converter boxes and watch digital broadcasts on their older sets.

We tested a converter box with a ten-year-old TV and found it to be easy to install and set up. We used a twist tie from a bread bag as an antenna and received beautiful digital images. Of course, a twist tie as an antenna may not work for every home, but you may be surprised at how well an old TV antenna, or even a length of wire, can bring in digital signals.

The great news is that the federal government is offering every household two coupons, worth $40 each, to offset the cost of digital-to-analog converter boxes. These boxes range from $40 to $100. Go to www.dtv2009.gov to apply for your coupons, or call 1-888-388-2009.

Eight currently broadcasts three digital channels (Eight HD, Eight Create, and Eight World).

A new digital TV with a digital tuner and antenna can receive these channels. Some cable and satellite services will carry these local digital television (DTV) channels—which should work on new and old TV’s.

Whether or not you decide to invest in a new flat screen, you do not need to throw away your old TV set. If it has served you well, give it a chance to bring you additional happiness in the digital age with a digital-to-analog set-top converter box.