PHOENIX -- The DTV transition is officially here.
On Friday, all television stations in Phoenix shut off their 'analog' signal to go completely digital.
At ABC15 it was estimated that over 300 people had called in for help with their TV signal by the end of the day. Engineer James Bradley said about 90 percent of those calls were about rescanning television sets.
LEARN HOW TO SCAN YOUR TV CHANNELS“I was totally lost in the dark about this new system,” one visitor told an ABC15 engineer while visiting the station to ask questions.
According to the government’s DTV web site, only 14 percent of households in Arizona have to worry about the DTV transition.
ABC15 Chief Engineer Ryan Steward said if you’re watching TV on cable, satellite or if you have a digital tuner, you don’t need to worry about this change. You don't need a DTV converter. You're all set.
“This DTV transition mainly effects people who are on antenna only,” said Steward.
But make sure you spend a little time doing a quick survey of your house. Even if you have cable service in your family room, you might have an antenna-only TV in your bedroom or in the backyard.
If you do, you'll have to take action to continue getting that signal.
For those people who are not paying for cable, their antenna service ends on Friday June 12th -- unless they have one of the DTV converter boxes.
Here's where to get a converter box You can actually save money when buying a converter box by requesting a government coupon at the above website. It's basically free cash.
Steward said the converter coupons are currently running between two and three weeks behind schedule.
You have until July 31, 2009 to request up to two coupons, worth $40 each, that will help pay for up to two converter boxes.
Steward said converter boxes can cost between $40-$70.
SPECIAL NOTE: You must use the coupons within 90 days of receiving them in the mail.
How to connect a converter box to your TV
Connecting the converter box to your TV is easier than you might think.
The first thing to do is take the antenna connector and plug that into the converter box.
Next, use the wire that came with the box and connect that to your TV.
Then, turn the converter box to channel four.
If you still have problems, check to make sure the menu works on the TV.
If it does, that means the converter is connected and it’s an antenna issue.
Once you get connected, you’ll notice a big difference in your TV’s picture. The new digital picture should be much clearer using the converter box.
And you’ll get new channels on all the stations, including ABC15.
Channel 15.2 gives you goAZ – our traffic and weather channel.
“You’ll go from having seven or eight channels to having 40,” Steward said.
For more answers to your DTV questions, call the FCC’s hotline at 1-888-CALL-FCC or visit the government’s
DTV web site.
