>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

‘If I was going to go buy a TV, I'd certainly want one with a digital tuner in it.' — Al Steffler (Observer illustration/PHIL BULLOCK).

- Bill Rautenstrauch

- The Observer

Here's some advice for anyone thinking about a new television set: be careful what you buy.

Many electronics dealers are still selling analog TVs, even though the sets won't work without a converter box after Feb. 17, 2009.

"There are retailers who are doing unpleasant things," said Al Steffler, a La Grande-based Oregon Public Television engineer. "They're trying to get rid of their analog TVs which in some respects will be obsolete after that date."

Feb. 17, 2009, is the date when over-the-air analog broadcasts cease for good, by an act of the U.S. Congress.

From then on, all television broadcasts in the United States, excepting those from translators, will be digital. Translators will make the transition at a date still to be determined.

Locally, over-the-air broadcasts from Portland arrive via translator. OPB is broadcast via a transmitter and has already made the digital transition.

In most cases, analog televisions receiving over-the-air programming won't work after the cutoff date, unless owners have a converter box to change digital broadcasts into analog format.

"Around here about 80 percent of the households are on cable or satellite and won't experience great difficulties," said Steffler. "The people who will be directly impacted are those who use antennas."

The converter boxes cost about $130, and the federal government will help some consumers pay for them.

The converter boxes are available to consumers now, but in limited quantities. Steffler thinks they will be more plentiful — and cheaper — as the transition date draws closer.

"I'm confident they'll drop below $100 once once mass production starts," he said.

Analog signals tend to degrade in transmission, while digital signals, containing "bit streams" of information, generally do not. Digital picture quality is superior.

Whether the signal is analog or digital, people still need antennas to receive over-the-air broadcasts. Steffler said he thinks most UHF antennas in use now will continue to serve the purpose well.

Last June, all new television sets 26 inches or larger were required to be digital-ready. In March, the requirement extends to new TVs 13 inches or larger.

People shopping for a set should bear in mind the coming change, and buy accordingly.

Though things digital have always been notorious for breaking down, Steffler said digital television technology has come a long way.

"The real early digital TVs had a lot of problems, but now a lot of them have a good long life," he said.

Steffler said consumers shopping for a new set should be aware of the difference between mere digital television and high definition television.

"A lot of televisions are digital but don't give the high quality picture," Steffler said. "If that's what you're after, you need to make sure it's high definition rather than standard definition."

Cable and satellite subscribers with analog TVs should contact their service providers about obtaining converter boxes for the digital TV transition.

Most television stations will continue broadcasting both analog and digital programming until the cutoff date. Then, analog broadcasting will stop.

Industry insiders worry that the federal government, broadcasters and retailers aren't doing enough to let people know about the transition, sometimes called the "digital shift."

James O'Neal, technology editor for TV Technology magazine, recently wrote that failure to publicize the transition could lead to a "train wreck."

"If Mr. and Mrs. America only learn about it the hard way on the morning of Feb. 17, 2009, there's going to be a train wreck of colossal proportions," he said.