Ready or not, here comes the digital TV switch

staff and wire report

This time they really mean it. TV goes all-digital Friday and there will be no take-backs, no changes and, if you aren’t prepared, no TV.

We’ve been through this for a while now, we’ve heard the warnings, ignored the scrolls on the bottom of local news shows. We watched the digital changeover get delayed from February to June.

And now, on Friday, it’ll be real. For the vast majority of folks across America, the sun will come up, the sun will go down, TV will still be TV — that’s a qualitatively neutral statement, by the way: We’re talking technical delivery here.

But for some people, TV will become fuzz. Across the nation, 2.7 percent of homes aren’t ready.

Some people might want it that way. They might be thinking, “I’m done with TV.” (They also might not know that “According to Jim” has been canceled, so suddenly there is hope for the medium.) But more than likely, those holdouts are confused.

In the Youngstown market, viewers are about as ready as they will ever be, according to Bob Flis, chief engineer at WFMJ-TV 21. “We did a soft test on May 21 [during which the analog signal is halted] and we got zero calls,” said Flis. It was the first time in the half-dozen or so tests the station has conducted that no one has called with questions, he said.

The FCC this week shifted its focus from getting people ready to dealing with problems after the changeover, said Flis. The most calls will probably come in on Monday, he added, because TV viewership generally drops on summer weekends.

The Federal Communications Commission and Nielsen Media Research say the most likely people still not ready are older, or poor, or don’t speak English well, or are minorities. And in many of those cases, they’re confused or daunted by the digital terminology.

So here is a simple guide to what the heck is going on.

First thing, though, is trust me when I say you don’t want me trying to explain the science of this. Just know that the new digital signal can still be sent over the air, but you need different equipment to receive it.

People with cable or satellite service or who pay TV through your phone company already can get digital TV. People whose TVs have digital receivers also will get the digital signal. Those TVs don’t need to be high definition, they just need a digital tuner, and most sets built after 2004 will be fine.

Here’s who still has to adjust: People whose sets use rabbit ears or antennas on the roof and who have older TVs. If you have a converter box, you’re golden. That’ll change the signal for you. If you have a box but can’t hook it up, hang with me just a bit and I’ll tell you where to get help.

But let’s start with that converter box. For antenna folk, that’s the key if you don’t want to sign up for cable or satellite service — and by the way, because the cable and satellite companies know some people are in this pickle, just about every supplier is running some kind of sale to start service.

As for the converter box, you’ll need one per TV set, and they can be found in almost every electronics store for $50-ish to $70-ish. There are government coupons available to take $40 off the cost, and though there had been a delay and a waiting list back in February, the coupons are flowing again. Every household can get two.

So, the first bit of advice for someone with just an antenna and no digital TV: Get the coupon now.

And you need to apply before July 31, because that’s when the program ends.

“We would hate for people to think they don’t care and aren’t going to do anything, then change their minds when it’s too late,” said Linda Yun, a spokeswoman for National Association of Broadcasters. “There’s no reason they should have to dish out the extra money.”

To get a coupon, call toll free (888) 225-5322. If you call during business hours, you’ll most likely get to talk to a human.

Or write to: TV Converter Box Coupon Program, P.O. Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208-2000, or go to www.dtv2009.gov.

Next issue, hooking up the box. It’s relatively simple, but there are people out there who can help. Through July 15, AmeriCorps will assist people in this. They can be reached through the FCC’s number, which is (888) 225-5322.

And by the way, if you have the box and are waiting to connect, or are thinking about hooking up to cable or satellite, do it now. Seriously, today would be good.

“Everybody is already broadcasting in digital,” said FCC spokesman Mark Wigfield. “You can try it out and see how everything works. There’s no reason to wait.”

With all that being said, most people will be unaffected on June 12.

But there are a couple of things to know:

Digital signals over the air are different from your old analog signal in one serious way. They are all or nothing, meaning you’ll still get good reception as the signal weakens, until you don’t get it at all. (A weak analog signal comes in and out, or gets fuzzy.)

So if you have a converter box, or a digital set with an antenna, you may need a new antenna. One place to check for help is www.antennaweb.org, a Web site run by the Consumer Electronics Association that suggests antenna types based on your location.

Also, this has nothing to do with high definition. All high-def TVs are digital, but having digital doesn’t make it high-def. The ins and outs of that world are an entirely separate discussion.

Finally, if all else fails, Wigfield says call the FCC. “We’ll get you to who you need to talk to,” he said.

Vindicator entertainment writer Guy D’Astolfo contributed to this story by Rick Kushman of the Sacramento Bee.