Approaching the digital deadline (again)

Friday is the date on which many TV stations will turn off their analog broadcast signals, leaving only their digital signals. (The digital signals are already being broadcast, and have been for some time.) The change won't affect cable TV or satellite TV customers, only those who receive their TV signals through an antenna (which, in Bedford County, would probably mean a rooftop antenna, as opposed to indoor "rabbit ears" antennas).

The originally-announced date for the analog shutoff was in February, but it was postponed after problems in distributing federally-subsidized converter boxes which will allow persons with older analog TV sets to view the new digital signals.

Consumers who still haven't made their sets digital-ready can go to dtv2009.gov or call (888) DTV-2009 to get up to two $40 coupons. Each coupon can be used towards the purchase of one converter box, at an estimated retail price of $40 to $70 depending on features.

Unlike analog signals, which gradually fade away based on the receiver's distance from the transmission tower, digital signals are all-or-nothing. You get a crisp, clear picture or you get a blank screen. To increase your chances of picking up moderate or weak signals, you can purchase a signal amplifier which will boost the signal from a rooftop antenna, possibly making the difference between receiving or not receiving a signal.

Digital converter boxes also include a signal strength indicator that may help with pointing your antenna in exactly the right direction for the signals you're trying to receive.

The good news is that, once you've jumped through all the hoops, you can get a clear, high-quality TV signal for free, without the monthly bills of cable or satellite TV. And digital signals allow stations to "multi-cast." WKRN broadcasts its normal schedule on channel 2.1, but it broadcasts the Nashville WX Channel, a full-time local weather service, on 2.2. WSMV uses its second channel to air Telemundo Nashville, a Spanish-language station. WTVF has NewsChannel 5+, with news and community affairs programming including later rebroadcasts of news programming from the parent station.

So digital antenna viewers will have more channels from which to choose than they did on the analog system. And if they upgrade to newer-model HD TVs, they can sell or give away their converter boxes and enjoy programming in true high definition.

The reason for the change is not just technology but money. The new digital signals will take up less of the radio spectrum than the old analog signals did, and that allowed the federal government to auction off those open frequencies for huge amounts of money. The frequencies once used by analog TV stations will be used for new wireless telephone or data transmission services. That's why there's a requirement that the old analog signals be turned off by a specific date.

Some stations have talked about increasing the power to their digital signals or moving equipment on the tower once their analog signals have been turned off, so it's possible that reception of digital signals will improve in the coming months.

--John I. Carney is city editor of the Times-Gazette and covers county government. He is also the author of the self-published novel "Soapstone." His personal web site is lakeneuron.com.

Signal strength

Here, according to the dtv.gov web site, is how the signal strength of the Nashville and Huntsville, Ala., TV stations stacks up from Shelbyville:

STRONG SIGNAL

WKRN (Nashville, Channel 2, ABC affiliate)

MODERATE SIGNAL

WHTN (Murfreesboro, Channel 39, religious / independent)

WSMV (Nashville, Channel 4, NBC affiliate)

WTVF (Nashville, Channel 5, CBS affiliate)

WNPT (Nashville, Channel 8, PBS affiliate)

WZTV (Nashville, Channel 17, FOX affiliate)

WUXP (Nashville, Channel 30, MyTV affiliate)

WPGD (Nashville, Channel 50, TBN affiliate)

WEAK SIGNAL

WNPX (Nashville, Channel 28, ION affiliate)

WNAB (Nashville, Channel 58, CW affiliate)

WHDF (Huntsville, Ala., Channel 15, CW affiliate)

WHNT (Huntsville, Ala., Channel 19, CBS affiliate)

WHIQ (Huntsville, Ala., Channel 25, PBS affiliate)

WAAY (Huntsville, Ala., Channel 31, ABC affiliate)

WAFF (Huntsville, Ala., Channel 48, NBC affiliate)

WZDX (Huntsville, Ala., Channel 54, FOX affiliate)

Because of Bedford County's terrain, those classifications may be different in outlying parts of the county. You can input your address at the dtv.gov site and see the readings for your specific location.