We’ve all heard about the DTV transition, but how much do we really know about it? Here are some fun (or not-so-fun) facts about the technology:

• The transition is not about when digital broadcast can start, it’s about when analog broadcast must end. Why force the end of analog broadcast? Money… plain and simple.
• The biggest lobbyists for the DTV transition were cable and satellite providers like DirectTV.
• Digital TV uses less bandwidth than analog TV… so there will be left over space in the spectrum that’s no longer being used. What’s going to happen to this space? It will be sold. This is what this transition is really about… several big companies want that bandwidth space, and as usual, the little guy is getting screwed.
• What’s so great about DTV? Better picture quality. Period. That’s the only advantage the average American will get out of the transition. This assumes, of course, that the people who care about high-def don’t already have cable… ’cause the only thing changing is over-the-air broadcast.
• What sucks about DTV? Sadly, a number of things. For starters, most people who still get their television over the air don’t care all that much about quality. As the previous bullet states, that’s the only gain they’ll see. So we’re really spending all this money for very little perceived gain for the consumer
• Unlike analog TV, DTV is all or nothing. Either you get a strong enough signal or you don’t get anything at all. Gone will be the days of slightly “snowy” yet easily discernible video. Most of those channels will be simply unviewable. Just take a look at what’s going on in Hawaii right now.
• Related to the previous point, gone are the days of watching a staticy news channel during a strong storm. I remember many nights as a child, watching the weather reports on the TV in the basement during a tornado storm. Any situation where the video used to go fuzzy, will now produce a complete lack of video signal (even if the audio used to be understandable). Again, DTV is all or nothing.
• Think about the people you know who still used an anteana for their television. Are they the most technically savey folks? I didn’t think so. Unfortunatly, they’re the ones that will have to deal with the DTV converter boxes that the government is subsidizing. Granting, these boxes aren’t much more difficult to hook up than a DVD player… but it’s still non-trivial for most people.
• Many people don’t know about the DTV converter boxes or aren’t sure how/where to get them. So, several big electronics resellers are pushing very hard to get these people to purchase brand new digital TVs that don’t require a box. There are too many people spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on equipment who would be just as well off buying a $60 box and getting a $40 rebate from the government.
• Many broadcasting stations are spending thousands of dollars a day to transmit both analog and digital television signals. If the government’s plan of postponing the deadline goes through, many of the smaller, more local stations won’t be able to afford this dual broadcast for the additional months until the switch. Their only financially viable option will be to cut out the analog signal early.
• What happens when the local guys are forced to cut analog early? Consumers who aren’t ready for the switch (and likely never will be) will have to start tuning into the other larger broadcasters who can afford to transmit both signals. End result… the little guys are screwed.

In short, I’m quite oppose to the DTV transition… but unfortunately, it’s going to happen. When it does, many consumers will be confused and placed in a very vulnerable position. If the transition is delayed, local broadcasters will be forced into a very difficult business situation that greatly favors the larger corporations.

Sources: Consumerist, Gizmodo, Wikipedia, EngadgetHD, & DTV Facts

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