Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Need a Converter Box?
If you get television through a cable, satellite, or other pay service, you don't have to do anything. TVs connected to cable, satellite, or other pay services will not require a TV converter box to receive programs after February 17, 2009.

If you are using an analog television with a set-top (rabbit ears) or roof-top antenna, you will need a digital tuner in combination with the antenna to receive programs after February 17, 2009. All TVs sold in the U.S since March 1, 2007, have a built-in digital tuner that meets ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee, which created the standards for the DTV format) standards. If your TV was manufactured between 1984 and 2007, it may have a built-in digital tuner. Refer to the product manual, or contact your manufacturer to confirm whether your television has a digital tuner built into it. No TVs manufactured prior to 1984 have built-in digital tuners, and so all will require the purchase of a DTV converter box equipped with an ATSC tuner in order to continue to receive programs after February 17, 2009.

What are DTV Coupons?
The federal government is offering every U.S. household up to two coupons good for $40 off the cost of DTV converter boxes certified by the NTIA. Coupons will be mailed to requesters.

Where can I Find the Coupon Code and 3-Digit PIN on My DTV Coupon?
The Coupon Code is the 16 numbers located on the front of the card.

The 3-Digit PIN is sometimes called the "Coupon CVV2." It s located on the back of the card on the right side of the card.

How Do I Request a DTV Coupon?

• Web: www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx
• Toll Free Phone: 1-888-388-2009 (1-888-DTV-2009)
• Mail: PO Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208
• Fax: 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632)
• Deaf or hard-of-hearing callers may dial 1-877-530-2634 (English/TTY) or 1-866-495-1161 (Spanish/TTY)

What's so Great About DTV Anyway?

DTV (digital telvision) is the new broadcasting system that uses computer code to transmit pictures and sounds. DTV includes all types of digital broadcasting, including high- and standard-definition television, datacasting, and multicasting. More than 1,600 television stations across the country are already broadcasting in digital. What does DTV offer the average television viewer?

• Better picture and sound quality:
  Most viewers will see improved clarity and color when watching their favorite news, sports, or entertainment programming.
• Additional channels/multicasting:
  TV stations will be able to provide several channels of programming at once. For example, if you normally watch channel two, it will still be available to you. But you may also get channel 2.1 that broadcasts local weather throughout the day or channel 2.2 that provides your favorite programs at a different time of day. These channels will be available at no additional cost.
• Additional services:
  Additional data services, such as enhanced closed-captioning, that are not possible in analog will now be available.
• Improved emergency communications:
  With the change from analog to digital, portions of the analog TV airwaves (known as the "spectrum") will be made available to local emergency responders such as local firefighters, police, and 911 responders. This means improved emergency communications capacity and safer communities.

Glossary of Definitions

• analog spectrum:
  A traditional, less-efficient, and lower-quality system that uses radio frequency (RF) waves to transmit and display pictures and sound.
• ATSC tuner:
  Often called an ATSC receiver or HDTV tuner, it allows reception of digital television (DTV) signals broadcast over the air by TV stations. An ATSC Tuner may be integrated into a television, VCR, digital video recorder, or set-top box.
  
• broadcast spectrum:
  The entire range of frequencies used for radio and television transmission.
  
• broadcasting:
  Using radio waves to distribute radio or TV programs that are available for reception by the general public.
  
• Department of Commerce (DOC):
  Department whose responsibility is to "foster, serve, and promote the nation's economic development and technological advancement."
  
• digital:
  Describes a new, more efficient method of storing, processing, and transmitting information through the use of computer code.
  
• digital television (DTV):
  The umbrella term used for the new broadcasting system that uses computer code to transmit pictures and sounds. DTV includes all types of digital broadcasting, including high- and standard-definition television, datacasting, and multicasting.
  
• digital-to-analog converter box:
  A standalone device that receives and converts digital signals into a format for display on an analog television receiver.
  
• high-definition television (HDTV):
  One type of digital television signal that is broadcast at a higher resolution than the others, providing a higher-quality picture.
  
• household:
  All of the people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, an apartment, a mobile home, a group of rooms, or a single room occupied as separate living quarters. Separate living quarters are those in which the occupants live separately from any other people in the building and that have direct access from the outside of the building or through a common hall.
  
• multicasting:
  The ability to transmit multiple standard-definition programs at the same time using a single digital broadcast channel.
  
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA):
  The president's principal adviser on telecommunications and information policy