Is your TV Digital or Analog?

The National Digital Switchover Steering committee has planned for the transition from analogue to digital television to occur instart as early as 2015. This means that in as little as 3 years, all analogue sets in the country could become obsolete unless a digital-to-analogue box is used to convert the signal.

Other countries in the world have already completed the transition — the US ended all full-power analogue television broadcasts in 2009, while the United Kingdom has set October 24, 2012 as their date. Several countries have already started the process — which means that the Jamaican market could be receiving analogue televisions that appear to be digital, but in fact are not equipped with this newer technology.

Whilst countries have tended to discourage the continued sale of older television sets through legislation — the US’ Federal Communications Commission has now banned all analog TV imports unless they also contain digital tuners — it’s still crucial for consumers to be able to determine whether the TV sets they already have are analogue/digital, or for people shopping locally or overseas to know what kind of set they are buying so as not to be duped.

Differences between Digital and Analogue Televisions

The tricky thing is that some features that some people generally associate with digital televisions (DTVs), such as wide/flat/LCD screens, are not indicators of a digital tuner. Use this guide when buying a new set or when evaluating whether a TV set is digital/analogue — it’s easy to tell the two apart once you know what to look for.

1. Look for the keywords. Look on the box, in the owner’s manual, or on the TV set itself. Do you see the words “digital tuner,” “digital receiver,” or “DTV”? This means that your TV can receive DTV broadcasts. Even if you see the words “digital monitor” or “digital ready,” it might mean that your TV is still analogue.
2. Do you have a High Definition TV? All HDTVs receive a digital signal. If you see “HDTV” or “ATSC,” it means that the television set already has a built-in digital tuner.
3. Quality of reception. Digital TV is generally clearer and crisper than analogue TV, with better audio and no static or ‘snow.’
4. Date manufactured. The FCC mandated that all television sets sold in the United States since May 2007 are required to have built-in digital tuners. Chances are that if your television set was manufactured before this time, it may be using analogue technology.
5. Price. Use your instincts. DTVs, unfortunately, are generally more expensive than analogue televisions — though as our society begins to embrace the newer technology it is expected that these costs will go down. If you see a TV on sale and the price is too good to be true, chances are that it’s not a DTV.

Do I Need to Replace my Analogue TV?

In order to prepare for the Digital Switchover, you have two choices. You can buy a new DTV or you can equip your old analog television with a converter box. Whichever route you choose, it’s important that you understand what kind of TV you currently have or are intending to buy, so that you know which steps to take when embracing our digital future.

As the National Steering Committee prepares to roll-out its Public Information component, we look forward to hearing the plans for DSO in Jamaica.

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