DTV Utah: The Next Generation in Television


		Frequently Asked Questions About Digital Television and Over-the-air Reception Digital Television (DTV) will be available to consumers by over-the-air broadcast beginning in November. Stations in 22 markets across the United States are expected to begin over-the-air digital broadcasts in 1998. All commercial stations in the nation's top ten markets are scheduled to be on the air by May 1999, and all stations in the top thirty markets by November,1999. All other commercial stations must be broadcasting DTV by May of 2002.
Will DTV be receivable by antenna? Most homeowners will be able to receive broadcast DTV through an antenna. However, as with analog television, the over the air signal may be subject to terrain interference in certain areas. Will consumers need new antennas to receive digital television? No. The same antennas in use today to receive analog transmissions will also work with DTV, however, the nature of the DTV signal makes it important to have the correct type of antenna installed. Will indoor antennas work with DTV? Yes. However, as with analog television, outdoor antennas will generally be more effective than indoor antennas. Can local governments or homeowners associations prohibit homeowners from putting up outdoor antennas to receive DTV? No. The FCC recently barred unnecessary local government or homeowner restrictions on television antenna placement. These new rules will make it much easier for homeowners to put up exterior antennas to receive digital broadcast services. Is anything being done to ensure that consumers will have the highest quality reception of over-the-air digital television? CEMA and the National Association of Broadcasters are working together to identify the factors necessary for quality reception of over-the-air DTV. The resulting guidelines will help retailers, transmitter manufacturers, broadcasters, television manufacturers, and antenna manufacturers ensure consumers the highest quality reception possible. What can consumers do to increase antenna performance? Many consumers can increase performance by merely replacing their current old or damaged antenna. Today's antennas come in many sleek and discrete designs and can provide remarkable reception. Can DTV be received by any means other than over-the-air broadcasts? Yes. Some digital satellite systems have already committed to providing DTV and HDTV. In addition, while cable is still formulating its DTV plans, providers such as HBO and the Discovery channels have announced that they will be delivering DTV and HDTV programming. (Source: Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association) Return to: Digital Television Guide
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