Going Digital


Why the Move to Digital TV?

All full-powered television stations are now required by law to be broadcasting only a digital signal. (by June 12, 2009).

WBGU-PBS stopped transmitting its analog signal at midnight on Sunday, December 14, 2008. We will begin transmitting only a digital signal on Monday, December 15, 2008.

On December 15, 2008, some viewers may need to re-scan their digital TV receivers or “digital to analog converter box” to get Channel 27.

Watch WBGU's Digital Signal Now!

Over-the-air viewers can already receive all of the programming on WBGU-TV's full power digital channels by purchasing a digital converter box available in many area stores and hooking it up to their television, or by purchasing a new television with an ATSC or digital tuner built in.

Digital TV (DTV) will free up portions of the television airwaves, known as spectrum, which will be turned over to fire and police departments for emergency communication. For you, DTV means the possibility of a clearer picture, better audio and more programming options.

Questions?

Email your questions to dtv@wbgu.org or call us at (419) 372-2700. Go to full Digital FAQ List »


Kevin O'Connor and Norm Abram of This Old House answer all of your questions about Digital TV!



Digital TV is already here!

You can experience the benefits of DTV immediately! Today, more than 1,600 local stations are already broadcasting digital content and creating more news, public affairs, sports and weather programs through “multicasting” more than one channel. WBGU-PBS is multicasting four different channels!

 WBGU-PBS
Your local PBS station

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Helpful Links:

DTV couponwww.dtv2009.gov -
apply for TV converter box coupon.

www.dtvanswers.com - information about the switch.
www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/ - DTV reception maps
www.antennaweb.org - helps get you better reception.
www.pbs.org/digitaltv - preview PBS digital programs.
www.mygreenelectronics.com - recycle your old tv.
www.wikihow.com - turn an old tv into a fish tank.

Glossary of Terms:


Analog technology has been in use for the past 50 years to transmit conventional TV signals to consumers. Most current television transmissions are received through analog television sets. Analog signals vary continuously, creating fluctuations in color and brightness.
Aspect Ration is a numerical expression describing the relation of width and height of a television screen. Referring to the ratio of the National Television Systems Committee (NTSC) tv screens 4:3 often refers to standard definition, while 16:9 often refers to wide screen.
Advanced Television Systems Committee and the name of the Digital Television system used by broadcasters in the United States.
Term used in television production used to describe the effect that occurs when a 4:3 image is viewed on a 16:9 screen. When this happens, viewers see black bars on the sides of the television screen, known as "barn doors."
Term used to describe a “Coder-decoder” which is a device that converts analog video and audio signals into a digital format for transmission. It also converts received digital signals back into an analog format.
Refers to the reduction of digital data files in size by removing redundant and non- critical information. Digital TV in the United States would not be possible without compression.
Some HDTV sets have an input like SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array, 800 x 600 pixels) or VGA (Video Graphics Array , 640 x 480 pixels) that allows the TV sets to be connected to computers.
Also known as “enhanced TV” which provides enhanced options, offered with some digital programming, to provide additional program material or non-program related resources. This allows viewers the ability to download data (video, audio, text, graphics, maps, services, etc.) to specially equipped computers, cache boxes, set-top boxes or DTV receivers.
Refers to the circuitry in which data-carrying signals are restricted to one of two voltage levels, corresponding to logic 1 or 0.
A service provided by many cable providers, digital cable offers viewers more channels. Contrary to consumer's beliefs, digital cable is not the same as High-Definition Television or digital television; rather digital cable simply offers cable subscribers the options of paying more for more services.
Are televisions that can display a digital signal but lack an integrated tuner - unlike an integrated digital set - and therefore cannot receive a digital broadcast signal without an additional set-top box.
The term that encompasses High-Defintion Television and several other applications, including Standard Definition Television, datacasting, multicasting and interactivity.
Serves as the decoder required to receive and display digital broadcasts. It can be included inside TV sets or via a set-top box.
Digital surround sound technology used in movie theatres and upscale home theatre systems that enhances audio.
Provides the highest resolution and picture quality of all digital broadcast formats. Combined with digitally enhanced sound technology, HDTV sets new standards for sound and picture quality in television. HDTV and digital TV are not the same thing. HDTV is one format of digital TV.
Refers to the image of a wide-screen picture downgraded to view on a standard aspect ratio (4:3) television screen. Typically with black bars above and below the viewing image.
The option to multicast was made possible by digital technology to allow each digital broadcast station to split its bit stream into 2, 3, 4 or more individual channels or programming. For example channel 27 would be 27-1, 27-2, 27-3, and 27-4.
National Television Systems Committee, the name of the currents analog transmission standard used in the United States, created in 1953.
The words Picture and Element, combined to describe a tiny sample of video information - “small squares” - that when paired against others creates the whole picture.
Standard Definition TV Format is a digital format that produces better images than that of a traditional analog TV. However, its images are not nearly as sharp as those from a High-Definition format.
Unit that sits on top of a viewer's analog tv and receives the Digital TV signal then converts it into an analog signal so the analog tv can then read the broadcast.
Process by which a standard definition picture is changed to a simulated high-defintion picture.
Term given to picture displays with wider aspect ratio than 4:3.


View the NW Ohio Journal Special: DTV Are You Ready?

 

 

Letter from the GM
Quarterly DTV Transitions Activities Report FCC Form 388