WHY?
Because that’s the day the federal government has told television stations they have to start broadcasting in the digital format.
You may be asking yourself: “What does this mean to me?”
- If you watch television with cable or satellite, your cable or satellite provider should handle everything. The changeover will have little effect on you.
- If you have a newer TV with a digital tuner and use an antenna to watch television, you’re set to go.
- If you have a traditional TV that’s more than a few years old and uses an antenna, you’ll need to do some upgrading to keep watching TV after Feb. 17, 2009.
I have an older set, so what should I do?
- Buy a converter box to keep watching LPB and all other broadcast stations on the TV you already have.
- Subscribe to cable or satellite*
- Buy a new digital TV.
What’s a “converter box?”
A converter box goes between your antenna and your TV set. It converts the incoming digital signal into a form your TV can handle. If your television uses an antenna, without this box it won’t be able to receive LPB and all other broadcast stations.
How Do I Get This Converter Box?
Just call 888-DTV-2009 (888-388-2009) for a free coupon worth $40 off the price of a converter. You can also go to the LPB website at lpb.org/dtv for more information.
FCC Call Center Toll-Free Number: 1-888-CALL-FCC
I’m not sure if my TV is digital or not.
If you have to ask, it probably isn’t digital and needs to be hooked up to cable, satellite or a DTV converter box. Call us at 1-800-272-8161 or 225-767-4276 (ask for Margaret) or visit our website, lpb.org/dtv for more information.
FCC Call Center Toll-Free Number: 1-888-CALL-FCC
If you plan on buying a new TV in the future and want to continue receiving LPB and all other broadcast stations using an antenna, make sure it comes with a digital tuner. That will let watch you all of the LPB television channels, including LPB2, LPB3 and LPB-HD.
If you subscribe to cable of satellite you're in good shape, but you may want to get a DTV box to
- Make sure you're getting all of our fee channels (LPB 1 - Our main analog channel) LPB3 (The travel, cooking sewing and other how-to shows provided by the Create program service) and LPB 5- Our HD channel featuring great PBS and other public television shows in High Defintiion along with LPB documentaries like Atchafalaya Houseboat, Louisiana Story: Reverse Angle, Washing Away: Losing Louisiana, and American Creole: New Orleans Reunion and music programs like Opera Louisiane and Jazz from Lincoln Center: What is New Orleans Jazz?
- Make sure any TV not hooked up to cable or satellite will receive television.
*Always check with your cable or satellite provider to make sure they will carry the channels you want to watch.
