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 888-225-5322 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.
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.
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.
