The digital television (DTV) transition refers to the switch from analog to digital broadcast television. Since June 12, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States have stopped broadcasting in analog, and are broadcasting in digital format only. Your local broadcasters may have made the transition before then. The DTV transition frees many frequencies for police, fire, and emergency rescue communications, provides frequencies for advanced wireless services, and allows TV broadcast stations to offer more programming with better picture and sound quality.

If you subscribe to satellite TV (also known as “Direct Broadcast Satellite” or “DBS”) and your TVs receive local television stations through your satellite dish, you should be receiving digital television signals. If you are not, check with your provider. You may be able to rent or purchase from your provider or an electronics retailer a set-top box that includes a digital broadcast tuner.

If you have an analog television that receives free over-the-air programming with a broadcast antenna (such as “rabbit ears” on your set or an antenna on your roof) and are not receiving digital signals, you need to purchase a digital-to-analog converter box.

For more information about the DTV transition, go to www.dtv.gov or contact the FCC by e-mailing fccinfo@fcc.gov; calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554.

For this or any other consumer publication in an accessible format
(electronic ASCII text, Braille, large print, or audio) please write or call us
at the address or phone number below, or send an e-mail to FCC504@fcc.gov.

To receive information on this and other FCC consumer topics through the Commission's
electronic subscriber service, visit www.fcc.gov/cgb/contacts/.

This document is for consumer education purposes only and is not intended to
affect any proceedings or cases involving this subject matter or related issues.

08/19/09

	Federal Communications Commission · Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau · 445 12th St. S.W. · Washington, DC 20554
	1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)  ·  TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)  · Fax: 1-866-418-0232  · www.fcc.gov/cgb/