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Digital Transition

Cable made the digital transition (blissfully) boring. 

For cable households. June 12 was just an average TV viewing day on all connected sets. A smooth transition.

But if for some reason you still have an unconnected analog set that's now dark, just get it connected to your cable service. You'll be able to view all your favorite channels instantly.

If you don't have cable and do have trouble seeing the new broadcast signals using a converter box and an antenna,  you can still take advantage of the affordable basic service offers most cable companies are making available for a while longer.

Enter your address in the company locator above to get your service installed -- and your broadcast channels  back -- today.

A conversation about the Broadcast Digital Transition. 

Why so easy with cable?
Cable makes the digital transition simple by translating television into a language your TV can understand before channels are ever sent to your home. That means you don’t have to bother with buying new converters or boxes or dealing with government vouchers. All you really have to do is watch TV.
So why the big deal?
To be sure, the digital transition is getting lots of attention (and inspiring a fair bit of confusion). But it helps to remember that the digital transition is really only about over-the-air television. That’s the type of television some of us (at least those of us older than 40) grew up with before cable came around. It refers to the invisible TV signals from local stations that float over the airwaves from transmission towers to rooftop or TV set antennas. For most people, over-the-air TV has been replaced by cable television, which is why antennas are a thing of the past for most people.  That means only a small percentage of people in the U.S. will need to find a new solution for watching TV.
Who’s in that “small percentage?”
For the most part, people who don’t get cable or satellite TV service and don’t have a digital-ready TV set. If you’re one of them, you’ll have to arrange for a new way to receive over-the-air TV signals – either by signing up for cable service or buying a new type of “converter” that will let your old TV set understand the new language of over-the-air TV.
What if I have cable, but not on every TV set?
Ding! Ding! You’ve just won the prize for best question on this page!  If one or more of your TV sets aren’t connected to cable, those sets may stop displaying TV signals after the switch unless you connect them to cable service, or buy and install a special converter.
What do you mean “may” stop displaying signals?
It depends on how new your TV sets are. Most TV sets purchased after 2004 will be able to receive and display over-the-air TV channels, with or without cable service, even after the digital transition. But most sets purchased before 2004 won’t work unless they’re connected to cable or a special converter box.
But with cable, all of my old TV sets will still work?
They will indeed. Hook them up to cable and they won’t miss a beat. Or a scene. Or a game-winning field goal.
And my new TV sets?
Same story. Hook them to cable for brilliant pictures and perfect reception. Toss in some sweet extras like cable DVR (record and watch shows easily) and Digital Cable (lots of new channels plus On Demand) and you’ll pretty much be in TV heaven.
Just to clarify, then: My new sets will work fine no matter what?
Most of them will. Most new TV sets sold after 2004 have built-in tuners that can interpret the new digital over-the-air broadcasting language and continue to display television after the digital transition (even without a cable connection).
But remember: Even with a new TV set, without cable you’ll be limited to local over-the-air channels. That means no ESPN, no HBO, no Discovery Channel…no fun.
Will my football team make the playoffs?
We’re sorry, but that’s a trick question. We’re here to talk about the digital transition. Plus, we have no idea, but it’s a lock that we’ll watch the game on high-definition TV brought to us by cable. Now let’s stick to the subject, please.
Since you mentioned it, what about HDTV?
It’s terrific. If you have a new TV set that displays television in high-definition, congratulations. Your local cable company provides all sorts of channels, local and national, in magnificent HDTV resolution. If you haven’t hooked up cable HDTV service to your new HDTV set, now’s the time.
But the “digital transition” isn’t the same as high-definition television?
Nope. Similar language, different things. Even after the digital transition, you’ll still need an HDTV-capable set to enjoy television in high-definition.
Where does “Digital Cable” fit in, then?
Digital Cable is a special product your cable company offers. It makes television better by adding lots of new channels, along with add-on goodies like On Demand (it lets you start watching shows whenever you hit “play”) plus digital commercial-free music, a nifty interactive guide to what’s on TV, and more.
What if I don’t order Digital Cable?
You won’t get as many channels, but your TV sets will still work fine as long as they’re hooked up to some level of cable service. Contact your cable company (you’ll find yours by typing in your ZIP Code here) to find out about different service options available to you – from affordable basic services to feature-filled Digital Cable options. Like we said, any TV set connected to any level of cable service will work just fine.
Last question, we promise: What if all my TV sets already are connected to cable?
Keep enjoying television from cable. You don’t have to do a thing. For you, the digital transition means no transition at all. But thanks for reading this far anyway.