TAMPA BAY, FL -- Are you ready for the historic DTV (digital television) transition?
At ABC Action News, the switchover occured Friday morning at 5:59 a.m.
If you have questions, our DTV experts are here for you from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. Friday and then again on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.
You can Call our DTV hotline at
1-866-428-NEWS, or the national hotline at
1-888-CALL-FCC. You can also get answers to your DTV questions on our Web site by
clicking here.
By law, full-power television stations nationwide must switch from the old method of transmitting TV signals known as analog to digital television (DTV) on June 12, 2009.
DTV is an new type of broadcasting technology that delivers movie-quality pictures and sound, more channels, and even high definition television (HDTV) to consumers with HD television sets.
The FCC says millions of Americans aren't ready for the switch.
To continue receiving television programming after the transition, viewers who receive over-the-air analog broadcasts will need to either buy a converter box that plugs into their analog TV, buy a TV with a digital tuner and digital antenna, or connect their analog TV to cable, satellite or another subscription service.
The Federal government is offering two $40 coupons to every American household to cover most of the cost of purchasing a converter box.
