Digital TVs and Captioning

Editor: You've probably heard the buzz about digital TV, and may have wondered what's involved in upgrading to this new technology. Oh, and are captions required, as they are for "regular" TV? Here's an article from NVRC News with answers to these questions and more. You might want to save this article. I bet it won't be long before you start thinking about one of the new sets!

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The FCC Requirements

Starting July 1, 2002 digital TVs were required by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to include an 'EIA-708B' (DTVCC) captioning decoder. Digital TV programs also must meet the same requirements as conventional analog TVs. This means that all new TV programs must be captioned 75% of the time for both digital and analog TVs - and that goes up to 100% as of January 1, 2006. There are exceptions for some commercials, for programs between 2 and 6 am, and for some older programs.

Buying a Digital TV

Buying a digital TV can be complicated if you depend on captions some or all of the time. It's rare to find a store where the sales people know how to operate all the new captioning features in digital televisions. It's also rare to find one that will connect its digital televisions to real broadcasts rather than something on tape. This means you may not get the complete ability to see how crisp and readable the captions are, and how they compare with other digital TV choices. You will have to be prepared to return the digital TV.

Helpful Hints From the FCC

The FCC has a website that is very helpful in understanding digital TV. You can enter your zip code and then view a schedule of all the digital programs being broadcast in your area. There's a section that explains all the digital TV terms and a DTV Shoppers Guide. You can find it at:

http://www.dtv.gov/

One of the sections also has tips you should know about DTV before you buy, such as:

Compare DTV picture quality. DTV comes in several levels of picture quality. The most common are: High Definition Television (HDTV), Enhanced Definition Television (EDTV) and Standard Definition Television (SDTV). HDTV is DTV at its finest. With HDTV, you can enjoy a true home theater experience. EDTV is a step up from basic television. SDTV is the basic display.

Make sure you have all the DTV equipment you need. DTV equipment can be purchased as an integrated set or as separate components. "Integrated" digital televisions have built-in tuners and a monitor to display the programming. If you buy a DTV monitor (without an integrated tuner), you will need a stand-alone tuner, cable set-top box, or satellite set-top box to watch DTV.

HDTV is not the same as DTV. HDTV requires special equipment, so make sure to ask about HDTV-capable equipment and talk to your cable or satellite provider to verify you have the proper set-top box to view HDTV.

"Digital cable ready" (or "plug-and-play") televisions are also available. These can be used to receive digital cable TV (and often HD over cable) without a separate set-top box. A CableCARD is needed to watch certain cable programming. These televisions do not work directly with satellite - you still need a set-top box to view satellite programming.

Compare screen types. You have a choice in DTV screens. Today, the primary options are: Cathode ray tube (CRT) screens - traditional color television screens updated for digital; Rear Projection TVs - rear projection TVs can create brilliant, wide angle pictures on ever-larger screens; LCD screens - are very thin and produce extremely clear pictures, but are currently expensive and limited in size; Plasma screens - create a bright, clear picture up to enormous sizes while remaining very thin.