Digital Transition Still Foreign To Many TV Viewers
'Consumer Reports' Survey Indicates 31% With Analog Sets Unaware Of Deadline
By R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 1/30/2008 4:37:00 AM
With the transition to digital television looming, nearly one-third of Americans with analog televisions are unaware of the Feb. 17, 2009 transition and more nearly three quarters have major misconceptions about its impact, according to a Consumer Reports national research study.
The study, conducted in December among 1,013 interviewees over 18 years of age, found that of those with at least one TV affected by the digital transition, nearly two-thirds (61%) incorrectly believe they are not affected, do not know that they are affected or are completely unaware of the transition, which on Feb. 17, 2009 will end “analog” broadcasts on television in favor of digital signals.
Also, close to one third (31%) of Americans in households that will have no functioning television after Feb. 17, 2009 were completely unaware the transition was happening.
Among those consumers surveyed by Consumer Reports aware of the transition, more than half (58%) believe all TVs will need a digital converter box to function; 48% believe that only digital televisions will work after 2009; and 24% believe they will need to throw away all of their analog television sets. None of those things are true.
According to the poll, 15% of Americans live in households that rely exclusively on over-the-air programming. If these consumers do not take some action before February 2009, like buying a converter box, over three quarters (78%) won't have televisions able to receive a signal. That is 11% of Americans adults, or approximately 23 million, who would be unable to watch TV.
Among paid television subscribers, 40% would not have working TV if they choose to cancel their subscription, or if there is a service disruption; 46% of paid TV subscribers indicated they would be concerned if they were not able to receive an over-the-air signal in an emergency service outage.
“Confusion about the digital television transition will cost consumers a lot of money for equipment they may not want or need,” said Joel Kelsey, policy analyst for Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reportsin a statement. “Based on these survey results it is now clear that the government and every media company that profits from consumers watching television must do whatever it takes to help consumers keep getting broadcast TV, without paying a dime more than necessary.”
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