Digital television conversion questions were answered Wednesday as Mark Berlin from the Federal Communications Commission stopped in Marshalltown.
Berlin talked about what people need to do if they still get a television signal through an antenna to be able to get channels after the conversion to digital, which is Feb. 17.
He said about 15 percent of homes in Marshall County receive television signals through an antenna, or roughly 2,300 households.
These households will not be able to receive the stations without a digital converter box unless they have purchased a digital television recently. Most televisions purchased within the past year are digital.
Converter boxes cost between $50 and $100, but the government is offering $40 off coupons.
With more than 5,000 boxes needed in the county, Berlin estimated less than 500 are currently available in stores. In other words, he encouraged people to get their boxes early because stores may run out.
Berlin said he has been getting a lot of questions from people that say "why is the government doing this to us?"
He noted digital television is a "higher state of technology than analog" and also the U.S. would get "left behind the rest of the industrialized world as far as technology" if the conversion did not happen. He said Japan has had digital television for 20 years.
Berlin said the benefits to digital are a clearer signal, better sound and the ability to get more channels. Those who subscribe to cable or satellite do not need to worry about the digital conversion.
For more information about the conversion, call the FCC at 1-888-225-5322 or visit ww.dtv.gov.
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Contact Andrew Potter at 641-753-6611 or apotter@timesrepublican.com
