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Nine Million Households May Not Receive Digital TV Signals

June 16, 2008


According to a recent survey by the market research firm Centris, 9.2 million households may have difficulty receiving digital television signals after the digital transition takes effect in February 2009. Centris based its estimation on the fact that 54 percent of the 17 million households which currently watch television on analog television sets are in "challenging reception" geographic areas.


The discovery of potential receptivity gaps in digital signal coverage was revealed in an earlier Centris study released in February.


Centris Study Reveals Top Ten At Risk Markets


The Centris study provides an in-depth look on a national level at digital signal reception, and identifies the top ten markets that have the most consumers at-risk (in rank order from one to ten): New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Seattle-Tacoma, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Atlanta, Cleveland-Akron.


Receptivity depends on the local terrain, distance from towers, and the sensitivity of the consumer's existing home antenna. "Challenging reception" refers to consumers that receive only four or fewer broadcast television stations and use a small or medium rooftop antenna or an indoor antenna.


In addressing the range of reception problems, Centris forecasts that 24 percent of consumers in difficult reception areas who only have an indoor antenna or a small or medium antenna will receive no channels, and ten percent will receive only one channel once the DTV transition occurs.


Consumers May Need to Upgrade Antenna Equipment


The Centris findings mean that consumers who want to continue to receive "free television" may need to upgrade their existing indoor or roof-top antennas to more sensitive models in order to receive a satisfactory number of broadcast stations. Some consumers who are buying digital-analog converter boxes for use with their analog television sets may also have to consider an antenna upgrade. Similarly, consumers who are replacing an analog television with a new digital TV may also have to contemplate obtaining a more sensitive antenna.


Consumers can check to see if they need a new antenna at: http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx