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Digitally confused? Read on

All this talk about digital and analog TV in relation to Charter Communications' cable TV service can be confusing.

That's because there's a different, nationwide digital changeover scheduled for Feb. 17, 2009. Here's an attempt to clarify:

The Feb. 17 change affects people who want to continue receiving their television via the airwaves. These are people who need “rabbit ears” or some other kind of antenna to get TV from a broadcast station.

On Feb. 17, anyone who receives such broadcast signals will need a digitally equipped TV or a digital converter box.

The government is offering coupons to help people buy converter boxes. To learn more, go to www.ntia.doc.gov.

Those who receive their TV through a cable, including the Charter Communications service, won't need to do anything. Charter says its customers who own the older, analog television sets will continue to be able to watch their TVs.

Some have wondered when Charter and other cable TV companies would phase out their analog service. Charter spokesman Tim Vowell told The Janesville Gazette that Charter has set no date for ending its analog service, but it is gradually migrating toward an all-digital service.

In an announcement Friday, Vowell said: “The relocation of cable channels from analog to digital has been ongoing for some time now and is part of an inevitable evolution to an all-digital lineup. A very high number of Charter customers already have digital equipment in their homes, and that number is growing every day!”

The Wisconsin Association of Public, Educational and Government Channels has disagreed with Charter, saying that only about half of customers are equipped for digital TV.

Judi Kneece, manager of the JATV public-access station in Janesville, agrees everyone will have a digital TV—someday.

However, all customers are not ready to make that change and should not be forced into it, Kneece said.