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| Posted: January 30, 2009 |
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On Feb. 17, the nation's television broadcast system is scheduled to go all-digital, offering more enhanced images and doing away with older analog signals. |
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| Gloria Powers from New Orleans, La., asks: |
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| In the Gulf Coast people use battery operated small TVs during our frequent power outages. How can we get digital signals over week long periods of no power next hurricane season? This is a matter of homeland security in the gulf south. |
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| Jonathan Collegio of the National Association of Broadcasters responds: |
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 If your portable analog TV set has an available RF or Line input jack, it can be connected to a DTV converter box to continue receiving television signals after the transition. Currently, there is at least one battery-powered converter box available now. The manufacturer, Winegard, offers a battery pack for use with its converter box model. If your portable, battery-powered TV set is a new model with a built-in digital tuner, it will be able to pick up television signals after the transition without a converter box. There are at least two portable digital TV sets selling in stores now, and more are expected to enter the marketplace in the near future. |
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| Gene Kimmelman and his colleagues at Consumers Union respond: |
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 Digital converter boxes and HDTVs won't work if you're out of power for weeks after a Katrina- or Ike-like hurricane. Battery-powered LCD TVs with built-in digital tuners that should receive digital TV signals are available like this one from Radio Shack. However, Consumer Reports has not tested these types of TVs and cannot say for sure if they will indeed be able receive digital TV signals. Additionally, these portable DTVs can be pricey, costing around $200. Keep in mind, if there is a Katrina-level hurricane in your area, local TV stations may lose their digital transmissions. Relying on AM/FM radio for news and information during such natural disaster emergencies may be best by those affected by power outages. For more information see our blog on 'Essential gadgets for emergencies.' |
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