Digital TV Facts: The Latest

Analog TVs may come with warning labels, under a voluntary program announced by the Consumer Electronics Association. The text would read:

Notice: This TV has only an ‘analog’ broadcast tuner so will require a converter box after February 17, 2009 to receive over-the-air broadcasts with an antenna, because of the nation’s transition to digital broadcasting on that date, as required by Federal law. (It should continue to work as before with cable and satellite TV systems, gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players and similar products.)

It’s not Hemingway, but it’s a start.

If Congress protected consumers instead of corporations, the labeling requirement would be mandatory. I salute the trade group for its efforts. Let’s hope manufacturers follow through and add prominent labels to analog TVs and retail packaging. For a more effective labeling program, two more steps are required:

1. The label’s language concerning cable TV should be modified. According to Consumers Union, “tens of millions of cable customers are unlikely to receive local broadcasts without expensive digital cable boxes.” That’s because the digital TV law does not authorize cable companies to downconvert digital broadcasts to analog.

2. Retailers should add warning labels to their existing inventory of analog TVs.

• Links: CEA press release, CU press release