DTV is a new technology that provides viewers with better pictures, sound and even more programming choices. Once you switch to DTV, you can watch all four of OPB's digital channels: OPB TV, OPB HDTV, OPB Create and the Oregon Channel. And they're all free when you watch over the air with an antenna or rabbit ears.

Do you live in a rural area? Your digital conversion date will likely be later than February 2009. Find out more.

The federal government has required that all broadcasters, including OPB, switch to digital broadcasting after February 17, 2009 in order to free up valuable broadcast spectrum for other purposes, including use by public agencies and emergency first responders, and for expanded wireless services. For OPB and other broadcasters, this switch is not optional — it's an FCC mandate.

Do you live in a rural area? Your digital conversion date will likely be later than February 2009. Find out more.

If your TV is more than a couple of years old, it's probably not digital. Check your owner's manual to see if it mentions a digital tuner, or look on the set for an indication of an ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) tuner. If your TV has one, your TV set is digital and you've already made the switch. Find out how to watch OPB's digital channels.

You can also check the manufacturer's Web site for further details about your model. If there's no mention of digital ("digital-ready" does not mean your set is digital) or ATSC, then you have an analog set and you'll need to make the switch. Find out how to switch.

No. If you are watching analog TV over the air using an antenna or rabbit ears, all you need to buy is a converter box. The converter box, available for as little as $10 after you redeem a coupon from the government, will convert the digital TV signals into a picture that can be displayed on your analog television.

Order a converter box coupon.

Find a converter box retailer in your area.

See a list of coupon eligible converter boxes.

Do you live in a rural area? You'll need a converter box with an analog pass-through feature. Find out more.

If you do decide to purchase a new TV set, be sure to select a set with a built-in digital tuner. With this TV set, you can watch digital TV over the air using an antenna or rabbit ears for free — no paid subscription to a cable or satellite service is needed.

When you are shopping for TV sets, you'll need to choose between standard-definition digital TV and high-definition digital TV (HDTV). High definition offers the very best picture, but the extra step up to HDTV is entirely optional. Although prices are coming down, high-definition TVs are more expensive than standard-definition digital sets. As long as you buy a set with a built-in digital tuner, you'll be ready to watch digital channels.

If you are watching TV over the air using an antenna or rabbit ears — and you do not own a TV with a built-in digital tuner — you will need to purchase a converter box. The federal government has set up a special coupon program to make digital converter boxes affordable for everyone so you can continue to receive free television from OPB and other local stations after the switch to digital.

Converter box coupons are good for 90 days from the date of issue, and each household can request up to two $40 coupons. If you have requested one coupon and it expires before you use it, you can apply for your second coupon. If you have requested two coupons and they both expire before you have used them, your household is no longer eligible for additional coupons - so pay close attention to the coupon expiration date.

Order a converter box coupon.

Find a converter box retailer in your area.

See a list of coupon eligible converter boxes.

Do you live in a rural area? You'll need a converter box with an analog pass-through feature. Find out more.

No. If the antenna or rabbit ears you are currently using to watch TV captures a good incoming signal, your antenna should continue to work well when your TV is hooked up to a converter box or with your TV with built-in digital tuner. In the right location, a simple low-tech antenna will often produce the best on-screen images and CD-like sound — even better than cable or satellite.

However, you will want to make sure you have a UHF/VHF antenna. Some digital channels appear in the UHF band and others on the VHF band. An antenna that receives both UHF and VHF signals will allow you to access a full range of digital channels.

For customized advice about the best placement and orientation for your antenna, plus information on which antenna is most likely to work best for you, visit antennaweb.org

For more information about antenna installation and placement, download this article: "Choosing and Installing an Antenna for Digital TV or HDTV."

Your VCR will continue to work with your TV once you've connected it to a converter box. However, because your converter box will control which channel you're tuned to on your television set, you won't be able to watch one station and record another at the same time unless you connect a second converter box to your VCR. Although recordings you make from your TV will be in analog, not in digital or HD, they can still be played back on your TV set. Also, clocks in most VCRs will not be automatically set to the current time, since the converter box does not translate that information.

If your portable, battery-powered analog TV has the necessary plugs to allow it to be connected to a DTV converter box, you will be able to use it to watch broadcast TV after February 17, 2009. Since battery-powered DTV converter boxes most likely will NOT be produced, you will also need an external power source.

Yes. Digital television sets are "backward compatible," meaning your current analog equipment (VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, video games, etc.) will work on digital TV sets. However, their video will only be displayed in the maximum resolution that is available with each analog product. Manufacturers are producing a number of different connectors to hook equipment together and improve picture and sound quality when DTV sets are used with analog equipment. Check with your retailer to determine which types of connectors will work with your equipment.

No. Digital TV refers to the way the TV signal is put together for transmission from the broadcaster to the home antenna to the viewer's TV set. Digital TV is not the same as HDTV (high-definition TV). High-definition TV is the "high end" within the digital TV world. HDTV produces the highest-quality picture on the screen. Taking the extra step to high definition is entirely optional for you, just as it would be with the "high end" of any other product. You do not need a high-definition TV in order to receive digital channels. As long as you have a TV with a built-in digital tuner, or an analog TV with a set-top converter box, you can watch digital TV channels.

High definition (HD) is the best-looking, most attractive form of digital. It has the most detail in the picture. "Regular" digital is called standard definition (SD). OPB has one HD channel: OPB HDTV and three SD channels: OPB TV, OPB Create and the Oregon Channel.

That depends on your provider and your level of service. OPB broadcasts four digital channels: OPB TV, OPB HDTV, OPB Create and the Oregon Channel. Check with your cable or satellite service provider to find out which of these channels they carry.

Closed captioning is designed to assist deaf or hearing-impaired people, English Language Learners, young children learning to read and many others by displaying the dialogue or transcript of the audio portion of the program as printed words on the television screen. You will still be able to access closed captioning when you watch OPB's digital channels.

Yes. The V-chip enables parents to block television programming based on a show's rating. The ratings are encoded within the television signal. The V-chip reads the encoded ratings information of each program and blocks shows according to the parents' blocking selections. FCC rules require that V-chips be built into digital televisions and other DTV reception devices just as they are now in analog televisions. You can learn about the ratings system, also known as "TV Parental Guidelines," at www.fcc.gov/vchip.

There are recycling programs — such as myGreenElectronics — for analog TVs and other electronic products. When you visit myGreenElectronics, you can locate recycling programs in your area. But remember, you can continue to use your analog TV set after the switch to digital TV.

You will need to switch to digital in order to continue watching television after February 17, 2009. Switching to digital TV is easy and inexpensive. Plus — once you make the change — you can start watching all four of OPB's digital channels right away. Find out how to switch to digital TV.

Do you live in a rural area? Your digital conversion date will likely be later than February 2009. Find out more

OPB is here to help you make the digital switch. Sign up for OPB's Digital TV Help List to receive updates by mail or e-mail. You can also contact us through our online form or call our Member Center at 800.241.8123 weekdays from 9am-4pm for advice on your specific situation.