• SCETV DTV Homepage
• DTV 101 & Consumer Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Contact Us - Ask a Question

ETV Administration Building
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545

ETV Telecommunications Center
1041 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: 803-737-9959

Digital TV 101

Welcome to Digital TV 101. This is a short course designed to teach you more about the exciting but sometimes byzantine world of digital TV and HDTV. We'll teach you some of the tips and tricks you'll need to know before America goes to digital TV on midnight of February 17, 2009. Be forewarned, this is good old-fashioned educational television, you may need to review the materials more than once. You can even submit questions we'll answer on future editions of our television program, "Digital TV 101." As always, we are non-commercial and our content has not been influenced by any vendor toward any product or service.

Our video program is divided into chapters. You can view the video or read the script at each link.

Consumer Tip: Beware the bargain bin. Obsolete TVs must carry a warning label, advising you that the TV will not work after February of 2009. Consumer Tip: Just because a TV is big doesn't mean the picture quality is better. A 50" TV can be only 720, and a 32" TV can be a higher resolution 1080. Look at the 720/1080 screen resolution numbers, not the screen size. Consumer Tip: Does "i" or "p" matter to you? Watch several sets side by side. When letters appear on the screen, look at the curves in the letters. Do they seem jagged or clean to you? Look to see if the set you like is "i" or "p," and you'll have your answer. Consumer Tip: Learn how to measure a TV. Old sets were measured diagonally, new sets horizontally. But consumer confusion has led to some stores measuring new TVs diagonally too. Your best bet? Take a tape measure and check for yourself. And remember -- the size they list is only the size of the screen, not the TV cabinet.

For more information about ETV's Digital Television Services:
E-mail Us at: dtvtransition@scetv.org