Digital television in the United States

Overview of digital television in the United States

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Digital television in the United States is available via digital terrestrial television (DTT), digital cable, satellite television, and IPTV providers (including those delivered over private networks, and those delivered as over-the-top streaming television services over the public internet).

Digital terrestrial television (DTT) uses the ATSC standards, replacing the NTSC standards used for analog television, and offering capabilities such as high definition (HD) signals and digital subchannels. All full-power television stations in the United States were required to shut down their analog signals and transition exclusively to digital broadcasting by June 12, 2009. Class A low-power analog stations were required to transition by September 1, 2015, while all other low-power stations, as well as analog rebroadcasters, were required to transition by July 13, 2021.

In November 2017, the FCC approved ATSC 3.0 (Next Gen TV), an updated version of the ATSC standards that supports High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), video resolutions of up to 4K ultra high-definition (4K UHD), 120 Hz frame rate, high-dynamic-range (HDR) color, datacasting, and mobile television. Unlike the original digital transition, ATSC 3.0 is a voluntary standard, and broadcasters are not required to adopt it. However, those that do must continue to provide legacy ATSC signals with "substantially similar" programming. [1][2]

## Standards

[edit]

Main article: ATSC standards

The U.S. opted to adhere to ATSC standards for broadcast digital television. These standards define, among other things, format and transmission criteria that ensure consistency, accessibility, and fairness for consumers and equipment manufacturers alike in the U.S., as well as international compatibility.

### Format standards

[edit]

Main article: High-definition television in the United States

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The five main ATSC formats of DTV currently[when?] broadcast in the U.S. are:

* Standard definition--480i, to maintain compatibility with existing NTSC sets when a digital television broadcast is converted back to an analog one[citation needed]--either by a converter box or a cable/satellite operator's proprietary equipment
* Enhanced definition--480p, about the same quality as DVDs
* High definition--720p
* High definition--1080i
* High definition--1080p (only used by a few cable operators and some terrestrial stations broadcast in 1080p)

Most digital television sets sold in the U.S. use a display with a 16:9 aspect ratio to optimally display HDTV-formatted content. Lower-resolution sources like regular DVDs may be upscaled to the native resolution of the TV.

### Transmission standards

[edit]

#### Pay television

[edit]

Digital cable television systems with an active channel capacity of 750 MHz or greater, are required by the FCC to follow ANSI/SCTE transmission standards with the exception of cable systems that only pass through 8 VSB modulated signals.[3] Digital television sets (equipped with ATSC tuners) are often capable of viewing a baseline set of unencrypted digital programming, known as basic cable or low-tier channels, which typically include local network television affiliates.

According to FCC regulations, television providers must provide "separable security" for accessing encrypted programming. Until 2020, the FCC specifically mandated CableCARD, a smart card standard developed by an industry consortium, for this purpose.[4]

#### Terrestrial

[edit]

Digital television transmissions over-the-air (OTA) are available in metropolitan areas in the U.S., often carrying both standard-definition and high-definition (HDTV) transmissions of the same stations.[5][failed verification] As of the analog shut-off date of June 12, 2009, all full power OTA stations in the U.S. by law either transmitted their broadcasts digitally, or shut down.

Many stations used the switch to digital transmission as an opportunity to transition from 480i broadcasts to digital HD OTA broadcasts (either in 720p or 1080i), though this change is voluntary.

Within a distance of 35 to 40 miles from the broadcast stations, it is possible that a simple antenna (such as "rabbit ears") is adequate to receive a DTV broadcast signal OTA — at least some of the time for some of the channels. Any television equipped with an ATSC tuner may display DTV broadcasts properly. Some customers discovered that terrain, trees, rain, snow, wind, and movement of people around the room interfere with reception to one degree or another, from signals breaking up to total loss of signal. (Few modern ATSC-equipped televisions or converter boxes have internal antennas, in contrast to analog sets available in years past).

Broadcast TV signals in the United States are horizontally polarized.

## Transition from analog to digital terrestrial broadcasts in 2009

[edit]

Main article: DTV transition in the United States

It was estimated that as of April 2007, 28% of American households had an HDTV set, a total of 35 million sets, and that 86% of owners were highly satisfied with the HDTV programming[6] All TV stations at that time were broadcasting in both digital and analog and major networks broadcast in HD in most markets.

While many in the industry wanted a flexible or delayed deadline, the FCC forced the issue at the behest of Congress. Many transition dates were proposed, but Congress finally fixed February 17, 2009 (later extending it until June 12, 2009), in law as the maximum end date for analog television authorizations.[7]

In March 2008, the FCC requested public comment on turning over the bandwidth occupied by analog television channels 5 and 6 (76–88 MHz) to extend the FM broadcast band when the digital television transition was to be completed in February 2009 (ultimately delayed to June 2009).[8] This proposed allocation would effectively assign frequencies corresponding to the existing Japanese FM radio service (which begins at 76 MHz) for use as an extension to the existing North American FM broadcast band.[9]

On August 22, 2011, the United States' Federal Communications Commission announced a freeze on all future applications for broadcast stations requesting to use channel 51,[10] to prevent adjacent-channel interference to the A-Block of the 700 MHz band. On December 16, 2011, Industry Canada and the CRTC followed suit in placing a moratorium on any future Channel 51 television station applications.[11]

### Early rollout of transition

[edit]

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On May 8, 2008, FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin announced the agency would test run the transition to digital terrestrial television in Wilmington, North Carolina, beginning September 8, 2008. This test run was to work out problems that might have occurred before the complete transition.

## See also

[edit]

* The Business of Television
* Digital television transition in the United States
* High-definition television in the United States
* Pan-American television frequencies
* Coupon-eligible converter box (CECB)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "FCC Launches Next-Gen Broadcast TV Standard". Broadcasting & Cable. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-17.
2. ^ "FCC Authorizes Next Gen TV Broadcast Standard". Federal Communications Commission. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
3. ^ "76.640 Support for unidirectional digital cable products on digital cable systems". Government Printing Office. 8 Nov 2003. Archived from the original on 2012-10-09.
4. ^ September 2020, Gary Arlen 10 (2020-09-10). "FCC Abandons CableCARD, Navigation Devices Rule Review". Multichannel News. Retrieved 2021-07-31.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
5. ^ "AntennaWeb". Archived from the original on 2012-02-02. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
6. ^ "News: HDTV Penetration at 28%". WKYC's Director's Cut with Frank Macek. WKYCC. 2007-04-12. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
7. ^ 47 U.S.C. § 309(j)(14)(A) as amended by section 3002 of Pub. L. 109–171 (text) (PDF), S. 1932, 120 Stat. 21, enacted February 8, 2006 S. 1932
8. ^ Federal Communications Commission (2008-05-16). "In the Matter of Promoting Diversification of Ownership in the Broadcasting Services". Archived from the original on 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2008-08-26. "Certain commenters have urged the Commission to give a "hard look" to a proposal that the Commission re-allocate TV Channels 5 and 6 for FM broadcasting" 73 FR 28400, 28403
9. ^ Goldman, Bert (September 10, 2008). "Could EXB Band Be Your New Home?". RadioWorld (Interview). Interviewed by Leslie Stimson. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06.
10. ^ FCC Public Notice DA-11-1428A1 Archived 2013-02-28 at the Wayback Machine:
* Rcd PDF Archived 2011-10-21 at the Wayback Machine
* Microsoft Word document Archived 2013-03-06 at the Wayback Machine
* PDF format Archived 2013-03-06 at the Wayback Machine
* Plain Text format[permanent dead link]
11. ^ Telecommunications, Government of Canada, Industry Canada, National Capital Region, Office of the Deputy Minister, Spectrum, Information Technologies and (30 December 2011). "Industry Canada Advisory Letter - Moratorium on the Use of Television Channel 51". www.ic.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2018.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

## External links

[edit]

* "The Digital TV Transition: What You Need to Know About DTV" Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine (FCC)
* DTV Transition (DTV Transition Coalition)
* AntennaWeb (local availability of OTA DTV broadcasts, including HD)

* v
* t
* e

Digital television deployments by country

* Australia
* Bulgaria
* Canada
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* Indonesia
* Ireland
* Malaysia
* Netherlands
* Philippines
* Poland
* Portugal
* Sweden
* Thailand
* United Kingdom
* United States
* transition

Digital television transition

* v
* t
* e

Digital television in North America

Terrestrial|

| Digital broadcasting|

* ATSC tuners
* Digital subchannels
* Virtual channels
* Distributed transmission system
* Datacasting
* Guide Plus
* National Datacast
* UpdateLogic
* Metropolitan Television Alliance
* Grand Alliance

|

Digital switchover|

* All-Channel Receiver Act
* SAFER Act
* Digital channel election
* Set-top boxes
* Digital television adapter
* U.S. Converter Box Coupon Program
* legislation
* Analog passthrough
* DVD recorders
* Digital video recorders

Digital standards|

* ATSC standards
* ATSC
* ATSC-M/H
* 8VSB
* A-VSB
* E-VSB
* PSIP
* PMCP
* full list
* Standard-definition TV
* 480i
* 576i
* Enhanced-definition TV
* 480p
* 576p
* High-definition TV
* 720p
* 1080i
* 1080p
* Ultra high-definition TV
* 2160p
* Serial digital interface
* Smart antennas
* CEA-909

Digital networks|

* Digital multicast television network
* see Template:American broadcast television
* Template:Canadian television networks

National deployment|

* List by country
* Canada
* Mexico
* United States
* HDTV
* transition
* wireless spectrum auction

Cable|

| Digital cable|

* Digital-cable-ready TV
* QAM tuners
* Interactive-digital-cable-ready TV
* OpenCable Application Platform
* Encryption
* Must-carry

|

Subscription TV|

* AllVid
* CableCARD
* Downloadable Conditional Access System
* Tru2way

Satellite TV|

* DVB-S
* Dish Network
* GlobeCast World TV
* Free-to-air receiver
* Bell Satellite TV/Telus Satellite TV
* Dish México
* DigiCipher 2
* 4DTV
* Shaw Direct
* Claro Puerto Rico
* Digital Satellite Service/DVB-S2
* DirecTV
* Vrio/Sky Brazil
* Sky Mexico

IPTV|

* U-verse TV
* Bell Fibe TV
* FibreOP
* Telus Optik TV

Technical issues|

* 14:9 aspect ratio
* Active Format Description
* Broadcast flag
* Channel protection ratios
* HDTV blur
* Hierarchical modulation
* Pirate decryption
* Standards conversion
* Video on demand

* v
* t
* e

Telecommunications

History|

* Beacon
* Broadcasting
* Cable protection system
* Cable TV
* Communications satellite
* Computer network
* Data compression
* audio
* DCT
* image
* video
* Digital media
* Internet video
* online video platform
* social media
* streaming
* Drums
* Edholm's law
* Electrical telegraph
* Fax
* Heliographs
* Hydraulic telegraph
* Information Age
* Information revolution
* Internet
* Mass media
* Mobile phone
* Smartphone
* Optical telecommunication
* Optical telegraphy
* Pager
* Photophone
* Prepaid mobile phone
* Radio
* Radiotelephone
* Satellite communications
* Semaphore
* Phryctoria
* Semiconductor
* device
* MOSFET
* transistor
* Smoke signals
* Telecommunications history
* Telautograph
* Telegraphy
* Teleprinter (teletype)
* Telephone
* The Telephone Cases
* Television
* digital
* streaming
* Undersea telegraph line
* Videotelephony
* Whistled language
* Wireless revolution

Pioneers|

* Nasir Ahmed
* Edwin Howard Armstrong
* Mohamed M. Atalla
* John Logie Baird
* Paul Baran
* John Bardeen
* Alexander Graham Bell
* Emile Berliner
* Tim Berners-Lee
* Francis Blake
* Jagadish Chandra Bose
* Charles Bourseul
* Walter Houser Brattain
* Vint Cerf
* Claude Chappe
* Yogen Dalal
* Donald Davies
* Daniel Davis Jr.
* Amos Dolbear
* Thomas Edison
* Philo Farnsworth
* Reginald Fessenden
* Lee de Forest
* Elisha Gray
* Oliver Heaviside
* Robert Hooke
* Erna Schneider Hoover
* Harold Hopkins
* Gardiner Greene Hubbard
* Bob Kahn
* Dawon Kahng
* Charles K. Kao
* Narinder Singh Kapany
* Hedy Lamarr
* Roberto Landell
* Innocenzo Manzetti
* Guglielmo Marconi
* Robert Metcalfe
* Antonio Meucci
* Samuel Morse
* Jun-ichi Nishizawa
* Charles Grafton Page
* Radia Perlman
* Alexander Stepanovich Popov
* Tivadar Puskás
* Johann Philipp Reis
* Claude Shannon
* Almon Brown Strowger
* Henry Sutton
* Charles Sumner Tainter
* Nikola Tesla
* Camille Tissot
* Alfred Vail
* Thomas A. Watson
* Charles Wheatstone
* Vladimir K. Zworykin
* Internet pioneers

Transmission
media|

* Coaxial cable
* Fiber-optic communication
* optical fiber
* Free-space optical communication
* Molecular communication
* Radio waves
* wireless
* Transmission line
* telecommunication circuit

Network topology
and switching|

* Bandwidth
* Links
* Network switching
* circuit
* packet
* Nodes
* terminal
* Telephone exchange

Multiplexing|

* Space-division
* Frequency-division
* Time-division
* Polarization-division
* Orbital angular-momentum
* Code-division

Concepts|

* Communication protocol
* Computer network
* Data transmission
* Store and forward
* Telecommunications equipment

Types of network|

* Cellular network
* Ethernet
* ISDN
* LAN
* Mobile
* NGN
* Public Switched Telephone
* Radio
* Television
* Telex
* UUCP
* WAN
* Wireless network

Notable networks|

* ARPANET
* BITNET
* CYCLADES
* FidoNet
* Internet
* Internet2
* JANET
* NPL network
* TANet
* Toasternet
* Usenet

Locations|

* Africa
* Americas
* North
* South
* Antarctica
* Asia
* Europe
* Oceania
* Global telecommunications regulation bodies

* Telecommunication portal
* Category
* Outline
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Federal Communications Commission

* Brendan Carr (since 2017)
* Anna M. Gomez (since 2023)
* Olivia Trusty (since 2025)
* 2 seats vacant

Chairs|

* Eugene O. Sykes (1934–35)
* Anning Smith Prall (1935–37)
* Frank R. McNinch (1937–39)
* James Lawrence Fly (1939–44)
* E. K. Jett (1944)
* Paul A. Porter (1944–46)
* Charles R. Denny (1946–47)
* Paul A. Walker (1947)
* Wayne Coy (1947–52)
* Paul A. Walker (1952–53)
* Rosel H. Hyde (1953–54)
* George McConnaughey (1954–57)
* John C. Doerfer (1957–60)
* Frederick W. Ford (1960–61)
* Newton N. Minow (1961–63)
* E. William Henry (1963–66)
* Rosel H. Hyde (1966–69)
* Dean Burch (1969–74)
* Richard E. Wiley (1974–77)
* Charles D. Ferris (1977–81)
* Robert Lee (1981)
* Mark S. Fowler (1981–87)
* Dennis R. Patrick (1987–89)
* Alfred C. Sikes (1989–93)
* James Henry Quello (1993)
* Reed Hundt (1993–97)
* William Kennard (1997–2001)
* Michael Powell (2001–05)
* Kevin Martin (2005–09)
* Michael Copps (2009)
* Julius Genachowski (2009–13)
* Mignon Clyburn (2013)
* Tom Wheeler (2013–17)
* Ajit Pai (2017–21)
* Jessica Rosenworcel (2021–25)
* Brendan Carr (since 2025)

Statutory
authority
(Title 47 USC)|

* Communications Act of 1934
* Brinkley Act
* All-Channel Receiver Act (1962)
* Communications Satellite Act of 1962
* Public Broadcasting Act of 1967
* Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984
* Satellite Home Viewer Act (1988)
* Children's Television Act (1990)
* Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991
* Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992
* Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (1994)
* Telecommunications Act of 1996
* Communications Decency Act
* Section 230
* Child Online Protection Act (1998)
* Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act (1999)
* Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005
* Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005
* Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005
* Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act of 2006
* Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act (2008)
* Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009
* Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (2010)
* Local Community Radio Act (2010)
* Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010

Regulations
and policies
(Title 47 CFR)|

* Title 47 CFR Part 15
* Title 47 CFR Part 68
* Title 47 CFR Part 97

| Broadcast
licensing
and facilities|

* 1978 Broadcast Policy Statement on minority ownership
* 2008 United States wireless spectrum auction
* Ancillary Terrestrial Component
* Antenna structure registration
* AWS-3 auction
* Broadcast call signs
* Broadcast flag
* Broadcast license
* Broadcast range
* Broadcasting duopoly
* Carriage dispute
* City of license
* Class A television service
* Clear-channel station
* Comparative hearing
* Dark and silent stations
* Dispersal of ownership
* Facility ID
* FM Non-Duplication Rule (1964–86)
* Frequency coordinator
* Local marketing agreement
* MVDDS
* dispute
* Program test authority
* Public file
* Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service
* Reference distance
* Rimshot broadcasting
* Significantly viewed signals permitted to be carried
* Special temporary authority
* United States National Radio Quiet Zone
* White spaces

|

Broadcasting
content and
programming|

* Actionable indecency
* Broadcasting watershed
* Emergency Alert System
* Equal-time rule
* Family Viewing Hour
* Fairness doctrine (1949–87)
* Financial Interest and Syndication Rules (1970–93)
* Fleeting expletive
* Government-access television
* Mayflower doctrine (1941–49)
* Must-carry
* Non-commercial educational station
* Personal attack rule
* Pervasiveness doctrine
* Prime Time Access Rule
* Public-access television
* Retransmission consent
* Seven dirty words
* Syndication exclusivity
* Zapple doctrine (1970–2014)

Telephone and
the Internet|

* Carterfone decision
* Comparably efficient interconnection
* Competitive local exchange carrier
* Emergency telephone number
* Enhanced 911
* FCC Computer Inquiries
* Second Computer Inquiry
* FCC mark
* FCC registration program
* Feature group
* FCC Open Internet Order
* Incumbent local exchange carrier
* Lifeline program
* National Broadband Plan
* National Do Not Call Registry
* Personal Communications Service
* Basic Trading Areas
* Telecommunications Service Priority
* Priority level
* Total element long run incremental cost
* Traffic pumping
* Universal Licensing System
* Universal Service Fund
* E-Rate

Litigation|

| Supreme Court|

* FCC v. Sanders Brothers Radio Station (1940)
* National Broadcasting Co. v. United States (1943)
* United States v. Southwestern Cable Co. (1968)
* Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC (1969)
* FCC v. Pacifica Foundation (1978)
* CBS, Inc. v. FCC (1981)
* Sable Communications of California v. FCC (1989)
* Metro Broadcasting, Inc. v. FCC (1990)
* Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. v. FCC (1994)
* Verizon Communications Inc. v. FCC (2002)
* Nixon v. Missouri Municipal League (2004)
* National Cable & Telecommunications Ass'n v. Brand X Internet Services (2005)
* FCC v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. (2009)
* FCC v. AT&T Inc. (2011)
* FCC v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. (2012)
* FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project (2021)

|

Other
federal cases|

* Hush-A-Phone Corp. v. United States (1956)
* American Radio Relay League, Inc. v. FCC (1980)
* Schurz Communications, Inc. v. FCC (1992)
* Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod v. FCC (1998)
* SBC Communications, Inc. v. FCC (1998)
* Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Ass'n v. FCC (2001)
* United States Telecom Association v. FCC (2004)
* Comcast Corp. v. FCC (2010)
* Verizon Communications Inc. v. FCC (2014)
* Tennessee v. FCC (2016)
* Mozilla Corp. v. FCC (2019)
* Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC (2019)
* Consumers' Research v. FCC (2023)

Agency
publications|

* Report on Chain Broadcasting (1941)
* Blue Book (1946)
* FCC Record (1986–)

Advisory
committees|

* FCC Network Study Committee
* Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Telecommunications Services
* North American Numbering Council
* Spectrum Task Force
* Technical Advisory Council

Predecessor
agencies|

* Interstate Commerce Commission
* Mann–Elkins Act
* Radio Act of 1912
* Kingsbury Commitment
* Willis Graham Act
* Federal Radio Commission
* Radio Act of 1927
* Davis Amendment
* General Order 32
* General Order 40
* Grand Island FCC Monitoring Station

Related|

* AllVid
* Broadband.gov
* Broadcasting in the United States
* Radio
* FM broadcasting
* Television
* Cable television
* Digital television
* Digital television transition
* High-definition television
* Multichannel television
* Satellite television
* Communications in the United States
* "FCC Song"
* Federal Communications Bar Association
* History of the telephone in the United States
* Howard Stern Show fines
* Internet in the United States
* Leased access
* Local franchise authority
* Media cross-ownership in the United States
* Modem tax
* National Exchange Carrier Association
* Net neutrality in the United States
* Open spectrum
* "PTV"
* RM-2493
* Security Control of Air Traffic and Air Navigation Aids
* Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy
* Telecommunications policy of the United States
* Telegraphy in the United States
* "Television and the Public Interest"
* Wireless Ship Act of 1910

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