Schools prepare for switch to digital TV

As consumers and cable companies prepare for the February 17, 2009, switch from analog to digital television broadcasting, some educators are wondering how their schools' televisions will be affected. As long as older analog TV sets are connected to a cable service, they will continue to display local broadcast stations after the transition, according to a digital TV transition guide from Cable in the Classroom (CIC). If a school receives television service through a cable company or other multi-channel provider, its technology staff might not have to do anything to prepare for the transition, because most cable companies already have technology in place to handle the new digital formats of local TV stations. For the most part, as long as the TV sets in a school building are connected to cable TV service, they will display local stations. But schools might need to examine their internal networks and distribution systems to see if their broadcasting might be affected. A school or district technology coordinator should have information on that.