N.C. City Switches to Digital TV, Encourages Set Recycling
by Trey Granger
Published on September 10th, 2008
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While the national digital switch is not set to take effect until February, Wilmington, N.C. officially switched its five broadcast channels to digital only broadcasting, meaning analog sets without a digital tuner or cable connection will no longer have reception.
The city is encouraging residents to connect to a digital converter box so their old televisions will still work, but has also been providing more opportunities for recycling outdated TVs. Newer TVs can still access over-the-air broadcasting through a built-in digital tuner.
Wilmington is the first city in the U.S. to make the switch, allowing the Federal government to monitor potential issues on a smaller level.
Nielsen has estimated that eight percent of Southeastern North Carolina does not subscribe to cable service.
If you decide to buy a new TV to take advantage of digital programming, use Earth911 to find out where you can recycle your old television.
