WASHINGTON — Free, over-the-air TV viewing has regained its popularity thanks to digital antennas, but there is a hiccup that digital antenna users in the D.C.-area need to be aware of: Almost all local television stations will be changing frequencies soon.
While the switch doesn’t mean a change in channel number or affect cable viewers, but it will require action for antenna users and it should be an easy update.
“The federal government decided that it needed to free up some TV spectrum for wireless services, so wireless companies are going to take spectrum that TV stations are vacating for new services,” Steve Gardner at the National Association of Broadcasters’ TVAanswers.org told WTOP.
That means antenna users will need to re-scan their TV converter box to continue receiving local stations.
Because local stations will be moving to new frequencies at different times, antenna users will need to re-scan boxes more than once.
No new devices, equipment or services are needed.
There is a list of D.C.-area stations that are moving to new frequencies and when they are moving at TVAnswers.org as well as instructions on how to complete the simple re-scan.
Digital antennas are not your mom and dad’s rabbit ears, and consumers are flocking to them.
“The new digital antennas are quite popular. There are 77 million people across the United States that are watching at least some of their television for free over the air,” Gardner said. “A lot of people have decided that coupling over-the-air television with some of their streaming services like Netflix and Hulu is the way to go,” he said.
Digital TV antennas are inexpensive, with some costing less than $20.
