Digital TV signals cause noise-like interference and may cause reception problems in the TV or other services. A good portable spectrum analyzer will help find and solve problems. Announce both frequency and channel of your new DTV station when it goes on the air. Finding trouble spots in advance may avoid some negative publicity due to interference. Digital TV receivers are expensive but that is no different than any other newly introduced consumer electronic device.
Manufacturers learn from early sales about consumer concerns and solve problems in later models.
However, it takes 12 to 18 months for an improved model to reach the marketplace. Gaining first-hand reception experience now will help you understand Digital TV and potential receiver problems. If every broadcast engineer and manager in every Digital TV market had a Digital TV receiver, much could be learned about reception, picture and sound quality and synchronization, ease of tuning and operation, and program guide configuration. Feedback from these engineers would help to reduce anxiety and, of course, provide more viewers for the Digital TV stations. Otherwise viewers will be confused, frustrated and may refuse to become involved.