Just a few moments ago, every TV station in my home town shut down their analog transmitters and switched over to the all digital ATSC broadcast standard. In fact, had Congress not intervened a few short weeks ago, extending the cutoff date for the DTV switchover, every TV station in the United States would be doing the same... finally putting an end to a broadcast standard in use since the first television stations went on the air. 

Even though the new cutoff date has been moved to June 12th, it's estimated some 40% of the broadcast stations around the country will transition today, February 17th, 2009. Not all stations will switch today, so how and when the DTV switchover will impact you varies. None, some, or all could make the switch anytime between now and June 12th.

By now, most Americans should have a clear understanding of how the digital switch will affect their televisions sets, as well as what they need to do to continue receiving free broadcasts once the switch occurs in their area. What may be less clear is how peripheral devices, like the Slingbox, will be affected. That's exactly what we're going to cover here. 

Which Slingbox Owners are Affected? 

I believe the DTV switch will affect a relatively small portion of Slingers out there.  Remember, those who rely on pay TV services, like cable and satellite, are unaffected by the digital broadcast switch. The analog tuner in certain Slingbox models will continue to receive analog cable signals from cable operators so long as the cable operator continues to offer analog services. 

Those who are affected include anyone who relies on over the air signals, meaning you have a set-top, roof-top, or other type of TV antenna that receives local broadcasts. If this isn't you, then there's nothing for you to see here. If you do have an antenna plugged right into your Slingbox, read on.

Firmware and SlingPlayer

Many Slingboxes include integrated analog tuners that will be affected by the digital transition, depending on your current firmware and SlingPlayer software. At some point a while back, Sling Media removed the ability to scan for analog terrestrial broadcasts in most of their products. However, if you've never updated or contacted Sling Media regarding this, then you will need to take action to continue receiving analog terrestrial signals on your Slingbox.

Which Products are Affected?

To date, Sling Media has released 7 different hardware products (excluding networking products) to the market. Of those, 3 Slingboxes will be affected by the DTV switch: Slingbox Classic, Tuner, and PRO. SlingCatcher does not contain an analog tuner and is therefore not technically affected; however, the ability to watch TV from an affected Slingbox indirectly affects the SlingCatcher if you use the SlingPlayer for TV feature.

If you own a Slingbox AV, SOLO or PRO-HD, your Slingbox will be unaffected by the DTV transition. However, PRO-HD owners should re-scan for DTV channels every so often between now and June 13th to ensure they're receiving all the DTV broadcasts in their area. As stations transition, they may move from temporary broadcast frequencies they've been using to their permanent ones.

So to summarize, here are the list of Slingboxes and whether they're affected.

1. Slingbox Classic - Affected
2. Slingbox Tuner - Affected
3. Slingbox AV - Not affected
4. Slingbox PRO - Affected
5. Slingbox SOLO - Not affected
6. Slingbox PRO-HD - Not affected
7. SlingCatcher - Indirectly affected

If your Slingbox model is listed as affected by the DTV transition, here is more information on how it will impact your Slingbox and what you need to do.

Slingbox Classic and Slingbox PRO

The Slingbox Classic and PRO will no longer be able to receive analog broadcasts using the internal tuner when analog broadcasts stop in your area. Fortunately, the Slingbox Classic and PRO are capable of connecting to and controlling external set-top boxes. So like your TV (if it's an analog model), you'll need to purchase or connect it to a DTV converter box (more on DTV converter boxes below) to watch TV. If you already own a newer digital TV that has a built-in DTV tuner, you'll need to acquire a DTV converter just for your Slingbox.

One thing that may be different to you is how using a set-top box with Slingbox and and analog TV will affect others in your home. Prior to the DTV switch, the tuner in the Slingbox operated independently of the tuner in your analog TV, so you could be changing channels on your Slingbox while someone on the TV watched something else. Connecting the Slingbox to the same DTV converter as your analog TV means that both the Slingbox and the analog TV will watch the same thing. If you want to operate the Slingbox independently of others, then you'll need to purchase a separate DTV converter for your Slingbox.

Slingbox Tuner

I hate being the bearer of bad news, and as I mentioned in our original review of the Slingbox Tuner, we knew this day was coming. The Slingbox Tuner is the most affected Slingbox product in the DTV transition, and unfortunately, those relying on over-the-air broadcasts will be unable to use their Slingbox Tuner.

The biggest problem with the Slingbox Tuner has always been it's inability to control an external set-top box. Even though you could still technically connect a DTV converter box, there's no way to operate it remotely. Now, if you're fine watching only one channel, being limited to whatever someone else is watching on a connected TV, or calling home and using the spouse as a remote control, there's not much you can do.

If you want to continue using your Slingbox Tuner in its full capacity, you will need to switch to a cable service that is still providing analog services. If you're unwilling to do so, you'll need to look at acquiring a new Slingbox PRO-HD, which is capable of receiving over-the-air Digital TV channels (you can get one here).

SlingCatcher

As we mentioned above, the SlingCatcher does not contain an analog tuner, and is therefore not technically affected by the DTV switch. However, if you frequently use a Slingbox Classic, PRO, or Tuner to stream over-the-air signals to your SlingCatcher, then your SlingCatcher's SlingPlayer for TV feature will be indirectly impacted by the DTV transition.  Other features, like SlingProjector and My Media, will work just fine.

Fortunately, the fix is simple. Determine which affected Slingbox model you have and follow the instructions above.

DTV Converters for Slingbox Classic and Slingbox PRO

If you're going to purchase or connect your Slingbox Classic or Slingbox PRO to a DTV converter, you must choose one that's controllable by SlingPlayer. There are hundreds of different DTV converter boxes now on the market, and many of them can be controlled using the generic set-top box codes for a given manufacturer.

If buying with a government coupon, be aware that (in most cases) your retailer will not allow you to return or exchange it unless it is defective. If you're not sure if the DTV converter box you're buying will work with SlingPlayer, do your best to research the SlingCommunity Forums to see if others have had luck with a particular model. Otherwise, I recommend purchasing a common, name-brand converter box for your best chance. 

As a final thought, moving to digital TV via a DTV converter should give you better and picture sound than you've ever experienced with analog broadcasts. I highly recommend you connect your DTV converter to your Slingbox using the best quality connection your DTV converter and Slingbox supports to maximize your DTV experience. Remember, S-video is better than composite, but composite is better than RF.

Good luck on your transition to Digital TV.