I emailed Californiaqp-com to inquire about the upcoming change on February 17, 2009 when the entire USA goes from analog TV signals to digital HD transmission. They claimed they're not going to order any CDC-approved HD converter boxes because CDC had anticipated this change, and may implement something to allow inmates to receive the HD transmissions, and convert them to analog signals. After giving it some thought, it dawned on me that there are thousands of hotels and motels who will need to buy thousands of HD converter boxes, unless something is available (or will soon be available) to receive HD signals, and re-transmit them back to analog to accomodate hotels and motels with numerous TV sets.

Has anyone (maybe if you work in the hotel industry) heard of a system that I described ?? Or is aware of what CDC is going to implement to allow inmates to continue receiving HD signals on their analog TV sets ??

Furthermore, if inmates where to loose reception on their analog TV sets, loosing their only reliable form of relaxation and entertainment, would this not touch off a prison riot in some places ??

PassingTrucker, I posted this message below in another forum, but sounds like it's the same info you're looking for. As for hotels/motels, I think it's pretty rare these days to find one that doesn't have cable or satellite, so no digital converter boxes should be needed. Cable and satellite providers are converting the signals on their end, so their customers will not need converter boxes at all.

JMK


TiPS (www.forpublicsafety.com (http://www.forpublicsafety.com/)) sent out the following update on this issue to its members back in June--I think it will help answer your questions. That said, we bought my brother one of the new digital LCD TVs a couple months ago and he absolutely loves it!

INMATE TV's: THE FINAL WORD

On February 18, 2009, all television stations will broadcast in digital format only. It is unlikely that televisions sets purchased prior to January 2008 for delivery to an inmate in a California prison contain a tuner which can be used to watch digital television signals. Although this issue was brought to CDCR's attention two years ago, it is only the current CDCR administration which has addressed the issue at TiPS' request.

In the past several weeks, CDCR undertook a survey of California prisons to determine the nature of television signal delivery to inmates. To no one's surprise, each CDCR prison and camp had a different system.
One prison uses a satellite, others use cable, some use a central television antenna which then attaches to an internal cable system, others use individual antennas in each dormitory structure, while some have nothing and rely upon rabbit ears. Strangely, two prisons have units that have neither a television antenna nor electric outlets in the cells as a power source for televisions. Those prison units allow only battery operated televisions.

A decision has been made that individual devices to convert digital to analog television signals cannot be used in the prison environment. First, most cells have only two electrical outlets which would mean that if the converter box were used, one inmate in a double cell would be denied access to a television. Second, the devices use so much electricity that if all 170,000 inmates plugged them in simultaneously, the prison electrical system would either brown out or fail completely. There are no conversion devices made that operate on the type of batteries available to inmates. Finally, the conv ersion boxes are built for home use and not for prisons and each device therefore has a remote control which are not allowed inside prisons for obvious reasons, i.e., another inmate could change the station without the viewers consent.

In order to resolve the problem, those prisons which rely upon either a central or multiple antennas will obtain and install antennas which can receive digital signals and will install a signal converter between the inmate's television and the antenna. For prisons on cable or satellite, the provider already includes both an analog and digital signal.

This leaves inmates who must rely upon battery powered televisions and those that require rabbit ears because there is no central or dormitory antenna. The resolution for these two groups is still in process and amounts to less than ten percent of the inmate population. TiPS will keep its membership up to date on this issue as the matter is further reviewed.

Now the bad news. The contracts to implement the construction and installation of the new antennas and converters cannot be given out until after the budget is approved by the Legislature and the Governor. As we all know, this year is going to be an especially acrimonious year for passing and approving the budget. As a consequence, it is foreseeable that the installation of the systems could be delayed, potentially even past the conversion date of February 18, 2009. However, barring the budget impasse, CDCR plans on completing the installation of the system to convert digital television signals to analog by Christmas, well in advance of the mandatory conversion date.

Therefore, all of you that are saving coupons to buy the converters for family members inside, please either use them for yourself or for someone else who may be in need of such a device. Please inform your inmate family member so that they will know what is happening.