MUSCATINE, Iowa — Muscatine Power and Water Digital TV users have a decision to make.

In January, the utility will stop analog broadcasts of stations over Channel 32. That means without a digital converter attached to the television, customers will only receive basic service.

However, the digital converter costs $4 per month for a basic box and $11.99 for a model that supports high definition viewing and digital video recording. So, for a subscriber with two televisions, the cost for digital converters is $8 per month.

“Just because you have one digital converter box on one television, doesn’t mean you’re done,” said David Fyffe, telecommunications manager at Muscatine Power and Water. “Customers will need to determine their viewing habits and decide on which TVs they want to receive programming above channel 32.“

The utility has been working on converting to digital throughout 2009. The change will free up transmission capacity for high definition stations and Internet use.

For each of the analog stations MPW Digital TV converts to digital, it will be able to add two high definition stations or 10 standard stations.

In January, the company will double the number of high definition stations it offers. 

Currently, about 73 percent of MPW Digital TV’s customers have digital converters and the company is trying to entice the holdouts into signing on for digital service.

Two direct sales representatives are calling on analog customers and offering to upgrade them to digital service. Customers who make the switch before the end of the year will get their digital converter free for six months.

“They’ve been very successful with it,” said Terry Curry, manager of marketing and sales for Muscatine Power and Water.

Employees take the time to explain the new features and benefits to the customer.

“A lot of these customers have never had a remote, perhaps, let alone all the bells and whistles that go along with that service,” Curry said.

Fyffe said MPW Digital TV is working on a less expensive alternative to the $4 digital converter. Motorola just unveiled a new streamlined digital converter box. Fyffe thinks MPW Digital TV will be able to offer the box for 99 cents per month through 2010. However, he is not sure exactly when the box will be available to MPW Digital TV and what services will be offered with the new box.

MPW Digital TV plans to start advertising the availability of the lower cost digital converter as soon as the details are finalized.

MPW Digital TV is not making money on its digital converters, Fyffe said. The utility figures the average life of a converter box is five years. Over five years, the monthly fee just pays for the initial purchase price of the box.

“This is not a profit making venture for us whatsoever,” he said.

To help educate its customers about the upcoming change, MPW Digital TV is offering a series of community forums at MP&W’s Cedar Street office. This month they are 2:30 p.m., Oct. 15, and 5:30 p.m., Oct. 21.

MPW Digital TV also created an educational video — The Road to Digital — which airs at noon and 6:30 p.m. on Channel 27 and intermittently on Channel 9.

For more information, contact MPW Digital TV at 263-2631.