By now you may have heard that February 17, 2009 is that date when the change will take place, but the fact is that date is the deadline when the major broadcasting stations must stop broadcasting the analog signals and must make the change to digital. This means that many of the stations are already broadcasting the digital signal now.
There are three ways in which people receive a TV signal.
o Using a Satellite provider
o Using a cable provider
o Over the air with either and indoor or outdoor antenna
The fact is that if you already have Cable or Satellite, the transition should not affect you at all. However if you are using an antenna, then there are some simple measures you will need to take in order to still receive a signal
Satellite already broadcasts, an all digital signal, and as long as you have a satellite receiver, nothing will change for you when the transition is made. Since a set-top box (receiver) is already required to receive a signal, all your sets will work fine regardless if the set is the newer digital type or the old analog type.
For those households that get their TV signals through their cable company, your current TV sets are connected to the cable either through a set-top box or the cable is plugged directly into your TV. People may also have some sets with boxes and others with just the cable connection
Since the FCC has agreed to allow cable companies to covert the new digital signals to analog signals that non-digital TV sets now receive, analog TVs in these cable homes will still be able to show a signal. Right now TVs will not require a set-top box until at least 2012.
As for the households without cable or satellite TV who still want to receive their TV signals for free, the answer is simple. All you need is an inexpensive DTV converter box, which will convert the new digital signals to analog signals. These boxes cost about .00 to .00 each, but homeowners can take advantage of the government coupon program that gives you a .00 credit toward the purchase of an approved convert box.
These boxes usually connect to the TV by way of the RCA jacks and you will need either rabbit ears or an attic or rooftop antenna to receive the signal into the box which then coverts the signal so that you can view the picture on the TV set. You do not have to go out and buy a new antenna if you already own one, because your existing antenna will work just fine. You will not have to replace your antenna with a DTV antenna, so don't be fooled into buying something you don't need.
There is one more option for over the air TVs and that is simply by a DTV with a built in tuner, and you will be able to receive the digital signal. Since almost all DTV sets are now HDTVs, you will have the added bonus of being able to receive any broadcast High Definition signals, which greatly enhances the picture. You will still however, need an antenna.
Here is one more bonus for those of you receiving your signal over the air; you will receive extra programming because of the multicast sub-channels that many broadcasters have to accompany their main broadcast channel.
In conclusion, as long as you make use of any of the three methods for receiving and converting the signals mentioned above before February 17, 2009, you won't be without a TV picture on your set.
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