Digital TV coming is less than a year
 

For those of you that do not keep up with TV technology, your old analog TV's will become obsolete in less than a year.

The original date for transitioning to digital TV in the U.S. was back in 2006 but it got pushed out. February 17, 2009 is the new date and it is firm in concrete.

You will not need to get a new TV if you have a satellite or cable TV receiver box, but without one of those you will need a converter box.

Many stores have started selling these converter boxes. All they do is take a digital signal and convert it to an analog signal that your TV can received.
Unfortunately, it will not improve your picture quality.

If you already bought a HD TV then you already have the tuner necessary to get it off of the air for free with an external antenna. If you bought one of the older HD monitors it does not have a tuner in it and you will have to get one. A TV monitor is just that a display without a tuner.

Analog TV's days are numbered.

Let me know if you have any questions.

RE: Digital TV coming is less than a year
 

There is also a plan somewhere, would have to find it, where there is a rebate form to send in to get the converter box. I think it is a $40 rebate. And 2 per household.

There is a couple of companies out there that have the converter box. The top one out right now is Samsung. But a bit expensive, but definitely more affordable than getting a new TV.

RE: Digital TV coming is less than a year
 

Yes, but every household is entitled to 2 $40 coupons, but that is government funded.

Guess where they get their money from? I am not in favor of that program.

RE: Digital TV coming is less than a year
 

I would be in favor of that program with one special consideration (and I'm sure it isn't a factor in this so I'm w/ ya Jeremiah) and that consideration would be that broadcasters would be expected to pay a large portion of it. Afterall, w/ no one capable of watching their broadcasts, no one would be getting their advertisers' messages.

Of course, one could argue, is the Federal Governments' place to impose what technologies must be utilized in the broadcast spectrum? They can govern portion of the bandwidth, but should they be able to force adoption of a particular standard? (digital vs. analog). Seems to me, this should be pulled from the consume. Analogous, it seems, to Blue Ray vs. HD. Looks like the battle ended w/ little fanfare and Sony was on the right side of the battle this time (beta max anyone?).

Any body got the site for the program? Might as well "gets mine". After all, I have friends who hire illegals and rant to them about how they are unconscionably unethical. They always give me an inquisitive and bewildered look. "How does my hiring an illegal to do my lawn affect you?" I get. To this I explain, that he/she will be consuming social services that I am paying for in taxes and will drain Social Security even that much sooner for all the programs diverting federal funding away from this; and that HE at least gets something for not getting social security when the time comes (a lawn mowed for him); where I got nothing. Furthermore, I would state, if you can't afford to hire a legal American to do the job, then you can't afford to have the job done for you and you should go out there and do like I do.

Wait, this was about digital TV. DS need sleepy....

RE: Digital TV coming is less than a year
 

OK, what I don't understand is, if your TV already can receive digital signals through a cable hookup, WHY do you need a converter box to get pictures over the air? Shouldn't you be able to get the digital signal through a standard antenna?

RE: Digital TV coming is less than a year
 

You are correct they do own the airways and allocate the bandwidths to the different services. By going digital they will free up much other needed bandwidth for other services. Digital video uses less bandwidth but has to be compressed because video has a lot of information. Kinda like why we zip up files when we send documents on emails that are large.


Composite video outputs, s-video outputs, component video ouputs on cable boxes are all analog signals which can feed your TV

Most digital cable boxes have these analog outputs which can feed any TV

The newer cable boxes add DVI (digital video, but analog audio) and HDMI(audio/video digitally encrypted) are all digital outputs.

Your analog only TV cannot received these inputs but the newer HD TV's can and the picture looks great.

The new converter box will pick up digital signals and convert them to an analog signal your old analog TV can receive.

The newer HD TV's already had this HD tuner built in so they can received them off of the air or from a cable box with a DVI or HDMI output.

I hope this explains it.

RE: Digital TV coming is less than a year
 

Finally, something that makes sense. Thank you, Jeremiah.

RE: Digital TV coming is less than a year
 

So my choices are get a new TV, get cable, satellite, or converter box? I think I'm going with choice E., sticking with DVDs and VHS tapes. I never watch TV anymore. There is nothing on that I like. I hate "reality TV," because it is staged; therefore, not real, and because it goes against the principal of television of taking you out of the real world. The only shows that are still on that I like are Simpsons, the tonight show with Jay Leno, and Monk. Monk has gone down hill so far since they lost Sharona that I have lost interest in it. Simpsons is getting too political and have pretty much lost their edge. Jay will be off the tonight show before long and I personally cannot stand Conan O'Brien. I have stopped watching the news and find life so much more enjoyable. When I need news, I either turn on the radio or look it up on the internet. If I ever decide I want to watch television again, I think my new laptop has a feature that I can watch the tv on it. I can just save money and watch it on my 17 inch monitor which is just 3 inches smaller than what I'm used to watching TV on anyways.

I agree with Jeremiah though, about the taxpayer funded converter box is just a sugar coded approach to paying for it as we all will have to pay for it.

RE: Digital TV coming is less than a year
 

I got an HDTV card for my old computer. It wasn't powerful enough, so I got a top performance new computer.
Now HDTV is really great. But I still need to get better software. I have a big widescreen monitor too.
I like to watch PBS and science fiction and movies. I also like Survivor a lot.
Oh yeah I need to get a big new HDTV antenna cuz I'm still not getting a few channels.
I had to buy a signal amplifier to get most of the channels.
So I'm already through with analog TV. HDTV is SO much better. The picture is absolutely perfect and so detailed.
It's almost like the people are really in front of you. I'm ready to see the 2008 Olympics now.
Oh yeah and there's a lot more digital channels than analog channels.

RE: Digital TV coming is less than a year
 

Anybody know much about free over the air HD? We have satellite and I don't have any interest in paying extra for HD channels when the only shows I really watch are on network tv, abc, nbc, cbs, fox. Apparently I should be able to go out and buy some sort of antenna that picks up HD signals, but I never really hear much about this. Most everyone has satellite or cable and just pays extra for HD. But free HD just sounds good to me.