On February 17, 2009 Television will switch from analog broadcasts to digital TV. This is being done because digital signals have a superior image quality and allow HD signals over the air. It also is a cleaner broadcast that requires less bandwidth thereby allowing the extra space for other services. Basically, since 1941 the signals being picked up by your TV adaptor are signals that were established by the NTSC (National Television System Committee). Your TV catches the signal and translates it into an image. This coming February, this signal will be replaced by a new digital one. Older TVs will not be able to translate this new signal into an image.
So who is affected? For starters, any TV purchased after March 1, 2007 will be able to pick up the new signal. If your TV is older, there is still a way around it. You would need to purchase an external ATSC (the new signal as set by the Advanced Television Systems Committee) tuner that you can link between your antenna and your TV. Such a tuner costs anywhere between USD $40-$70 and can be purchased at most stores such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Futureshop, etc…
Remember though, THIS ONLY AFFECTS PEOPLE WHO ARE USING THEIR ANTENNAS TO PICK UP BROADCASTS. That means if you (like most) pay for a cable or satellite television service, YOU WILL NOT BE AFFECTED (I hear sighs of relief…). Many have wrongly been informed that only HD digital televisions sets will be able to survive the digital crossover but this is misinformation.
