Twenty percent of Americans still receive television signals using an antenna. One in five television viewers will need to make use of a digital converter box before television stations switch off their analog transmitters and broadcast entirely in digital by February 2009. The change from analog to digital will provide better picture quality, better sound and more channels to choose from in the future.
You've heard all of the above before, either on television, by radio, in print, online or by word-of-mouth. You've heard terms like "high-definition," "digital subchannel," and "amplified antenna" thrown around among the talkings heads of news programs and commercial public service ads.
But what does this all mean to you? Feel overwhelmed by the change? Confused by the alien broadcast language full of mumbo-jumbo and technical terms?
Take a deep breath. Relax. This television station is going to cut through all the technical talk and speak to you in plain English. The fact of the matter is, the transition from "analog" to "digital" is as simple today as the transition from black-and-white to color was back in the 1960s. That didn't stop people from panicking and freaking out over a new style of television that, let's face it, we take for granted today as something entirely simple.
Digital television, or DTV, is the same deal. In fact, it's easier to understand and requires way less work than the color switchover of the '60s. Over the next few weeks, up to the actual switchover in February 2009, this blog will answer any questions you have about the analog-to-digital switchover. Here, you'll find information on which converter box to pick out ("converter" wha?), information about how to tune in to your favorite TV stations once you have your box, what you need to do (or don't need to do) if you're a cable or satellite subscriber, and answer the questions you write in to us.
Our goal is to make sure you don't lose access to your favorite stations (we hope one is us) come February of next year. So as we say in television, "stay tuned..."