Here’s something for the six or seven people that don’t have digital television already:
(ARA) – Are you a television junkie? Do you hold viewing parties for season premieres, award shows or season finales? On June 12, 2009, at 11:59 p.m., analog television will cease to exist — but what does this mean for you?
Is this the end to your viewing parties? Or to free TV? Will you need to replace your current TV with a newer, digital model? What are the benefits — will you be able to watch higher-quality TV?
Armed with information and resources, technical professional organization IEEE offers tips to help Americans understand the switch to digital TV broadcast movement, and has prepared some frequently asked questions below; ensuring you have a signal to watch your favorite shows — from Oprah and the local news to CSI and championship sporting events.
Q: Is digital television more expensive than analog television?
A: No. Traditional, non-cable television programs will continue to be free!
Q: If I currently have cable service, is there anything else I need to do to prepare for the switch?
A: If you have cable service, there is nothing else you would need to do. However, if other TV sets in the house are not connected to cable and they receive their signals with an antenna, each of these sets will need a digital TV converter box.
Q: What is a digital TV converter box?
A: A digital TV converter box hooks up to a conventional analog TV set, allowing it to receive digital broadcasts.
Q: Will my current television still work with off-air signals after June 12, 2009?
A: Yes, as long as you have a digital TV converter box and an appropriate antenna. In general, if your antenna works well with analog signals, it will possibly work with digital signals that are in the same television band (low-VHF, high-VHF, or UHF).
Q: What specific techniques can I use to determine if my current television antenna is acceptable for digital reception or whether a new antenna is required?
A: In general, if your current antenna (outdoor or indoor) provides good or excellent reception quality, that antenna should be acceptable for DTV reception. This presumes that the current antenna covers the same television bands (low-VHF, high-VHF, UHF) that are being used by the digital stations.
Q: Is there such a thing as a “digital” antenna or an “HDTV” antenna?
A: No. While the box in which the antenna is sold may be called “DTV Antenna” or “HDTV Antenna”, the analog and digital television signals can be picked up (i.e., received) with the same antenna.
The complete IEEE FAQ can be found online at www.IEEE.org. Additionally, the FCC has issued a number of very helpful consumer advisories on the DTV transition at: www.dtv.gov/publications.html.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
what about the stations that turn off their analog signals and refuse to transmit a digital signal?if you stay in savannah georgia then you won’t be able to watch PBS over the air because they turned off their analog signal and now they are not broadcasting any digital signals.they used to transmit a very weak digital signal when they were transmitting an analog signal but after turning off their analog signal they also turned off their weak digital signal.