hdtvs with basic cable? analog tv's? converter box? HELP?

Question

my new hdtv says that it is an analog tv,so by feb 2009 i must have a converter box . so my question is -whats a converter box ? how much are they? and whats so great about hd when you have basic cable?

Answer 1

In 2009, there will no longer be local television stations broadcasting in analong, only digital.

If you dont have cable or satellite service and only view stations through an antenna sitting on top of the TV (or on roof), then your tv won't pick up those local tv stations via antenna, on analog service.

This does NOT apply to users who have cable or satellite service. Thats where the word "convertor box" comes into play. The box, is the box that your cable or satellite provider gives you.
Your analog TV will work just fine in 2009 as long as you got cable or satellite service.

If you don't have cable/satellite AND if you watch TV through an antenna (local TV stations) then your TV will not work on those stations in 2009, because they will be broadcasting in digital.

So, lets say you forget to pay your cable bill sometime in 2009 and they cut your service off. You know how you can see the tv stations in your town, even with the cable off? Thats what you won't be able to see, in 2009, with an analog tv.

If you got cable, then no worries....

Answer 2

like quite a few different 2 suggested, converter field for over-the-air antenna reception and your new liquid crystal demonstrate must have already got that outfitted in to it. It does no longer something for cable. even as watching analog programming, you receives a higher image on an analog television. That programming is coming for the period of in a 4:3 format like your analog television. once you placed it on 16:9 widescreen it stretches the image out and extra "complements" the fuzziness. in case you regulate your element to placed the part bars on your television which will advance your image. also, HD television's use line-doublers or perhaps as watching analog programming that has a great number of "noise" in it, you also double the noise. My 8 year previous projection television seems better than my new 37" lcds even as on analog. both get antenna for HD community channels, get HD field and subscription from cable adult men, or most suitable selection is to bypass HD satellite tv for pc.