I've heard that in feb 2008, all television will go "digital" and you will need a special box to get anything!

Question

My co-worker told me all TV will be going digital, and if you don't have cable, you won't be able to get any local channels or even PBS, does anyone know about this? Can you explain it a bit better for me! thanks!

Answer 1

Yes TV is going digital. BUT your co-worker has the date wrong. In the United Sates, the date is February 19, 2009. However, the people most affected by this are the ones that still use rabbit ears or outside antennas to get their reception. If you use cable, satellite, or even fiber optics for your tv signal you will not have to worry. If you are the few that still get your signal "off-the-air" the government is planning on providing $40 coupons to purchase digital to analog converter boxes. See the following article for more information

http://www.betanews.com/article/Digital_TV_Converter_Box_Rebate_Announced/1173725841

Answer 2

You will NOT have to buy a new TV. If all you want is over the air channels then you will be given a "credit" for the box needed to receive these channels.

Of course, above and beyond the free channels you will need cable or sat, just like now.

http://www.dtv.gov/

weeder

Answer 3

Actually it's 2009. Yes it's called a Digital TV. There are no boxes you will need to buy a new TV.

Answer 4

alright, a couple of things.

#1. Gary K. is half right.

#2. Your co-worker is half right.


Yes, broadcasting is being government mandated to switch to all digital. In February of *2009*. So, Gary and your co-worker were right about that. The entire analog bandwidth will be used for emergency, government, and later, possibly, public broadcasting.

Now. Anyone with cable or satellite has nothing to worry about. Because they usually provide you with some sort of 'digital reciever' that converts the signal to play on your television. This has a tuner inside that allows you to do that.

All TVs made after Feb. 2007 have an ATSC tuner and are capable of recieving digital signal.

***quick note*** your local cable provider will almost definitely offer a BASIC (very basic) option. call and ask them about it. Comcast has one for 12.95 a month. and you get all of your local stations, pbs, and weather. (what they actually do is go up on the line and put a filter on that limits the Basic Expanded cable from 99 channels to about 12) and you don't need any kind of special box or tuner. otherwise, the government will give you a 40$ allowance per digital tuner box. there may be a limit to how many.

Now, the real question. what is the make and model of your TV?

Because TVs can have 3 kinds of tuners in them. ATSC, NTSC, and QAM.

NTSC is the basic form of broadcasting in North America, in a 4:3 (square) format, analog signal.
ATSC is the tuner you need in your T.V. to pick up digital signal, also decodes signal to accommodate 16:9 (widescreen) format.
And last but certainly not least QAM. If this tuner is built into your TV. You will have the ability to recieve FREE HD broadcasts from whatever station offers them. Depending on your area this could be a great thing. I live in Eastern CT. About an hour to a major city, and through the basic cable lines we are able to recieve local NBC,ABC,CBS,PBS,TUBE,and ESPN in High Definition for no additional cost of a High Def box. Just by doing a channel search every few weeks, and having a TV with a QAM tuner.

If you are absolutely appalled to pay for cable every month, there is another option. Free-To-Air satellite. This does require the initial investment of a mini-dish for your house and a reciever, but offers you thousands for stations for free. Alot of people get these to recieve international broadcasting, because American cable and satellite companies have virtually no variety without paying extra every month.

Now here is the other issue:

Almost all digital broadcasting is in widescreen format, because that is the way cameras naturally record things, and is edited to fit your normal square 4:3 screen by having the sides cropped off. That is why you see the little warning when watching movies on TV, that it has been edited to fit your screen. The point is, in February of 2009, you are going to be getting bars on the top and bottom of all your programs to fit the square TVs. You may already notice it now on shows during primetime, or on stations that have stepped up and already switched to digital format. Until 02/09 there will still be some shows or commercials on widescreen TVs with bars on the sides... But with a widescreen TV, you will have the function or ability to zoom in on the screen or adjust the Aspect Ratio, to fill in the space.

As a TV salesman, I will let you know that the price of flat panels has dropped DRAMATICALLY over even the past year. LCD TVs are becoming very inexpensive to make and therefore are half the price they were a year ago. I personally have 2, 4:3, 32" tube TVs in my house. I am one of the few that actually prefers to watch movies in widescreen because it makes room for the subtitles. So I am gonna hold out till the prices bottom out. Also since everyone is so concerned with having the biggest newest thing out there, everyone is opting for a 1080p TV.(read more through the links for info on resolution) But the truth is, ZERO broadcasters have agreed to broadcast at that highest resolution. So unless you have an over-priced Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player, you are not experiencing the highest resolution possible. 34 broadcasters have agreed to 720p broadcasting. and the only station that broadcasts in 1080i at all times is DiscoveryHD. Save some money, hold out a little longer. Buy a flatpanel LCD with at least 720 resolution, if you watch Dvds, get an inexpensive UpConverting Dvd player and an HDMI cord. An upconverting Dvd player will take your regular DVDs and up-convert the signal to 720p or 1080i and make your old movies look HD. The HDMI cord is required for the upconversion. you can get the player for less than a 100$, I think Home Depot has a Home Line of Monster HDMI cables that are the best price I have seen around.
I know Monster Cables may seem a little overpriced, but they all come with a lifetime replacement guarantee, and the quality of the cables is untouchable.

So... there are a few things for you to check out. I included some links in my source list that may help. though the "tech-faq" site was kinda running slow on my computer. just to give you a heads up.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-7608_7-1016109-3.html
(go here when you are done reading this for an excellent in-depth yet tech friendly article.)
www.hdguru.com (great info)
www.monstercable.com (their FAQ and Home Theatre setup pages are great)
www.tech-faq.com (had lots of great basic information about the different technologies.)

HOPE THIS WAS ALL USEFUL TO YOU! I know I went into detail on more stuff than you mentioned. but it is definitely a good idea to research the brands and technologies online before going out to make a purchase.
Alot of retailers can't match online prices but... retailers also offer easier ways for you to get repairs if you get extended warranties. Also. The prices of these things may scare you, but realizing that 10-20 years ago EVERYTHING was less expensive, and was made to last longer. Upgrading your TV and appliances can help your energy efficiency, and save you money in the long run. Keep your eye on the sales flyers of local electronics competitors when you are ready to purchase. Often times these prices are lower than they can even offer their employees, focusing more on high quantity of sale with lower profit. And once you see something you like in your price-range, Google it and read some reviews. Toshiba is gonna have the most affordable, quality flat panel LCDs all the way up the board. LG offers built-in 2 year warranties. Be careful of some off brand TVs, often time they don't have a history to look into and use inexpensive parts that will break down later. i.e. Haier, HP (hewlett packard). Alot of times you get what you pay for with cheap electronics. Sony being the high-end exception. Their flat panels LCD's are actually manufactured by Samsung. The guts - graphics processor, motherboard, frame, asthetics are all Sony. but the screen you are watching. Actually made by Samsung, which is one of the leaders in flat panels right now. And usually 1000$ less per size model than Sony. So more money (usually) = more options, expandability, higher contrast ratios, and asthetics. (flat black, high gloss black, blah blah blah)

wow.

I have written a novel, and I am not even at work. hope you find what you are looking for. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.


drew*