How do you know if a t.v. is analog or digital?

Question

also, will the digital signals that t.v. stations will be sending in 2009 work on t.v.'s that are analog?

Answer 1

The first gentlemen was correct, in that the signals are the only things that differ, but also, most HD TVs have digital tuners, and any TV that has ATCS is digital. All else are soley analog. :)

Answer 2

(US answer, different in other parts of the world)

>How do you know if a t.v. is analog or digital?

Usually a TV that can receive digital signals it will say on the box that it has an "ATSC tuner" or it will say that it can receive digital signals.

>will the digital signals that t.v. stations will be sending in 2009 work on t.v.'s that are analog?

Starting Feb 17, 2009 you will need a converter box to receive over the air TV signals on old TV, VCR/ DVD recorders that only have analog (NTSC) tuners *.

These are called "digital to analog" converter boxs and work similarly to cable boxes. Your antenna attaches to the input of the converter box. Another cable(s) runs from from the converter's output to your old TV, VCR, or DVD recorder. The outputs on the converter box are like the ones typically found on VCR's.

Starting in Jan 2008 the US government is going to be giving out $40 coupons to subsidize buying converter boxes. The boxes are expected to cost about $60, so the price after the coupon should be about $20 each (2 max per household). It is very likely that the image quality you see coming through the converter box will be better than what you have been getting in the past, so there isn't much reason to put off buying a converter after the coupons become available. Especially since the demand for the $40 coupons will probably greatly exceed the amount of money that congress has allocated for the program.

You can also buy DVD recorders that include ATSC tuners that will work with old TV's and let you record digital and analog programs with similar versatility to a 1990's VCR.

Cable & satellite TV companies already convert TV signals to match the old type TV's. They have a large financial incentive to keep providing signals to customers with older TV's.

PS:
Beware of BS artists that say you must have a new "digital" antenna, your old one will probably be just fine.

Old type OTA TV signals = NTSC = "Analog TV"

New type OTA TV signals = ATSC = "Digital TV" = DTV

OTA = "Over the Air" = stuff you get through your TV antenna

* except for certain low power and translator stations

Answer 3

Come 2009, you'll need a digital box to receive your usual channels. As far as I know, boxes will be available in stores (I don't know which ones or where) or from your cable company to purchase or rent.

If you have a digital box now, then you are probably receiving digital signals of networks. If you have a regular TV plugged into a wall cable outlet, then probably just analog.

Answer 4

A digital cable or satellite box would be fine to hook up to any conventional TV. Don't worry. Your conventional TV won't be obsolete in 2009 when one of those boxes are hooked up.

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

All TVs are analogue. It's the broadcast that is digital or analogue.

http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk

Buy a Freeview box. Or buy a new TV with built in Freeview.

Edit: Ignore all that. You aren't in the UK I see from your past questions!