Digital TV - Part 2

Andy Walker takes a look at what YOU can do to make sure you're ready for the upcoming switch to digital television.

Digital TV - Part 2 So, what do you need to do to be ready for the switch to digital television? We’ll find out on today’s episode. Television will shift in a major way come February 2009 in US as over the year broadcasters switched from analogue to digital transmission. In the last episode we explained what digital television is and in today’s episode we’re going to show you how to get ready for the switch over. Let’s be clear right up front. The majority of people affected by this changed are those that get their television signal using an old school antenna or Bunny years. If you get your TV via cable or satellite this change shouldn’t affect you at all. You’ll continue to receive your cable or satellite television as you always have. Likewise, this won’t affect any of the other gear that you have hooked up to your TV, your gaming machine, your DVD player or even your VCR will continue to function as they have. What will change however is over the year television. In anticipation of the switch many broadcasters are transmitting signals in both analogue and digital. Once the analogue signal is turned off most televisions made before 2007 will stop receiving over the year programming, so to avoid this you have a couple of options, one buy a brand new television or two buy a little adapter box. Let’s look at the first option. The vast majority of televisions available for sale today are ready for digital television signals. These new televisions can also display a high definition content. They have better sound and a wide screen picture, but that doesn’t mean you have to buy a new TV. So, let’s look at the second option instead you can get a little digital converter box for under a $100.00. This box connects between your TV and the antenna. It converts the digital signal to a form your older TV can use. To make it more affordable, the US government is even offering a $40.00 rebate to those who buy a digital converter box for their old television, for more information go to www.DTV2009.gov. Another way to ensure that you’ll continue to get your TV fix is to sign up for satellite service or digital cable. When you sign up you’ll get a converter box that will do roughly the same thing as an over the air converter box, but it will receive a lot more channels. Again, if you already received your television via cable or satellite you don’t have to do anything. You’re all set, but if you do still tuning your television over the air then all of standing between you and the new world of digital television is that little converter box. Well, thanks for watching today. We’ll see you next time.