By now you’ve all heard that in February of 2009, the FCC will require broadcast TV stations to turn off their analog transmissions.  This has raised a lot of questions with customers about what they need to expect and how it will affect them.  So, in this article, I will try to (hopefully) answer those questions and dispel some myths.

I’ve been told that when broadcasters switch from analog to digital, my TV won’t work.  Is this true?

If you have an analog television and receive your programs by antenna (not by cable or satellite), yes it’s true.  You will no longer have reception.  But, the government is issuing two certificates for each household worth $40.00 each toward a digital-to-analog converter box so that you can receive the new digital broadcasts and they’ll be converted back to analog to play on your existing TV.

I receive my channels from cable or satellite.  How will I be affected?

Since the law only pertains to over-the-air broadcasts (from broadcast tower to your antenna), it is possible that cable companies can continue to provide analog broadcasts down their cable along with the digital version.  It will be up to the cable company to make the decision as to whether or not to discontinue the analog service.  The same holds true for satellite providers.  If you have satellite, but receive your local network channels by an off-air antenna, then you will either need the converter box to continue to receive local channels, or up-grade to a high definition satellite system, which has the off-air digital-to-analog converter box built-in to connect your antenna to. 

Why are they changing the way television signals are sent to us? 

It’s very similar to what happened when we converted from AM radio to FM.  Although the government didn’t discontinue AM radio frequencies like they will analog TV broadcasts, once you heard the difference in quality FM had over AM, it’s all you wanted to listen to; and the next radio you purchased was an AM and FM model.  In the same respect, the quality that can be had by switching to digital broadcasts will eliminate the desire for continued use of analog broadcasts.  Therefore, the next television you want to buy will be a high definition model that will receive both analog and digital signals.  And, like the AM band of radio, you will seldom want to watch any programs in analog.  Another benefit in switching to digital is that you will be able to receive more off-air broadcasts, crystal-clear, and from further away than with the old analog system. 

If you have further questions, or want to see the benefits of HDTV and how affordable it can be, talk to one of the specialists at Simpson Electronics—right next to Hixson Ford.