So long analog...

If you've been looking for a good excuse to throw your outdated analog TV out to curb, the digital television transition occurring in February 2009 would be a good one. Ok, so you don't REALLY need a brand new TV in order to receive the digital signals, just a set top box and antenna, but just think about how great the picture quality would be...

Dreams of a new TV aside, the Digital TV (DTV) transition is really important. There are a ton of people out there that either don't know anything about it or don't know much. In order to educate the general population, the FCC has set up a corny, yet informative web site for consumers regarding the switch. Just visit www.DTV.gov. You'll also find the link under my Relevant Links.

To summarize, on February 17, 2009 all television broadcasters will discontinue analog broadcasting and transition over to digital broadcasting. There are many benefits to Digital TV technology including improved picture quality, its ability to efficiently transmit more information than analog, and it can transmit multiple standard definition digital TV programs at once. Even more importantly, switching over to all digital will free up valuable analog stations currently in short supply. These stations will be used by public and safety services such as emergency, fire, and rescue services. Until the switch occurs, all broadcasters will continue to transmit in both analog and digital formats. Customers most affected by the switch will be those solely relying upon “bunny-ears” or antennas for over-the-air broadcasting. Converting these digital broadcasts into analog format will require a converter box. Cable and Satellite subscribers may simply need to update equipment.

DTV is not the same as HDTV, or High Definition Television. HDTV is a form of DTV, but is the highest quality digital broadcasting available. If you're looking to experience the full potential of digital television, you need to subscribe to High Definition programming. I'll provide more on this topic later.