WTFH: The end of analog TV broadcasting is near

Posted May 25, 2007 at 12:56 PM by XXJerry Bingham

Section: Tech News, Audio, Home Audio, Features, HDTV, WTFH

This note is addressed to the almost 19 million households in the US whom receive their Television reception – not via cable or satellite but over the air using antennas.  Did you know that unless you already have a DTV compatible tuner or DTV set top box on all your Analog TV’s, or are connected to a cable or satellite TV service, you will lose your television reception on Feb. 18th 2009? You think February 2009 is too far away to be thinking of that?  Think about all the TV’s you presently have in your house or your grandmother’s house,  and about all the TV’s your family is going to buy between now and then.  Unless they are Digital TV capable (not to be confused with Digital Cable or Digital Satellite service)  – they will be useless.  Really.

What to do?  Buy a new DTV Set-Top Box or subscribe to cable or satellite service (and buy / rent their new set-top box) for each analog TV you own. And, here’s a tip:  You can apply for up to two $40 off coupons from the government towards the purchase of new set top boxes (while coupon supplies last).  Of course, you could always replace those old TV’s with TV’s that have the new Digital TV Capable tuners and continue to receive your over the air broadcasts.  Also note that many of the thin LCD/Plasma TV sets didn’t even include any tuner at all in their sets.

Now who said digital was better/easier?!?!