So on Feb 18 2009 the world as we know it comes to an end!
The changeover from the system of analog broadcasting to a digital TV system is scheduled for next year.
On D-Day (aka Digital Day) Feb. 18, 2009, if you have an old-style, analogue televisions and receive programming “over-the-air” i.e. via an antenna, you will no longer receive a picture.
You will need to buy a converter box to sit between your antenna and your TV to convert the new digital signal into an analogue signal your old TV can understand.
If you have an over-the-air antennas but have already purchased a digital-ready television set or adapter boxes, then you don’t need to do anything, you are ready for the switch.
If you are on cable television or a satellite system, you will have the digital conversions handled through by the cable or satellite companies.
Note: The government is offering two $40 coupons per household to be used toward converter boxes for those who do not have televisions with cable TV or satellite dishes. The coupons may be obtained online by going to www.dtv.gov or by calling the 24-hour hotline at 1-888-388-2009.
P.S. The $40 government coupons for converter boxes are intended to defray the costs of the converters, not cover the full price which is probably goin gto be around $50 to $70.
As part of the move to digital TV, scheduled for Feb 2009, the FCC has officially notified U.S. television broadcasters that the standard for transmitting TV over-the-air will change from analog to digital.
This means every conventional TV with an antenna will become obsolete, unless it is connected to a digital tuner. After the changeover to digital transmission, TVs will be unable to receive terrestrial analog RF TV broadcasts unless connected to a set-top box or other device that contains a digital tuner.
However, the majority of TV watchers will not be affected, because 80% of television viewers use cable or satellite television and virtually all satellite users and an increasing number of cable users already use set top boxes to view programming. Many of these set top boxes can receive digital transmissions.
Satellite TV vs Cable TV
In the battle between satellite television services and cable TV, satellite continued to gain market share this year, in doing so pushing cable penetration to a 17-year low.
Direct broadcast satellite TV is now used by approximately 27.6% of US TV-owning households, up from 24% this time last year. In the same period, wired cable penetration fell slightly from 62.1% to 61.3%, the lowest it’s been since February 1990.
As a result, there are now 15 U.S. markets where satellite television has overtaken cable as the dominant TV subscription method, the study found. These markets include Albuquerque, New Mexico; Springfield, Missouri; and Shreveport, Louisiana.
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