Question: Digital Transtion: Do I Need Anything Else Besides a TV with a Digital Tuner?
If I buy a TV with an ATSC tuner will I still have to buy/rent additional equipment to view digital programming if I'm hooked up to cable when the Federal requirement (digital transition) kicks in?
Answer: If the TV has a digital (ATSC) tuner then you would only need an over-the-air antenna to get digital programming from your local broadcast stations. You wouldn't need to buy or rent anything for this type of programming.
If you want digital programming (standard and high definition) from your cable provider then you will need to subscribe to their digital programming package. The digital package most likely will only include standard digital programming. High definition will be an upgrade onto the digital package, like $10 a month for many cable companies. Buying or renting a box is dependent on the cable provider but you can rest assured there will probably be an additional charge for the box one way or another.
If you buy a TV with a CableCARD slot then you wouldn't necessarily need the box but would instead need a card from the cable provider. This card would also be an additional monthly charge but you would lose the interactivity the cable box would provide. I don't really recommend relying on a CableCARD slot for programming just yet.
To clarify, the digital transition in the United States of February 17, 2009 only affects reception over the air with an antenna. More importantly, it will render analog televisions useless without a digital-to-analog converter box. The digital-to-analog converter box is something you can buy at many electronics stores or they are provided by your service provider as part of their digital programming package.More TV / Video Q&A
