Because you’re reading this, I’ll take into account that you’re tossing around the idea of buying a new TV. You’re the smart consumer that probably wants to make the best purchase. After all, this TV will be part of your home for the next 15-20 years.
The Facts of Digital Television (DTV)
Analog broadcasts signals will become extinct on February 17, 2009. After this date all broadcast signals will be digital.
- Fact: The transition date only affects over-the-air broadcast stations, like ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, UPN, etc. The reason is that these stations can be received for free by anyone with a television and an antenna.
- Fact: Channels exclusive to cable or satellite aren’t affected by the transition to digital. The reason is that a person can’t receive them with an antenna. The person must subscribe to a pay service to receive them.
- Fact: Analog televisions will be obsolete (useless) after this date unless they are connected to a digital-to-analog receiver.
How Will DTV Affect You?
If you subscribe to cable or satellite and have no plans on using an antenna then the transition to digital will probably not affect you unless you subscribe to you provider’s analog service. I suggest contacting your provider for definitive answers on whether or not you’ll be affected.
You will be affected if you plan on using an antenna past February 17, 2009 but don’t own a digital TV capable of decoding digital signals (no built-in digital tuner). You will either have to buy a new digital TV or a digital-to-analog receiver.
Common Reasons for Buying a Digital TV
- Your television is analog and you want to upgrade to digital before the transition.
- The picture is going out or it doesn’t have the necessary amount of terminals to sustain your audio/video components.
- You are moving or want to add a television to a room that doesn’t have one.
- You have a child that gets good grades in school and you want to reward their efforts.
- You have the money and feel like treating yourself to something nice.
- You are bored with your current TV.
Regardless of your reason, you plan on buying a new TV in the near future. Making the decision to buy is easy; pulling the trigger on the sale might not be.
