One year from now, February 17, 2009, analog TV broadcasts will cease entirely in the US. The switchover to digital systems is going on now. What do you need to know to get ready? Wired has a simple overview of who will be affected and how you can prepare yourself for completely digital TV.
http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/D/DIGITAL_TV_TRANSITION?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-02-16-14-51-51
(image credit: AP/Matt Rourke)
PS: In the UK, analog TV will cease on different dates for different regions, with the last signals ceasing in 2012. -Thanks, violet/riga!
Most U.S. TV stations already broadcast digital signals as well as analog. What's happening a year from Sunday is they'll switch off the analog signals. No one with cable or satellite service will be affected, nor will anyone who gets stations over the air with a newer TV with a digital tuner.
http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/D/DIGITAL_TV_TRANSITION?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-02-16-14-51-51
(image credit: AP/Matt Rourke)
PS: In the UK, analog TV will cease on different dates for different regions, with the last signals ceasing in 2012. -Thanks, violet/riga!
I think it is cut and dried. People and industry are expecting it and gearing up for it.
The Government (in the USA anyways), wants to take some TV channels for two way communications (they will auction the spectrum off, hence it is their financial interest).
Existing perfectly operable analog TVs won't become useless, that is what the convertors are for. The voucher program was devised to make it easier for the
economically disadvantaged to get a convertor to keep the free OTA TV they receive.
US OTA won't be as good as Freeview in the UK, at least to begin with.
https://www.dtv2009.gov/