The Way You Get TV Is Changing
Steven Lancey
If you are the ordinary American, your household watches over 8 hours of TV per day. If you live by yourself it is estimated that you watch over 4 1/2 hours of TV per day. Yes Americans love their TV and studies show it will not slow down anytime soon. So what will happen to my old TV set and will it still work after February17,2009?
That's the day analog TV will end . This is the day the FCC has mandated that all broadcast TV stations cease sending out over the air analog signals. So what does this mean to me who has had the same old analog set for the last 10 years? Or a second or third analog TV set in other parts of my home. You first might be asking yourself - what is an analog TV set? And, do I have one? If you still get TV programming from rabbit ears you have an analog set. One way to tell if your TV set is analog, is to look and see if the TV has a hook-up for an antenna.
If I do have an analog TV what do I do?
Well first, if you can afford it, go out and buy a new TV, otherwise you can keep your present set running with a digital set-top converter box. The FCC is offering coupons to all Americans (limit 2 per household) to buy a new digital converter box*. Below is the Announcement by the FCC how to claim your big $80 so you can keep your old analog TVs working after 2/17/09.
Analog TVs Will Need Additional Equipment to Receive Over-the-air Television by February next year.
Consumers who depend antennas (including outside antennas and "rabbit ears") to receive over-the-air broadcast signals on TV sets having only analog tuners will need to obtain separate digital-to-analog set-top converter boxes* to watch over-the-air TV. These boxes receive digital signals and convert them into analog format for display on analog TVs. Analog sets connected to such converter boxes will display digital broadcasts, but not necessarily in the full, original digital quality.
Converter Box Coupon Program
Between Jan. 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009, all U.S. households will be eligible to request up to two coupons, worth $40 each, to be used toward the purchase of up to two, digital-to-analog converter boxes*. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has responsibility for administering the coupon program. More information can be found at DTVANSWERS.com
So what should I do? Buy a new HDTV or keep my old analog TV set?
This will all depend on your budget. If you can afford a new Digital TV then go for it ! I strongly suggest you budget for a new HDTV set before 2/17/2009 if you don't have one, it will be the best entertainment investment you will ever make. If not, then the converter box* is the way to go.
* To purchase a digital converter box visit: http://www.hdtvultimate.com
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