As everyone is preparing for the new Digital TV broadcasting that is being mandated by the government to begin on February 19,2009, there are still many of you out there that are not sure what this all means. In this entry, I will try to make it a little easier to understand and also let you know if you even have to do anything as this change approaches.

Here is the deal. If you have an analog TV, you know the old style TV with a picture tube, this means that it has no means of picking up a digital signal. On February 17,2009, all over the air broadcast will switch to Digital transmission and you will no longer be able to pick up the TV stations on your analog TV. Please note that this only applies if you are using and indoor or outdoor antenna, including rabbit ears, to pick up your TV signals.

If you have Cable TV or Satellite, you will not have to do anything. Cable TV with or without the set top box will covert the Digital signals to analog before it gets to your analog TV, and you will still be able to get all the stations you always have.

With Satellite TV, as long as you have one of your Satellite provider’s set top boxes, you will not have to do anything either. You will still be able to get all the stations you always have as well. However if you have an analog TV that does not have a box, then you will loose the analog signal on that TV in February.

So what do you do if you don’t have a Cable or Satellite provider and are using any type of antenna to get your TV signal? You will need to have a Digital Converter Box. These little set top boxes cost between $40.00 and $80.00, but before you complain about having to buy one or more of these there are a few things you should know.

First of all the government is offer each household 2 free coupons worth $40.00 to use towards the purchase of these boxes. All you have to do is apply for the coupons at http://www.dtv2009.gov. Once you get your coupons you will take them directly to an approved store, really most any store, and redeem them and you will get a $40.00 discount on up to two boxes.

I have found that the average cost of these boxes is around $45.00 to $50.00, so this is a really good deal. However, there is one problem. All the coupons have been distributed that the government allotted so now you have to get on a waiting list. I highly recommend that you get on the list as soon as possible if you want to get these coupons.

This may all sound like a big hassle, but let me tell you about some other possitive points that should make up for any effort you have to make in getting ready for DTV. First of all you, once you get the box and hook it up to your analog TV, the digital broadcasting signal coming from the TV station will be converted back to an analog signal which will allow you to get a picture.

Not only that, you will also be able to get more stations they you did before, because many of the stations you normally watch will have sub stations that you can watch as well. Most of these boxes also have station guides built in where you can scroll though programming and see what is on all the stations as well as what will be on later.

Plus, one of the best things is that the picture quality, even on your old analog TV will improve. You won’t see grainy pictures because the digital signal is so much better then the analog signal. Of course, the better the antenna you have and the placement of the antenna will instrumental in getting you the best possible reception. If you already have a roof top, attic or indoor antenna, they should all work fine. However, an outdoor antenna will still work the best.

You can also pick up the signal if you have a Digital TV with a built in tuner or any A/V component that has one built in as well. If you have one of these, then you will not need the converter box.

In conclusion, it may seem like a big change for millions of people, and it may be a bit of a hassle having to buy DTV Converter boxes for all of you old analog TVs, but in the long run, like so many things that change, you will find that it may be one of the best and least expensive changes you have ever made.

This article approved by the Editor of LevelAdvice.com and Showroom411.com

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