The US Digital Television (DTV) Transition 2009

On June 12, 2009 all television stations must convert to pure digital broadcasting, and will no longer broadcast in analog. That means that your rabbit ears, antenna, or analog television will no longer work, and you will lose your television signal.


The U.S. Digital Television (DTV) Transition is when, the government mandates force the switch of all full power television stations broadcasting in analog, to 100% digital broadcasting. This will help free up the airwaves for use by emergency responders and at the same time provide a much clearer picture along with more programming options.

What kind of problems can you expect during the DTV transition Well, if you are connected to a pay service provider such as dish or cable, then none-little at all. You can just sit back, not worry, and let the DTV transition take place, knowing that any interruptions should be nominal, if noticed at all.

If you do not have a pay service provider, then you can also purchase a television with a digital tuner such as digital TV, EDTV, or HDTV. This option can be a little more costly, but not as expensive as you may think.

Or you can keep your existing analog television and purchase a TV converter box (1 for each television in the household). But be aware of a couple of things. One, the government may have run out of converter box coupons. Two, there is a limit of two coupons per household. And three, 1 out of 3 converter boxes break, so you are stuck paying for another converter box out-of-pocket.

The choices are simple. Get a new television, get a converter box (one for each television in your household), or simply subscribe to a service provider and let them take care of all the worries for you. But remember that the deadline for the Digital Television (DTV) Transition is close at hand. It will be here sooner than you think and if your not prepared, then you will be without your television signal until you do something about it.