The dawning of digital TV
Millions of sets to need converters as broadcasters change signals
By Jeff Smith, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published February 4, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Photo by Illustration © The Rocky
Confused about what will happen next year when broadcasters switch from an analog-TV world to a digital world? The Rocky answers some frequently asked questions.
Confused about what you have to do to convert from an analog to an all-digital TV world next year? You have plenty of company.
"It is consistently the No. 1 question we get when customers come in and look at our home-theater systems," said Jen Scott, operations manager at Best Buy's Longmont store.
Consumers still have 379 days before the deadline, but government officials, retailers, providers and consumer watchdogs alike worry that the deadline will come and go without consumers taking action.
It's estimated that about 14 million American households have analog TVs that pull the signals into their home with an antenna.
They will have to buy either a digital TV or a converter box that will allow their analog TV to work.
If you own an analog TV and subscribe to a cable- or satellite-TV package, you don't have to do anything. Signals will be converted for you by the provider. Read on for a few FAQs (that's frequently asked questions) about how to prepare for the looming February 2009 deadline.
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