Photo credit: striatic As of June 12th all analog broadcasts from television have been eliminated. This long awaited switch came after about two years of planning, debating, and educating the public. Yet even after that much time many of the results and implications of the DTV switch are unclear. What this change really amounts to is a sort of concrete, all inclusive transformation to the new digital age; a societal switch in which our most basic information and entertainment infrastructure officially joins the internet, mobile electronics, and the entire new wave of technology. The main reasons for the switch are practical, with benefits for both consumers and government. Digital signals are much more efficient than analog ones. They provide clearer pictures while taking up less space. That is, a broadcaster can fit several digital channels in the space required to send just one analog channel. That opens up airwaves for governments to use for emergency services as well as commercial communication

services. What It Means For You The time of the rabbit-eared antenna is gone. In many cases so will be the channel numbers for your local television stations. Rather than UHF numbers like 12, 24, even 47 — just for the three channels you get with an old antenna — you’ll find digital numerics reading 5.1, 7.2, etc. You might find the same station broadcast over two or more channels. Typically at least one of these is high-definition (HD). If you haven’t already, you will need to pick up a digital converter box (or new TV) from a local retailer. Best Buy, Target, other department stores and online sites like Amazon.com all carry them. The federal government has also been offering coupons to put toward purchasing a digital converter, find out more at www.dtv2009.gov . Boxes range in price from $40 to over $100 depending on its features. (more…)

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Your Digital TV Switch