OMG WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR TV!!!!(US Only)

"At midnight on February 17, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to 100% digital broadcasting. Digital broadcasting promises to provide a clearer picture and more programming options and will free up airwaves for use by emergency responders."

www.dtv2009.gov


You guys can read this too

Local TV stations have been broadcasting since they started using an analog transmission system that takes up lots of bandwidth in the available frequency spectrum (i.e., the channels on your tv set).

Think of bandwidth as a highway with cars on it. One analog channel takes up 6 lanes of traffic and all the traffic are SUVs that really hog the available road, and each SUV only has one person in it.

Beginning in 2009, all TV broadcasts must be digital - which takes up less bandwidth. So instead of a 6 lane highway, you now have a single lane highway - and through various compression techniques, everybody is driving a new SmartCar with 4 people in it - more people moving down a much more narrow road. So there can be more channels made available then before.

Existing TVs are designed to only receive an analog TV signal (via a TV antenna) or cable ready - where the cable goes directly into the TV - but it's stll analog. So they won't be able to receive the new digital TV signals without the addition of a converter box. This is similar to the box the cable company gives you.

If your TV is connected to Cable TV or Dish Network, then you have to do "NOTHING".

If you are still receiving your TV channels via a rabbit ear antenna or an outside TV antenna - then you will need to get the converter box - or buy a new TV.

Source:http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoFI9UXQn.vpR5btrVssq.wjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=2008060609449AAh5VL7

lol jordan...we r gonna have that soon i aus...but for now it's optional...is ur government offering to pay for the converters? ours intends to...

No they arent which sucks, They want us to change but we have to buy it ourselves >_>

well maybe write a letter to mr obama and ask politely...it probably won't work but your teacher will think it is smart..lol

our government is to far into debt to buy us all converter boxes lol

how can you guys be richer than us but be too in debt to buy a two dollar box for every household...they're two dollars over here....

The U.S is trillions of dollars in debt. I highly doubt they can make a mandatory change without providing the proper equipment because the poor people who still have TV and pay or middle-class people who can't spend money on these things because of the economy will stop paying TV and they will be losing too much money.