Can someone explain HDTV?
Answer:
Actually the switch is from analog broadcasting to digital. The broadcasters do not have to broadcast in HD but I suspect many will.
If you are using an antenna to watch TV then yes you will need a convertor box when the switch is made in 2009.
http://www.dailywireless.org/2007/03/12/...
DTV Converter Box Coupons Announced
Americans who want a converter box permitting older televisions to receive digital broadcasts will be eligible for federal subsidies, according to new rules announced Monday, reports C/Net.
The $1.5 billion coupon program is designed to help qualified U.S. households obtain digital-to-analog converter boxes. It’s part of the scheduled February 2009 shutdown of over-the-air broadcasts in the United States. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) held a press conference here Monday to unveil its long-awaited final rules for a congressionally mandated subsidy program.
Starting Jan. 1, 2008, all U.S. households will be eligible to request up to two $40 coupons to be used toward the purchase of up to two, digital-to-analog converter boxes, while the initial $990 million allocated for the program is available.
Under the rules, all U.S. households will be able to apply for up to two $40 coupons to defray the cost of a basic digital-to-analog converter box during the program’s initial phase, in which up to 22.5 million coupons are expected to be available. March 31, 2009 is the last day to make the requests. Boxes are expected to cost between $50 and $70 apiece.
FCC Deadline
Starting March 1, 2007, new television sets that receive signals [over-the-air] must include digital or HDTV tuners for digital broadcasts, including pocket sized portable televisions. By 2009, all U.S. television broadcasts will be exclusively digital, by order of the Federal Communications Commission. For those who do not wish to upgrade their analog televisions, an external tuning device can simply be added to convert the digital signal. Currently, even the earliest televisions continue to work with present broadcast standards. This mandate was designed to help provide a painless transition to the new standards.[4]
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