Digital Conversion
 

The government is requiring most broadcast television stations to switch from analog to all-digital signals by Feb. 17, 2009.

Here's a list of questions and answers, that most people have about the upcoming conversion.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/new...al-conversion/

Basic breakdown:

If you have Cable or satellite , your TV is okay/GTG. You don't need to buy a new one.

If you use only rabbit ears or an outside antenna, you will need a converter box.

Converter boxes cost between $50.00 and $70.00.

The govt. is giving out $40.00 gift cards for the boxes.


That's it in a nutshell. Hope it helps.

If you want more info from the Converter Box website here it is.

https://www.dtv2009.gov

I received my coupons already and bought 2 converter boxes. Store price was $49.99, so with the coupon's it cost me $9.99 plus tax. That's a bit cheaper than buying a TV with a digital tuner.

$40
 

Just remember that $40 came from the American Tax payer - Not the government.

Technically yes,

The funds are based on projected proceeds from the Congressionally-mandated auction of radio frequency spectrum (Recovered Analog Spectrum)

47 USC 309 (SEC 3001)

Who ever it comes from it's still a wast of money. How come they didn't give free Money out when DSL/Cable INTERNET came out.

I would guess that it was thought that the target audience (those still receiving broadcast T.V.) would be the poor and the elderly (currently there is a proposed change to the rules to allow more than two units at addresses such as retirment homes) and quite probably that the demand would not be that great and that it would provide some voter support.

If you buy a T.V. with a digital tuner you no longer require a converter box.

DSL and Cable internet don't propagate over free space...and were an addition to.. not necessarily a replacement of...

Congress continually trolls around looking for spectrum to sell off. They found out it was an easy way to make a bunch of money to hand out to constituants. That started with the narrowband-mandate for Federal users.

If you have a 3G cell phone or advanced wireless system, chances are it is operating in spectrum that used to be used by Feds who were required to vacate.

My .02

All this "digital" mumbo jumbo...the waveforms are still analog when they're traveling over the air. You can't throw 0's and 1's out of an antenna, they have to be modulated onto a carrier of some sort. The only difference is that they'll need to be decoded by the "digital" tuner in your TV or box.

Just like when the cell phones changed from "analog" to "digital". It's all hype. :rolleyes:

Sorry, that's the Signal dork coming out of me.

Over simplified...

Look at the definition of a codec as opposed to a modem.

Which modulates?
Which decodes?
Are those the same?