Your TV may become obsolete

Beware!!! Your TV may become obsolete come February 17th, 2009!

You have 3 options:

Buy a new HD TV with an ATSC receiver/tuner to replace your old analog TV.
Keep your old analog TV and purchase of a TV tuner/converter box.
All of the above if you just cannot bear to get rid of your working but old tech TV’s.

Transimitting TV over-the-air will change from analog to digital on February 17th, 2009 and the transition has already begun. One March 1st, 2007, the FCC issued a mandate that all televisions and all interface devices which include a tuner must include a built-in ATSC DTV tuner. This mandate applies to devices that are being shipped across state lines, but the products that were already in stock prior to March 1st, 2007 may still be sold.

After reading the above information, you are probably asking yourself these two questions:

1) “What is an ATSC receiver/tuner and what does it do??nbsp;
ATSC stands for Advanced Television Systems Committee, Inc. The ATSC receiver/tuner converts digital television (DTV) over-the-air signals to analog. Tuners may be integrated into the television, VCR, digital video recorder, and set-top box, which provides audio/video output connectors of various types.

2) “Will I have to throw away a perfectly good TV just because it’s analog??BR>Fortunately, you will not need to get rid of your analog TV when broadcasters switch to digital. On January 1st, the federal government will offer up to two $40 rebate coupons per household. You will be able to apply the $40 rebate toward the purchase of a TV tuner/converter box, which will probably cost $60-$75. This box will allow you to receive the new generation of digital TV channels without replacing your old set.

To some, this change may seem more of a burden than anything, but keep in mind that the transition from analog to digital means a clearer reception. You will be able to enjoy a picture that is very sharp and free of snow.