On February 17, 2009, analog television throughout the United States will be shut off...

Many stations are broadcasting in high definition (HDTV) format already. On the up side, HDTV features better image and sound quality. The down side is that it can also bring more frustration, about who will be affected, as well as planning for and connecting the new equipment. Many people aren't sure of how to prepare for this switchover.

There's two main reasons for the switch from analog to HDTV. First, digital signals offer DVD-like image and sound quality over the air. HDTV can receive local high definition broadcasts that will look about as good as what you'd get from cable or satellite television. Second, the switchover frees up the analog broadcast spectrum for other uses, as digital signals are more efficient and take up less bandwidth. Verizon and AT&T have already bought rights to some of the frequencies, to improve their wireless communication networks.

U.S. televisions have used the same set of broadcast standards since 1941, originally set by the National Television System Committee (NTSC). Broadcast towers sent out information over the air in NTSC format, and were picked up by your television antenna. Inside your TV, the NTSC tuner translated the information for display on your TV screen. HDTV is a new set of broadcast standards set by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC). On February 17, broadcast towers are going to stop sending NTSC, and will start sending ATSC. Unfortunately old TV sets don't understand ATSC standards. Most televisions sold after March 2007 feature ATSC tuners, but if your TV is older than that, it probably won't be able to pick up over-the-air broadcasts once the switchover happens.

The solution is a digital converter box. It's an external ATSC tuner that connects between your older TV and TV antenna. The ATSC signals are picked up by the same antenna you've always used, then passed to the digital converter box that translates the ATSC signals into your old TV's NTSC format. They are easy to hook up and are available at a wide variety of electronics stores, as well as my online store. Digital converter boxes cost about $60 on average. Since the switchover is being forced upon us, Congress has set up the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Under this program, each home can get two $40 gift cards that can only be used to purchase a digital converter box. You can apply at the official Web site for the DTV switch until March 31, 2009, and they expire 90 days after they are issued. You might want to apply for them now because the government has a limited amount of funding for this program.

If you pay for cable or satellite TV service, don't worry, because the digital switchover only applies to over-the-air broadcasts, and service will continue uninterrupted and unchanged for most cable and satellite customers. However, some cable companies, when they switch to digital, may force you to have one box per television, similar to satellite TV subscriber setups. Eventually, older NTSC style TV equipment will be phased out completely. This means not only your TV, but also your VCR, older camcorders, and even older DVD players may not be usable anymore without coverters of some sort. Most of the new HDTV's that I've seen have an extensive set of connections, and include RCA-style connectors for audio/video inputs. But as demand for HDTVs increases, it may be better to get them sooner rather than later. Because HDTVs use most of the same materials used in computer screens, the world's supply of needed materials is taking a pretty good hit.

Having the right knowledge to make it through the digital switchover is critical. If you don't feel comfortable enough to switch over from analog to digital TV, there are a number of local audio/video specialists who can offer you assistance in the process, check your local Yellow Pages. Even though my primary business is repairing Windows computers, I've already helped a few of my customers to properly set up their new HDTVs.