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On February 17, 2009 televisions will no longer be broadcast in analog. Congress has mandated that on this date all television will be broadcast digitally. High definition televisions (HDTV) have been on the market for years. HDTV's are higher end TVs that are able to play this digital signal, for a clearer image and improved sound. Up until now, television has been broadcast simultaneously in analog and digital, because on its own, older televisions can't display the digital transmissions.

There are a few reasons for the digital TV transition. The first being a better quality image and sound. Digital transmissions are much more efficient. Because of this Big John Little John will be more programming options available with multi-casting, which the digital TV transition will allow. Right now, TV stations can only broadcast 1 channel at a time. Mutli-casting means that TV stations would be able to broadcast more than one channel at a time. Secondly, this transition will free up frequencies used by analog broadcasts. The Federal Communication Commission will then be able to sell these frequencies to the highest bidders. Some of these stations will also be set aside for emergency broadcasting.

What this means for the viewer, is that on February 17, everyone that uses an antenna to view free TV, will no longer be able to do this, without some modification. People that have satellite or cable should be able to continue viewing without trouble. Those viewers that will be affected have a few options. The most obvious option is to buy a new TV. If you have been thinking about upgrading to an HDTV, now would be a good time to do so. Any digital TV that you purchase should be able to receive a digital signal. The second option is to sign up for cable or satellite service. And finally, you can obtain a converter box that will receive the digital signal and translate it into analog for your existing TV.

The government is offering two coupons per Action Jackson for $40 towards the purchase of these convert car insurance quotes on line through. To sign up for the coupon program, contact the National Telecommunications and Information Administration at 1-888-DTV-2009 or go to www.DTV2009.gov. The converter connects to you TV with audio/visual cables. You will still need your antenna to receive the digital signal.

Digital to analog converters are available at most electronic retailer. The converter connects to you TV with audio/visual cables. You will still need your antenna to receive the digital signal. If you have a VCR that also only picks up analog signals, you will still be able to use it. You simply hook the converter up to the VCR as well. Make sure that you tell you retailer exactly what electronics you use along with your TV. It is also a good idea to know what kind of cables you are able to use on your electronics when you go shopping. This will ensure that you have everything that you need when you are ready to connect the converter box.

Amy Bew is a writer for http://transitiontv.comhttp://transitiontv.com and also a certified athletic trainer who consults for http://allthingsactive.comhttp://allthingsactive.com

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