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Next February all television broadcasts will go from analog to digital, by law. So how can you survive the big digital switch? It’s a lot easier than you may think.
It’s coming! The transition to digital TV. Will you get a clear picture or just be left in the dark?
“That’s what we get, a lot of panicked people coming in,” Cindy Goins, Best Buy manager in Columbus, Ohio, told Ivanhoe.
Panicked and confused about the switch. Many think it’s going to cost them.
“You do not, do not have to buy another TV. And I think that’s where a lot of people are getting the misconception,” said Goins.
Basically you have three options. Buying a TV with a digital tuner is just one of them.
“I think all of our TVs, or most of our TVs, are HD. They’re all fairly new so I would assume they’re all HD ready,” consumer Michelle Handel said. She’s right. If you bought a big-screen high definition TV in the past few years, or any new TV since March 2007, you’re good to go.
Option number two -- subscribe to cable, if you haven’t already. No matter what kind of TVs you have, if they're all receiving cable they're all good to go. You can also subscribe to satellite, or one of the new fiber-optic services and you'll be covered.
Option number three, “If you use antenna, whether it’s on the roof or on top of your TV, you will need the converter box,” said Goins.
Just plug it in to your TV to go from analog to digital. Each analog TV and VCR you have in your house will need a separate converter box if you plan to use them at the same time.
“We just stopped by on our lunch hour to pick up the converter box for the television because we got the coupon,” consumer Kate Miller told Ivanhoe.
You can get coupons from the government for $40 off a converter box -- most converter boxes cost between $40 and $70.
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