Click Here

The Clock Is Counting Down to a Digital TV World

Nation Will Go Digital Only in February 2009

Television as we know it is about to be history, a useless relic from the past.

Two years from now, the TV you watch may not be able to receive anything because of a major change in technology mandated by federal law.

The head of the Federal Communications Commission, which is overseeing the changes, was in Chapel Hill on Monday, and one of the hot topics he discussed was the nation's conversion to digital TV.

The bottom line for viewers is that there are two types of television: analog and digital. Digital TV has a better picture and better sound. Analog is what almost everyone has been watching since TV was invented.

About two years from now, on Feb. 17, 2009, the nation will totally switch from analog to digital TV. That means the guy with an old TV in his garage, for example, won't be able to watch anymore. He's either got to buy a converter box for his analog set or buy a digital TV.

The thing is, more than 20 million people have analog sets. When the plug is pulled on analog, as many as 70 million TVs will go dark.

“On Feb. 18 (2009), those TV sets will not be able to receive a TV picture of any kind,” media attorney Wade Hargrove said.

“Congress has set a hard date, and I think this is going to be a significant challenge,” FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said. Martin is a UNC grad and was back in Chapel Hill for a visit and a speech.

Many people who don't have digital TV live in rural areas or are poor or elderly. They may be eligible for government vouchers they can use to buy converter boxes for their analog sets. The box will turn a digital signal into an analog one their TVs can understand.

“There's a lot of concern about it. I think the key to it is making sure the public is informed well in advance,” Hargrove said.



60 Comments


Golo

Welcome to GOLO, where WRAL.com visitors can comment on stories and create profile pages, blogs and photo galleries.

You must be a registered WRAL.com user to use these tools. Click here to register or log in.

View Comments View Comments

Report It
Send us your news photos, videos, tips and story ideas.
Submit Videos Submit Photos Submit Reports
  1. World News:  BERLIN WALL
    Photo: Fall of the Berlin Wall

    The 28-year-old Cold War symbol along East Germany's fortified border crumbled on the evening of Nov. 9, 1989, a pivotal moment in the collapse of…

  2. Bragg homecoming_01
    Fort Bragg homecoming

    The 82nd Airborne's 3rd Brigade Combat Team, or Panther Brigade, is coming home after a year-long deployment to Iraq. Families greeted 200…

  3. vet 01
    N.C. honors veterans with parades

    North Carolina honored veterans Saturday with annual parades in Raleigh and Fayetteville and a ceremony at the State Capitol building.

  4. APTOPIX Austria Weather
    Photos of the week

    The snow-covered Wilder Kaiser, part of the Alps, is reflected in Lake Schwarzsee in Austria. It's among the best photos taken by Associated Press…

  5. BRITAIN_ELTON__JOHN
    The week in entertainment

    A look at the top entertainment headlines this week through the lenses of Associated Press photographers.

Click Here