As many people are aware, the digital television transition occurs on Febuary 17, 2009. As of this date, analog broadcasts will stop, and all broadcasts will be digital. By this date, you must have one digital converter box per television in your household if you use free, over-the-air digital television. But, what does this mean exactly? Who is effected? What are the options? A lot of confusion remains, but it's really not that difficult to understand who needs a Digital Converter Box; the challenge lies in deciding which digital converter box is right for you!

DTV Transition Background

For over 90 years, analog broadcasts have served the US well. With a simple antenna and a television, you could pick up local broadcast channels for free. Sometimes, the analog picture was snowy, or had lines through it. Adjusting the antenna sometimes helped. Some of us remember putting aluminum foil on the "rabbit ears" in an effort to improve reception. Ah, the good old days.

Today, most people subscribe to a paid television service, such as cable or satellite. However, many people still use a plain old antenna and watch broadcast stations for free. While the number of available stations is limited - especially when compared to a paid service - it is free and generally includes major network boadcasts (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, PBS, etc.). There is no HBO, Comedy Channel, Discovery Channel, History Channel, etc. But, the price is right - free!

Then, along comes the digital television transition mandated by the US government. Analog signals will stop, and they will be replaced by digital broadcasts. However, almost all televisions more than a few years old (some 75% of US televisions) are analog, meaning they do not have a digital receiver and cannot view digital broadcasts. How does this situation get remedied? Digital Converter Boxes!

Digital Converter Boxes

A Digital Converter Box takes the digital broadcast signal and converts it to an analog signal, viewable on your analog television - often at DVD quality! A digital converter box is what will keep your television working after the DTV Transition, if you watch free, over-the-air digital television.

Cable and satellite subscribers do not need a Digital Converter Box; only people that don't subscribe to such a service need a Digital Converter Box.

A Digital Converter Box costs anywhere from $40 - $120. The good news is that the US government will provide every household in the US with up to 2 coupons worth $40 each towards the purchase of 2 Digital Converter Boxes (see dtv2009.gov).

The tough part? There are around 200+ Digital Converter Boxes either available now, or soon to be available. With so many choices, how do you know which Digital Converter Box to buy? Fortunately, many people have already researched the best Digital Converter Boxes, and have provided detailed information on what specific Digital Converter Boxes are the best.

Interested in learning more? Check out the article "Which Digital Converter Box Should I Buy?" now.