Most of you have probably seen the messages on television, warning about a transition that's going to happen on June 12; a transition to television, a new digital transition. Should you be worried?
Well, let me put your mind at rest. Most of you are probably watching your television from a cable server provider or from a satellite service, in which case you will have no problem, because the cable box that they give you or the satellite receiver will do that transition for you, in fact, that's already digital.
Now, if you have also bought a television in the recently past two years, the chances are very, very good that it will have already the digital tuner to receive the digital broadcast. So for most of you this is not a big issue.
For the rest of you though, who are still getting your television over rabbit ears or an old analog television set, there is a solution. The solution is this little box. It's a converter box. They are available at RadioShack and many other stores. Basically they cost $50-60. Some of them are even as low as $30 or $40. But all you have to do to get one of these is you apply to the government. They will send you a coupon worth $40, which will allow you to buy this thing, and you can get one for free, if you want a $40 model, or if you want a more elaborate model, you can pay the extra difference.
But this converter box basically connects to your standard antenna here, outputs to your existing television set, and you are in business for the digital transition.
Now, the other question that comes about digital transition, is digital the same as HD? No, the answer to that is no, it's not. Digital is simply the way the signal is being transmitted, it's a far more efficient way. It gets a lot better picture. You don't have that snow and the echo and the shadows that you used to have in television.
The digital, it either works or it doesn't work, that's the nice thing about digital, but if does work, you are getting a really sharp picture, but that's not HDTV. For HDTV, you need an HD television set. In another episode of the LiHD Answerman, I will explain what it takes to get HDTV.
I hope this was helpful. Please go to livinginhd.com for more information. Thank you very much.
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