News, Some will be left behind in digital-TV shift. (television, happened, house)

[John1960]

WASHINGTON — For millions of Americans, the digital revolution might not be televised.

One in five U.S. households depends on rabbit ears or a rooftop antenna to watch TV. Without converter boxes, most of their sets will go blank the day in 2009 that federal law requires broadcast stations to turn off analog signals and transmit only in digital.

The shift is being hailed as broadcast television's most dramatic upgrade since it bloomed to color from black and white a half-century ago.

The technology gives free TV viewers vastly sharper pictures and a wider range of channels from ABC, PBS and the other networks.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...gitaltv02.html

[Ronzou]

I have HD and all I can say, it's really not an improvement if you're still using the "free" service. It's you either get it or you don't, which in my opinion is annoying. I got so use to all the fuzz from my old tv and now on the new tv when you lose signal the tv just goes out and say weak signal. Then you miss the parts of the show... I rather the sound get fuzzed out then not be able to see it, I can still mute it and turn on closed captioning and read it. Unlike with digital when it goes out, you just guess what happened after it comes back in 5-10 seconds which is enough to miss a plot.

[CelticLady1]

I really don't know much about t.v. technology. Can someone please tell me why are the government is "requiring" that broadcast stations make this switch? People are using either analog or digital, now, based on the t.v. they have, so why are the feds so intent on making everything digital? Why not continue to let people use whatever works for them? I am totally confused! Like Ronzu, I've noticed that my tv will go to a blank screen and say "weak signal". How is this an improvement over analog?