| Digital TV has a lot of benefits. So many in | | | | analog TV signal, the picture and sound get |
| fact that TV broadcasters, the consumer | | | | fuzzier but are still understandable. As you |
| electronics industry, and the Federal | | | | get farther away from the source of a digital |
| government have allied to make digital TV the | | | | signal the transmission still fades, but you |
| sole mode of over the air TV transmission in | | | | won't notice any degradation of the picture |
| the United States starting on February 19, | | | | quality until it suddenly becomes to weak and |
| 2009. Of course who benefits most from this | | | | disappears all together. This means that many |
| conversion remains to be seen. | | | | people who put up with fuzzy over the air |
| | | | analog TV probably won't be able to receive a |
| Excluding all of the potential economic and | | | | digital signal broadcast from the same |
| political benefits and pitfalls, digital TV | | | | location and at the same strength. This alone |
| has a number of benefits when compared to the | | | | might make those big rooftop antennas of the |
| older analog format that's primarily in use | | | | mid-twentieth century much more popular |
| right now. Digital TV uses computer equipment | | | | again. |
| to convert the images and sounds of TV into | | | | |
| digital data (a bunch of ones and zeros) | | | | Another major problem with digital TV is that |
| before transmitting them to their viewers. | | | | a digital TV tuner is needed to watch it and |
| Once the digital TV signals arrive at their | | | | this hardware isn't built into older TV sets |
| destination, other computer equipment cleans | | | | (or a lot of newer ones either, for that |
| interference out of the signal and | | | | matter!). This means that in order to watch |
| reconstructs all of that computer data into | | | | over the air TV after February 19, 2009, |
| the TV programming that the viewer can watch | | | | anyone with an analog only TV set either has |
| on his or her TV screen. The fact that the | | | | to buy a new TV set or get a special set top |
| interference can be cleaned out means that | | | | box that contains a digital tuner and can |
| the picture can be much clearer than it would | | | | convert the digital signal into an analog |
| ever be from an analog signal. Digital TV | | | | signal that the TV set can understand. |
| also allows for the use of an on screen | | | | |
| program guide- even with over the air | | | | And that's where the political and economic |
| programming- and other similar features. The | | | | advantages and disadvantages come into play! |
| fact that digital TV can also be subjected to | | | | TV electronics manufacturers stand to make a |
| video compression technology means that it | | | | lot of money because of this conversion- all |
| can take up a lot less bandwidth than analog | | | | the more so because they continued to sell |
| TV and that leaves more frequencies available | | | | analog only TV set even after they knew the |
| to be used for other kinds of transmissions. | | | | conversion was imminent. |
| | | | |
| Of course, like anything else digital TV has | | | | Ultimately the American people will benefit |
| some drawbacks when compared to analog TV. | | | | from the conversion to digital TV, but in the |
| The biggest disadvantage is that analog TV | | | | mean time some special interests will |
| can provide a more cohesive signal over a | | | | definitely come into play as a lot of TV |
| greater distance than an equivalent digital | | | | viewers will probably be understandably |
| signal. In other words, as you get farther | | | | frustrated and confused. |
| away from the transmission source of an | | | | |