Get With The Program

By now you are probably already aware that on February 18, 2009, TV broadcasters will stop transmitting analog signals and switch exclusively to digital. So just what does this mean for non-digital television sets? It means that any TV, which is not attached to a digital cable or satellite service nor equipped with a special converter box will no longer work after this switch. Chances are good that this will prove to be a sticky situation as currently, more than 60 million U.S. households rely on antennas or analog cable, and cable operators are required to guarantee their customers will receive broadcast channels until February 2012.

Last week, Best Buy, one of the nation's top electronics retailers, announced that its stores would stop selling analog televisions entirely and pull all remaining stock from their shelves. Best Buy is the first retailer to go exclusively digital but expect more to follow soon.

Have you made the switch to digital yet?

-J. McKinney