Part 2 will focus on more of the guts of the digital TV revolution.
If you own a digital TV then you can receive digital broadcasts. If you don't have a digital TV, you'll need a converter box (to convert the signal from digital to analog so your TV will be able to read the signal and make a picture come through on your TV).
There are many types of digital TVs. First there is SDTV which means "Standard Digital Television". The picture is the same size and shape as an analog TV but the innards of the TV are more space age. Then there is EDTV or Enhanced Digital TV. EDTVs have the ability to project High Definition images but need another piece of equipment (like an HD cable box or HD satellite box) in order to get HD images. Without this middle piece of equipment, and EDTV is not much different than an SDTV. Next is a true DTV also referred to as HDTV or High Definition Digital Television. An HDTV is capable of displaying high definition images all by itself as it receives them either through the air, or through a cable or satellite provider.
Broadcast TV stations have been broadcasting in digital for several years now. They have ALSO continued to broadcast analog signals so that anyone with an older TV can still get their signal, and anyone with a newer digital TV would be able to reap the benefits of what digital TV can accomplish.
For a few years now I have owned a Digital TV. DTVs come in two type, Plasma or LCD. It really is about cost, preference, and performance. My TV is LCD. I have an antenna (similar to the old "rabbit ears") and because TV stations in my area are broadcasting in digital and because I have a digital TV, I get a clear, sharp picture, better than anything that could be done with analog.
I could accomplish the same thing if I subscribed to digital cable. I would get all of my local stations in digital format (and a lot of other channels that may or may not be in digital format) but for quite a monthly cost.
If your analog TV is hooked up to cable or satellite, your provider will send out a digital signal for digital TVs AND an analog signal for older TVs.
The moral of this story: Figure out what kind of TV you have and what kind of TV you want.
Stay tuned for the next chapter.
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