I have written about this before and I'll say it again. I hope people pay attention. You've all heard February 2009 as the date that all TV will be in digital and if you rely on an antenna you will lose your signal if you don't have a digital TV.
Here's the deal:
The exact date is February 17, 2009.
Here's the truth:
That date is not the first day of digital-only TV. That is the last day that a TV station can broadcast in analog. That's a big difference.
Some TV stations (two in my TV area in Maine alone) have already cut off their analog signal so if you rely on an antenna and don't have a digital conversion box or a digital TV, you can no longer receive their signals. Any station who applies to the FCC for an early cut-off of analog will be approved.
The next big date to remember is November 15, 2008. That's the date when stations can legally turn off all analog transmission (and therefore digital only) without any further requests in writing to the FCC. The FCC doesn't want every station in America pulling the plug on analog and firing up digital on the same day.
Once you get by that date, then you can worry about 2/17/09. That is the drop dead date when all high powered TV stations must shut off their analog signal and must broadcast only in digital.
I hope that has cleared it up for anyone who still might no understand the dates and what is happening. Let me know if you have any questions. If you need a converter box, get one, and get it early.
Take care
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