The Great HD TV Switchover

[armandv]

[The Shadow]

Neato! Interesting to read folks first-hand accounts regarding the switch-over. I'm on cable so I didn't have to worry about a converter box -- I did get a new CRT [old style] television late last year that has the new tuner built-in already so if I ever go without cable/satellite I'm all set.

Just one little technical detail about your blog post though [and surprisingly it's a fairly common misconception]. The switch over was from analog to digital television signals, not a switch to High Definition [HD just relates to the resolution of the T.V. rather than the signal it receives].

I think the confusion of the digital signal switch-over and HD is due, in part, to retailers having shifted to primarily selling HDTVs over the last few years. These newer HDTVs do have the digital tuners, which has been a selling point for many a HDTV even though its still possible to get older style TVs [that still uses a tube] that have digital tuners. And as in your cast Armandv -- all people who get TV over the air really need is the converter box for their existing sets to continue picking up broadcasts.

[Brick Side]

Like Shadow said, it's digital switch-over and not HD... although it's just one step closer to eventually going all HD. Probably won't happen for many more years, but I could see a detector system in place that will determine whether you can view the HD or SD channel.

Anyway, my family got some converter boxes and have had lots of trouble. Some channels are blacked out, and the cable company doesn't seem to know what's going on. Go figure!

[armandv]

[Tom R VanSlambrouck]