On February 17th, 2009, the government mandated changeover from analog to digital broadcasting will be completed. What does this mean for you? Well, it might not mean anything if you already have an HDTV, but if you don't, it means you'll need to get a converter box for the signals. Read on for more information about the conversion and a link to the Digital Converter Box Coupons. . .

What does this all mean? First off digital television, or DTV, is a new and improved way of broadcasting and viewing television. By transmitting the sound and picture of television through digital data information, digital broadcasts facilitate television transmissions with dramatically higher picture resolutions and drastically improved sound quality than the current standard analog broadcasts. The differences between analog and digital television are profound; with DTV offering a sound and visual experience much much more realistic and detailed than analog. DTV also allows for "multicasting," which is essentially the simultaneous transmission of many standard definition TV programs at the same time, in a quality comparable to the sharpest and clearest television pictures possible today through analog broadcasts. Basically, you get a large increase in your viewing options and the quality of the sound and images you'll be viewing.

Now that we've established what digital tv is, what does this mean for you?

If you have an analog television (you recieve signals through an antenna/rabbit ears or do not have an HDTV, you will need a converter box to receive and transform broadcast DTV signals into the viewable format for your television.

If you are currently using your analog TV set with cable or satellite, it will continue to function normally with your cable box serving the same purpose as a converter box. However, it should be noted that even when using a converter box with an analog television, you will be missing out on a lot of what DTV can offer, namely the full extent of the image and sound quality. In order to fully take advantage of all DTV offers, one must have their own DTV set. Also, subscribers to cable and satellite services who plan on still using their analog televisions after the changeover should contact their service providers to make sure that they will be able to properly receive signals after the changeover as you may need a new cable box or satellite receiver from your provider.

If you are interested in upgrading to a new television to take full advantage of the changeover from analog to digital, you'll find that there are a few noticeable differences. First, most DTV's have rectangular screens that allow for a widescreen viewing experience not unlike a movie theater screen. Also, digital televisions are currently still more expensive than their analog counterparts. However, their prices have been dropping steadily and will likely continue to do so over time.

Converter Box Coupons: DTV converted boxes are in stores now. Since this changeover was mandated by an act of the government, they have offered to help cover the costs of the converter boxes. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is issuing up to two converter box coupons valued at $40 each per household. The coupons must be redeemed within three months of receipt and cannot be combined to purchase a single converter box should the converter box cost more than $40. Interested consumers can download a coupon application at Click here or call 888-388-2009. The hearing impaired can call 877-530-2634 for English or 866-495-1161 for Spanish. More information about the DTV converter box coupon program is available at Click here