Are You Ready for the Analog to Digital Television Transition?

The upcoming digital television transition has managed to create both commotion and confusion in consumers not only in North America, but in other countries that have announced similar changes in their broadcasting technologies. Most consumers have come to believe that every television set needs a digital to analog receiver or they will not work, a statement that is far from correct. As of today, there are four leading types of television sets if we categorize them by their broadcast receiving capabilities.

1) Analog or Conventional

These are the classic television sets that are present in the vast majority of homes across that globe. If this is the case, a digital to analog converter box is required in order to continue to receive over the air broadcasts.

2) SDTVs

SDTV stands for Standard Definition Television. The vast majority of products that are labeled as SDTV can decode digital signals requiring no external add on devices to continue watching on air broadcasts. If you own one of these, look for a button on the remote or in the television sets front panel for anything that says DTV. If it does, you are safe. This means that your television set is able to decode both analog and digital signals. You are able to change what signal you want to receive by pressing the DTV button.

3) HDTVs that Do Not Have a Built in Digital Tuner

These type of HDTVs often go by the name of high definition monitors because they cannot receive signals that are broadcast by air on their own and only work if you connect them to something like an HDTV tuner, BLU-RAY or the decoder box of a paid service like cable or satellite TV. In this case, it is better to subscribe to a paid service if you're currently not or, consider a digital HDTV tuner to be able to watch on air high definition signals that a regular digital to analog receiver will not decode.

4) HDTVs that Have a Built in Digital Tuner

These ones are often labeled by consumers as integrated HDTVs. They have a built in digital tuner that is capable to decode both types of digital signals, either HD or SD.

In summary, those who need a digital to analog converter box are those who want to watch local on air broadcasts in their old analog television sets or, they have a high definition television set that does not have an internal or external tuner and are not subscribed to a digital televisions service like Directv or satellite tv. Subscribers of any paid service that are not interested in on air broadcasts do not need a digital to analog receiver at all.