will televisions all need to be digital within 3 years?
Sooner than 3 years — Closer to one year (February 17, 2009 to be exact). But to your question: Will televisions all need to be digital” by that date? No. What’s happening is that all television receivers with analog-only broadcast tuners will require a converter box after February 17, 2009 in order to receive free, over-the-air broadcasts with an antenna — because of the U.S.’s transition to digital broadcasting (Congress mandated this transition back in 1996) on that date. The good news is that analog-only TVs should continue to work as before with cable and satellite TV services. No converter required. So if you have cable or satellite and an analog TV, you won’t notice any difference (except perhaps a better picture). You will be able to enjoy the same programs you do now. If you use an antenna (free TV), however, you’ll need a converter box (around $40-$60). Again, this transition will only impact people relying on over-the-air broadcasts (with a roof-top antenna or “rabbit ears
