Cable Digital Tuner Clearing Up The DTV Confusion

Cable Digital Tuner Television stations across the country will be dropping theiranalog signal and going all digital next February. But do you knowwhat that means? Do you know if you'll have to make changes towatch your favorite TV shows? 3 On Your Side's Jim Donovan clearsup some of the confusion. Maybe you've seen the commercials which are a reminder that nextyear, television as we know it, will change. It's the digital TVtransition and it's occurring February 17th of next year, but why? The government has ordered television stations to switch to adigital signal because it has benefits. "Anyone with an older analog TV that has an outside antenna orrabbit ears who would normally receive an analog broadcast needs adigital converter box," said Knowles. But what does a converter box do? The box converts the digitalsignal into analog so you can watch your older set. That's becauseolder TV's don't have a digital tuner. But you won't need a converter box if you have cable. "Regardless of how you're connected to cable, whether it be througha set-top box or a direct connection into the back of the set, ifyou're connected to cable, you're covered for February 2009," saidJeff Alexander with Comcast Cable. That's because the cable company converts the signal for you. Ifyou have satellite TV, you won't need a converter box either. Finally, the where. You can get a digital converter box at manyretailers. The government is offering two $40 coupons perhousehold.