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Why is the FCC switching from analog signal to digital?

The reason it is happening is two fold: The obvious answer is that digital technology delivers a much improved television picture and sound. Less obvious, but just as important, is that converting to DTV will free up parts (bands) of the scarce and valuable analog broadcast spectrum. The analog spectrum will be returned to the government by television stations. This spectrum will go to public safety services so our police, fire and first responders can communicate more efficiently. In laymen’s terms, the government will have full control of the emergency broadcast system.

The second reason and the main money motivator as to why the government cooperated with the TV manufacturers is because they could sell 95% or more of the total analog band width to numerous companies offering advanced wireless services. The spectrum going to advanced wireless services is in such high demand that it will be auctioned off as opposed to sold, with the proceeds going to the U.S. Treasury. The proceeds are expected to me in the multi billions of dollars. FYI: Laws don’t get passed unless revenues can be generated.

Antenna based televisions will be a thing of the past.

Unlike “the Y2K” scare, the signal switch to digital is real. There is NOT a question of whether or not analog TVs will work when the FCC switch happens on February 17, 2008. A complete ‘switch off’ of the analog signal will be completed by 2012. After this date the converter box and the analog television will be obsolete.

Even with converter boxes people will be looking at reduced picture sizes with black borders or stretched horizontally with thick black space on the top and bottom of the screen. Additionally, the picture will not be as clear of a picture as we have been used to seeing. All of the above will be an inconvenience in viewing television as we know it unless consumers make the plunge with their pocket book to buy an HDTV.

Eventually people will replace all their analog TVs with Digital over the next 4-8 years. It is important to note that it only took the US consumers and business population 8 years to convert from the large CRT monitors to the flat screen LCD displays (1999-2007) for computers. Currently, everyone purchases computers with LCD displays only.

More information on the goverment mandated Digital TV Switch can be found at www.dtv.gov