In February 2009, all full-power broadcast television stations in the U.S. will stop analog transmissions and begin broadcasting only in digital. Older televisions, especially those produced before March 2007, may not be able to decode the digital signals. The government is offering vouchers good for $40 toward the purchase of a converter box to retrofit older sets and prepare them for the switchover. Viewers who already receive cable or satellite signals won't need to readjust their sets for the digital transition.
Megan Pollock, senior manager of communications at the Consumer Electronics Association explains why the transition is happening and what viewers will need to do to keep up.
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