Do you need to buy a new digital TV before February 2009?

NO!!

Boy, this is such an opportunity for deception (see this article, 3/4 of the way down), and I don’t like deception.  The myth is out there — you need a new HDTV before February 2009.  The cable companies and TV stores, I’m sure, aren’t going to try too hard to talk you out of that thinking.  For the cable companies, they’d love to sell you their more expensive digital packages that require a box at each TV, and we all know what the retailers want.  Here’s the deal:

• If you have cable or satellite TV, nothing will change.  Comcast and the other cable companies will convert the digital signal from the broadcasters to analog and nothing will be different.  As Comcast in Pittsburgh has done in the past, cable companies will probably start taking away channels one-by-one for analog viewers to make you upgrade to digital cable boxes some day.
• If you have rabbit ears on your TV, you need to take action:
  • Visit dtv2009.gov to apply for your coupon
  • Here are two boxes that look decent: Radio Shack-Zenith/Wal-Mart-RCA