The Analog to Digital Transition
The Analog to Digital TV Transition is a change from old style analog television broadcasting to new digital broadcasting.
The free television programming transmitted from TV stations across the nation is also known as over-the-air broadcasting.
This transition ONLY affects over-the-air TV broadcast/reception.
Moving from analog to digital TV is the most significant change in television since the NTSC standard for color TV was introduced in 1953.
In 2005, Congress passed legislation requiring over-the-air TV stations to turn off their analog channels on June 12, 2009.
By law, all full-power U.S. television stations ended their analog broadcasts, and began broadcasting in digital format only on June 12, 2009.
Low Power TV Stations are exempt from the transition
The transition to digital television has become a reality.
What does that mean to you?
Digital Television (DTV) is an advanced broadcasting technology that gives you movie quality pictures and sound, more channels, and even free high definition television (HDTV) IF you have a HD television set.

Analog is also susceptible to “snow” that makes the picture less clear. That isn't a problem with digital TV. However, the reason for the change from analog to digital goes far beyond that.
Basically, analog is not as efficient as digital TV, it uses up a lot more of the valuable *Broadcast Spectrum than digital transmissions.
* The Broadcast Spectrum is the airwave space that TV Stations are licensed to broadcast on.
TV stations can only transmit one channel of programming at a time with an analog signal versus up to four or more programs with a digital signal in the same amount of spectrum. This is known as
"multicasting"
. Now broadcasters will be able to offer more choices of programming, including high definition (HD).
Cutting out the analog portions of the broadcasting spectrum will free up areas that will be used for two important purposes:
It will be given to our nation’s firefighters and police, to better communicate during emergencies.
The remaining spectrum will be auctioned off to provide innovative wireless broadband services to consumers.
Digital TV technology can also be used for interactive video and data services, such as enhanced
closed-captioning
and games that are not possible with traditional analog technology.
EZ Tip: Don’t be confused about the transition. It is important to understand that the change from analog to digital transmission is not a change from analog to high definition. The change is to digital broadcasting which also includes high definition.
Digital broadcasting allows for high definition, but you don’t have to have a high definition TV to watch digital television.
Digital broadcasting includes standard definition, enhanced definition and high definition formats.
Click here for more information on Digital TV Formats
If you want to watch high definition, you must have a high definition capable television.
Return from Analog to Digital Transition to EZ Digital TV Home Page
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