On February 17, 2009 all full-power broadcast television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and begin broadcasting only in digital. Digital broadcasting will allow stations to offer improved picture and sound quality and additional channels. Find out more about whether or not you will be impacted by the digital TV (DTV) transition.
http://www.dtv.gov/
Analog TVs Will Need Additional Equipment to Receive Over-the-air Television When the DTV Transition Ends
converter box imageConsumers who rely on antennas (including outside antennas and “rabbit ears”) to receive over-the-air broadcast signals on TV sets having only analog tuners will need to obtain separate digital-to-analog set-top converter boxes to watch over-the-air TV. These boxes receive digital signals and convert them into analog format for display on analog TVs. Analog sets connected to such converter boxes will display digital broadcasts, but not necessarily in the full, original digital quality.
Cable and Satellite TV
Cable subscribers may need new DTV equipment to view DTV programming in digital format. You should ask your cable provider what you will need and when.
Satellite subscribers may need new DTV equipment to receive and view high definition digital programming. You should ask your satellite company what you will need and when.
Analog TVs will continue to work with cable, satellite, VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, video games consoles and other devices for many years.
HiDef or HDTV, new LCD or Plasma TVs have nothing to do with digital TV.
The digital TV transition is for one purpose. To reclaim the UHF and VHF public airwaves for resale by the FCC to private telecommunications firms. Only broadcast TV carried over an antenna is affected. Cable is unaffected unless the cable company decides otherwise.