At our KBVR-TV staff meeting this week a disagreement arose concerning the digital television conversion. We agreed that television is converting to all digital, but some of us thought that meant all high definition. So when I got home, I did a little digging to set things straight.
According to NAB’s dtvanswers.com,
“DTV is an innovative new type of broadcasting technology that delivers movie-quality pictures and sound, more channels, and even high definition television (HDTV) to consumers with HD television sets.”
How I interpret this is that HD is digital, but digital isn’t necessarily HD. According to the quiz on the FCC’s DTV site (which looks awful, by the way), HDTV can be viewed on a standard definition (SD) set; it just won’t look as good as would on an HD set. However, after February 17th, 2009, a converter box will be needed to view anything new on an SDTV. To get a converter box, you can apply for a government-funded voucher online, or talk to your cable/satellite company to see if they already have your back.
So if you’re really into hi-res, quality picture, get an HDTV. Prices are coming down, and you should be able to get at least a few years of use out of it before the next great thing hits. If you just want to make sure you can still watch your stories on your 13″ TV, get a converter box and relax.
You can trust me. I’m a DTV deputy.
