Gone are the days when bulky television sets with crappy reception from a TV antenna is something that most homeowners needed to suffer through. With the switch from analog to high definition television or HDTV broadcasting which occurred in mid-2009, you can now enjoy better picture and sound quality, especially with the larger resolution high definition TV displays.
A Brief Look at the Transition from Analog to HDTV Broadcasting
So why was there a need to switch from analog to HDTV broadcasting in the first place? Unless you are paying an arm and a leg for cable or satellite television subscription, you would know just how unreliable over-the-air receptions are.
Fortunately, there was a digital television revolution which occurred in 1996. What makes this form of broadcasting preferable over the traditional analog type is that more frequencies will be freed up; the picture and sound quality that all television sets are receiving will greatly improve; and it will give viewers a generally better HDTV viewing experience.
The interesting part is that contrary to cables and satellite TV, over-the-air HDTV broadcasts are virtually free, and can be received with a simple television antenna with some additional inexpensive accessories.
How to Get Free Over-the-Air HDTV
So what exactly do you need to do in order to prepare yourself to enjoy HDTV-quality viewing? First, you need to check whether your TV set has an analog or digital TV tuner. There’s no problem at all if you have a digital TV tuner – it will be ready to receive the HDTV signals. On the other hand, if you have an analog TV tuner, you would need to purchase a converter box which will essentially convert the signals transmitted by the TV stations, so that your TV set will be ready to receive it.
The good thing about the switch is that those who already own digital television sets will get to enjoy high-definition television viewing simply from their TV antenna reception. Meanwhile, those who have analog TV sets will notice a clearer and better picture and sound quality, as a result of the switch from analog to digital transmission.
Choosing a TV antenna can be tricky. Antenna choice depends very much on location, available channels in the area, and even terrain and surrounding buildings. To maximize over-the-air television experience one better consult an expert when choosing an antenna. There is also a tv antenna video guide on YouTube that provides insight into the antenna selection process:
So What are the Results of the HDTV Transition?
When you make a huge move like this which affected the entire nation, you are bound to receive mixed feedbacks. However, based on surveys, more than half of the households in the US feel positive that their TV viewing experience has been improved with the HDTV transmission that their TV sets are receiving for free using an off-air antenna.
Despite the delays and the fact that some households needed to purchase and install a converter box in order for their TV sets to receive the new digital signals – it seems as if the transition has made their TV viewing experience improve for the better.