CONVERTER BOX - SOME DETAILS

The big day is getting closer! Just listen to the scare announcements on all of the TV networks and even the local stations. They have been pushed to do all of those commercials and even the weird crawl to let us all know that the television we are watching now will change in February of 2009. Well some of the things that you should know are not quite what they are telling everyone.
.
1. If you are on a cable system or use a satellite provider you Can ignore the rest of this for the next five years
2. All television sets will continue to work past that date.
3. You do not need to buy a new television set to see your local stations.
4. Some television stations will actually still be broadcasting in analog after February and if you happen to know that your area is serviced by a “low power” station those are the ones that are exempt from the conversion. I have only heard of one station that is planning on becoming a full power station at the time of the conversion. Most are just local stations that broadest recorded old shows and in some cases have joined to do religious programming.
5. The first converter boxes did not account for the stations that were staying on analog and you might need to check them currently to see if you will need to do anything special to see the low power stations easily
6. The way that you change channels on your set will change. You will need to use the remote that comes with the converter box and if you now have a universal remote it might not work with the converter box.

The world of television sets is very simple and the three types of sets all do have some advantages
1. CRT (Cathode Ray Tube)– This type of set is very old and it is based on a glass picture tube t adds all of the weight to the set and they are in most cases only available in standard definition with less lines of picture then on the high definition sets. Lowest in cost
2. Plasma – A set that uses the same gases that are in neon signs and change colors based on the amount of current that goes into the capsules of gas. These sets now can go up to 150 inches in size and have a half life (half life or when the TV set is not as bright) of about 15 years. These are the sets that produce the most heat from their pictures. The middle range of cost and a couple of hundred dollars less then the LCD.
3. LCD (liquid Crystal Display) – The set that comes on your cell phone and on sets that are all the way up to about 55 inches. These use a number of liquid crystal capsules that change depending on the electoral charge to show the colors. These sets can not only go high definition but are capable to go even higher in future sets. The best picture on these sets is programmed at about 30 years. The most expensive but also the one with the sharpest picture.
You need to see if saving money is what is important to you then the ability to have what is newest on the market. If all you want to do is see the basic TV picture then just get the converter box or upgrade to the CRT set with the digital tuner installed.

BEWARE OF WHAT YOU ARE OFFERED!
I fear that some people will see the bargain sets that some people still have and will end up with a set that only receives an analog signal. Remember that a set that is sold in the US must be able to receive a digital signal. If you are getting such a bargain then as you should know it is something that you should avoid. I do know that all of the people who I have talked to about the types of sets really do now know what they are buying.

Remember that if you need a converter box then before you go out to purchase the unit you should get the coupon that will give you $40. to use for your purchase. These coupons are only good for 90 days and will not be renewed or you can not get a refund on the $40. If you get the wrong converter. They are only good for the basic box. If a store does not have the box find another store that has them. The illustration
shows the places to get the coupon.