Myth #1: My TV will stop working after February 17, 2009.In almost all cases, no matter what type of set you have, the transition to a digital-only television broadcast system will not cause anyone's television to stop working. While it is true that TVs will no longer receive analog broadcasts from local stations (as they will have switched to digital broadcast formats), the TV itself will continue to operate normally. If you have a VCR, DVD player, game console, or other standalone source device, don't worry: These products will continue to work with your television. The only casualty will be analog tuner-only portable televisions that lack a video input (including many handheld TV devices).Myth #2: I need a new HDTV in order to watch a DTV broadcast. If you're a cable or satellite subscriber, you won't notice a thing when analog television broadcasting ceases. You can continue to use whatever television or other display device you're using now. For the folks who view free local TV via an antenna, the ability to receive and view digital broadcast television signals requires the use of a compatible digital tuner that's either built into the TV or a separate set-top box. Myth #3: The government's TV Converter Box Coupon Program has run out of money/coupons. The government's TV Converter Box Coupon Program Web site is still accepting new applications and will continue to distribute coupons until "the obligation ceiling is reached." Keep in mind that unredeemed coupons are recycled back into the program, so while it may take a longer time to process your request now compared with a few months ago, the program and coupons are still available (at this point). Myth #4: Using a converter box will allow me to watch HDTV. DTV is not the same thing as HDTV. While the DTV system encompasses standard- and high-definition video formats, HDTV (the video format) represents the highest-resolution video formats of the DTV system. That means you could have a situation wherein a new digital TV tuner box is connected to an old tube TV, and the digital tuner is receiving a local HD channel. In this case, the video signal is HD, the tuner sees it as HD, the TV station tells you the channel is being broadcast in HD, but the video signal is converted and sent to the old TV in the standard-definition format—as it should be for a screen that provides standard-definition resolution. For a true HD experience—regardless of whether you are a cable/satellite subscriber or you receive TV over-the-air using a DTV tuner—everything has to be HD-compatible, including the video material, the video cables connecting the gear, and the TV itself . Myth #5: There are no stations broadcasting digital television programming. As of this writing the National Association of Broadcasting lists 1,655 DTV stations currently in operation across 210 U.S. markets. (The U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are already broadcasting in digital.) Video quality, though, can vary a bit depending on the converter box you choose. In my experience, older DTV tuners lack the sensitivity of newer models, because increased tuner sensitivity typically improves DTV reception quality and/or enables the use of smaller/simpler antenna configurations. Zenith (now owned by LG) invented most of the DTV technology that we use today, so a Zenith/LG-branded DTV tuner (or off-brand using Zenith/LG hardware like Best Buy's Insignia NS-DXA1-APT ) typically outperforms other brands in terms of sensitivity (picking up weak signals). Samsung's DTV tuner products are also well regarded.

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