It will depend on the capabilities of the box, but you should definitely be able to purchase one for under $75. They generally cost anywhere between $40-$60. You can buy a digital converter box at any electronic appliance store like Radio Shack. The Federal Government was offering a coupon program that allowed you to get a reduced cost converter box, but it seems they have now run out of coupons. Q: What do I need for my analog television set to receive digital transmissions?ĭS: You would need a digital converter box. If your TV is older than 10 years, it is probably an analog set.
You don’t need a digital converter box for this, but you would have had to purchase a digitally ready television set within the last few years. Over the past few years, the industry has developed over-the-air, digital television transmissions. After 1992 manufacturers began to offer ‘cable-ready’ television sets, which are actually merely analog TVs that work with analog cable. Q: Most of the TVs that are out there today are analog?ĭS: Until 1998, most television sets were analog only - and many of them are still being used today. It’s not as versatile as a digital TV transmission, provided you can get a good signal into your receiver. 30, in room 309 of the Engineering and Architecture Building, from 12:40-1:30 p.m.ĭS: Analog is a 60-plus-year-old technology that has basically lasted the test of time, but doesn’t really allow more advanced services, such as additional channels and information using the existing the broadcast spectrum.
Silage will also host an on-campus demonstration of how to prepare for this conversion on Friday, Jan. Temple University electrical and computer engineering Professor Dennis Silage, an expert in both analog and digital communications, has answered some questions about this digital TV transition and what it will mean for consumers. 17 the long-awaited switch from analog to digital broadcasting will take place and millions of analog television sets across the nation will go black.