Converting to digital television

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (Newschannel 3) - The nation is getting ready to go digital, and the way your TV signal travels to your home may soon be changing.

On February 17, 2009, all stations will switch from broadcasting in analog format to digital.

While this doesn't affect people who have cable or satellite TV, if you use an antenna, you're going to need a digital converter box.

And to help answer any questions or quell any concerns, the DTV Roadshow is traveling across the country.

"If you're in an area that's further away from the TV stations antennas, you usually get a really snowy fuzzy picture," said Latrice Griffin with the DTV Roadshow crew. "With digital, you're either going to get it or you're not, and if you get it, it will be a clear picture. "What I tell most people is that picture quality is going to be very similar to watching that of a DVD."

So will the new digital picture have those black bars on top and bottom - or at the sides - when you watch on an old TV?

"With some programming you will see the letterboxing," said Griffin. "If you're watching an analog TV right now, a lot of your TV programs are letterboxed, because the digital formate is rectangular, and the analog format is square."

And whether you get letterboxing of any type can depend on the TV program.

"There are a lot of stations that are still broadcasting analog, or if you're watching a syndicated show, those shows weren't shot in digital format," said Griffin. "So if you're watching that on a digital TV, you'll have the letterbox on the sides."

The DTV Roadshow will be in Comstock Park at Walmart from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

If you have additional questions about the conversion to digital, you can find links on the topic on our homepage at www.wwmt.com.