 Everything
You Ever Wanted
to Know About Televisions
... but didn’t know to ask
by Mary Anne Cole
Back in the 1950s, when a television in the living room was a status symbol, the small, flickering black-and-white sets were proudly displayed as part of the furniture. Set into stylish cabinets, the television became the modern fireplace, the focal point of the living room. As the sets became larger and bulkier, and watching television as a leisure activity declined in status, televisions disappeared into entertainment centers disguised as armoires. Now, however, televisions are making a comeback: Not only are whole rooms devoted to home theaters, but the lowly living room set has become part of the d8Ecor again.
Even if you’ve resisted the move to digital television, the time will come shortly when you’ll have little choice but to replace your old analog televisions if you want to watch local channels using an antenna. President Bush signed the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act in February 2006, which gave February 17, 2009, as the final date for analog
television broadcasts. This means, on February 18, 2009, there will no longer be broadcast signals that our old analog televisions can pick up. In just a bit over two years, we’ll have to have a digital television or install an external digital-to-analog converter on each of our analog television televisions to view digital broadcasts, but picture quality will not be high-definition. If you have cable or satellite service, the service will convert the new digital signal to analog for you, just as it does today.
So it’s a good time to think about converting to digital, if you haven’t already, to take advantage of the amazing range of television setups that can enhance your viewing while fitting gracefully into your living room décor.
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