In this day of high definition television and LCD TVs, the mention of the word analog seems foreign and archaic. But the truth is, television sets were not required to be digital (and therefore not analog) until last year. In fact, you can still find analog televisions in stores today. So what is the big deal? Well analog TVs have analog receivers, and beginning February 2009 most television stations will stop broadcasting analog signals, and switch totally to digital signals.

For those who do not want to bury their analog set, there are other options. Some satellite carriers like DirecTV can broadcast digital signals into analog television sets, making satellite customers the only ones truly “safe” from the digital conversion. Many cable customers believe they will be safe from the analog to digital conversion, but the truth is they will only find a temporary solace in cable. The Federal Trade Commission says that by 2012, cable customers must also make the switch. Short of buying a new television, analog customers can buy a converter for $90-$110.

While making the switch is bound to become both pricy and annoying, the government is trying to help. They have offered $40 coupons on a first-come first-serve basis. The coupon application can be found at www.dtv2009.gov. Only a limited amount of these coupons will be offered, so don’t be surprised if you end up paying over $100 for a converter in 2009.