Beginning Feb. 18, 2009, all non-cable broadcast television stations will have switched from analog to digital format, requiring a converter box in order to watch on analog TV sets that rely on roof-top antennas or “rabbit ears,” according to an official Federal Communications Commission website.

If enacted tomorrow, the change would affect some 18.7 million households which only own analog TVs and of which own 44.2 million analog sets, according National Association of Broadcasters statistics.

The switch from analog to digital television, known as the digital TV (DTV) transition, began in 1996 when the U.S. Congress passed a bill authorizing the addition of a channel to each broadcast TV station. This was done so that a digital channel could be started while at the same time the original analog channel would continue to be used, according to the FCC website.

Consumers will need to purchase a converter box valued at $50 to $70 for each TV, VCR and other devices that have analog tuners, in order to receive service after the deadline. Those with older antennas that connect to TVs with two wires may also need to purchase an additional adapter, according to the FCC website.

The converter boxes won’t be available for purchase until January 1, 2008, but an FCC spokesperson said there will be enough converters in stores on that date.

“The Department of Commerce is working to make sure that stores will have enough converters by the deadline,” said Rosemary Kimble, director of media relations in consumer and governmental affairs for the FCC.

Electronics supplier Best Buy does not currently sell any analogue sets and hasn’t “publicly” done so for six months, according to Mag Pro specialist Eddy Bay.

Electronics supplier Circuit City does still have a couple analog sets for sale, but “not too many people buy them,” said store manager Rob Kruziki at the store’s Brookfield location.

Neither store knew when they would be getting the converter boxes in stock.

Since March 1, 2007, all TVs, VCRs, DVRs and gaming systems imported into the U.S. have been required by law to contain a digital tuner, which allows the digital service to work. Retailers are still allowed to sell the outdated analog TVs from already existing inventories, but a consumer alert label must be displayed prominently on or near the device, according to the FCC.

Starting January of 2008, every U.S. household will be eligible for two $40 coupons toward the converter boxes through a program administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

In addition to better picture and sound quality, other benefits of the DTV transition include interactive video and data services, “high definition” and “multiple standard definition digital programs, and “advanced commercial wireless services,” according to the FCC website.

For those wishing to get rid of old TVs and other electronic devices, there is a recycling program called myGreenElectronics that provides information about disposal options and helps consumers find local recycling programs, according to the FCC.

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