Analog, digital and HDTV

I have DirecTv on a 27" RCA TV. Paid about $250 for it and it's probably about 4 years old. Do I have to switch to another TV in 02/09 when the analog TV signal is phased out or will my signal from the dish will still be able to pick up the signal?

So it will still work with the dish in 09?

I believe the DirecTV receiver is fed a digital signal, however depending on your TV it may not necessarily be in high definition though.

The thing to keep in mind is that High Definition TV is ALWAYS digital, however NOT all digital is high definition. The only concern is if you had no cable box or satellite provider. Then you'll need a tuner box to convert the signals...

Yes, it can be sort of confusing. I'd google these things and try to find a site that explains it in more detail. Also call DirectTV and see what they have to say. Unless your TV is HDTV, don't get an HD box. That'd be a waste of money.

for the info. Any other information would be great.

Here's a decent source of information:

http://www.dtv.gov/whatisdtv.html

No one will have to switch to another television when digital replaces analog. The only people who *might* want to are those who rely exclusively on over-the-air (via an antenna) broadcasts, and even in these circumstances, a digital decoder device will be available that translates the digital signal into analog for your older television, much the same people once had to purchase ohm converters to connect a coaxial cable to their televisions with two-pronged inputs for antennas.

If you have cable or satellite or some similar service nothing will change as far as you are concerned.

thanks for the url.

http://www.techiemoe.com/tech/hdtv.htm

Things I've Learned about HDTV
Introduction:

Recently (February 2007) I decided that I would take the plunge and replace my trusty 6-year-old, 21-inch Sony Trinitron Wega for a new set. Naturally my first thoughts went to an HDTV, since they're the newest technology out there. Unfortunately I, much like the general public (along with a sad number of electronics store employees) didn't really know all that much about the technology. Before I plunked down a good chunk of cash I thought it best to do some research. The following article outlines what I learned along the way. I hope it is of use to someone out there.

::UPDATE:: I was purposefully vague in my descriptions of some of the technologies involved in HDTV, but if you're interested in learning more detailed information, I recommend this site:
The HDTV Infoport

The manufacturers of HDTVs want people to buy them. That's no surprise. They also want people to buy them NOW, which again is no surprise. What's surprising is that not one of these companies has yet to release any good literature on WHY consumers should buy or even care about buying an HDTV, much less what to do with them once they buy them. I had to do a lot of digging online and resort to old-fashioned trial-and-error for a lot of this information. This is what I've found out.

snip