Definition of a Digital-to-Analog Converter

With the national broadcasting digital switchover taking place on June 12, 2009, more and more questions are being asked about just what it all means. Will I need a converter box? What will happen to my old TV? Will I still be able to receive TV with just an antenna and no cable service? Use this article as a guide to learn about the digital-to-analog converter box.

Setup

A digital-to-analog converter box hooks into your television in the same way any peripheral device would. You connect the box to your TV using standard component yellow, white and red video and audio cables. If you don't have cable or satellite internet service you can plug a digital antenna into the back of the digital-to-analog converter box via the coaxial input and receive broadcasts that way.

Misconceptions

People seem to misunderstand who needs a digital-to-analog converter box. If your television is hooked up to cable or satellite television service providers, you don't need the converter. The cable box you got from your provider is doing the same job that a digital-to-analog converter box would, so getting a converter is unnecessary.

Digital Switchover

A government-mandated change in the way television signals are broadcast happens on June 12, 2009, in the United States. Television stations will stop broadcasting analog signals and turn to the much more complicated but higher quality digital signals. Televisions purchased in the last few years (all LCD and plasma sets, for example) include built-in digital tuners and do not require a digital-to-analog converter box.

Function

The digital-to-analog converter box receives the digital television signal by way of an attached antenna. It then converts the signal back into an old-fashioned analog one that can be displayed by your television. The conversion happens instantly and results in little to no delay when watching live broadcasts.

Benefits

Digital broadcasting offers a number of benefits over traditional analog broadcasting. A digital signal can hold much more information than an analog one could, which results in dramatically better image and sound quality.

References

• DTV.gov: What You Need to Know About the Digital TV Transition