New TV standard

We keep hearing/reading about the new TV standard that will make everything HD in a year or so.

Does that mean we will need some gadget on our TV lines when we hook up to the cable in the campgrounds??? Or, does the main TV hook-up that sends the signal out to the sites already do that ?? Or do we all need new TV's ??? Or some other answer ?? M44

If you're using cable TV or Satellite TV you'll have no problems and need to do nothing.

If you're using an antenna to obtain over the air signals from a local station then you'll need a converter box. Such are currently a bit hard to find but should be really easy to find this fall.

Having said that, with the switch to digital you may want to look at upgrading to a HD TV anyway just because of the better picture.

Hope this helps.

Dave

Starting Feb 09 it's not that TVs will be HD but they'll need to be able to receive digital signals. If you're on cable or sat then you won't need anything. If you are receiving your signal direct via an antenna then you'll either need a new TV that receives digital signals or get a converter box. The boxes are costing about $50-$60. However, because the government is forcing the switch over to all digital the government (Dept of Commerce) is giving away coupons for up to $40 for converter boxes. Limit 2 coupons per address. The coupons are just starting to be mailed out. Here's where you can get the coupons:
www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/index.html
Click the red TV or call the 1-888-number.

You're right, the change over is not to HD but to digital TV. Once you order your coupons from the government website it takes about six weeks to get them. They are only good for 90 days from the date the government mails them to you. I got mine a couple of weeks ago and then purchased my two converter boxes at Circuit City. You actually don't get coupons from the government but they are more like gift cards. You then use them just like a credit card. Each card is worth $40 toward the purchase of the boxes. I priced the converters at both Best Buy and Circuit City. They are $59.99 wherever you buy them.

You are only allowed two discounts cards per household. I needed two converters for my stick house and will need one or two more for the coach. Since I've got two for the house I guess I'll have my parents order two. They are living in an assisted living center and have both a digital TV and cable. Not sure if I can get by with one on the coach and hook it up where the antennae comes into or will need one for each TV. I can then use their cards to get two more converters for the coach. I have not opened the box the converters came in but it shows that they come with there own remote controls.

Great, another remote -- we now have one for the TV, and one for the cable box, and one for the stereo surround, and now we'll have four !!! None of them do everything, so you need all of them sitting beside you whenever you want to do something ... getting pretty annoying for us "tech stupid" people --

Someday, all I'd want to do is turn the TV on and have it work ... without a remote for each thing it does ... now, the TV people are trying to sell me the recorder and watch whenever you want kinda set up ... one more remote -- pretty soon we'll need a wheelbarrow to carry them around.

LD here. If you travel with a laptop(no internet connection required)you can buy a thing called Win TV for about $55 at circuit city or amazon. It plugs into a USB port and comes with an antennae(we use rabbit ears with a co-ax connector). It also has the needed software to pull signal out of the air-EVEN HD!!We plugged it in, scanned for signals and got the HD signal from all the locals(and a few we didn't know existed due to not getting them via 'Dish')all for about the price of that box they are giving coupons for. Being a 'gizmo' fanatic, this will work even at home if we lose power(it's Florida after all)and since the 'new' box still needs power to run and the generaor has other priorities, AND as long as Mr D remembers to keep the laptop battery charged, we can still get the locals for weather and shows.