Why is the government making all TV stations go Digital?

Question

Why is the government making all TV stations go Digital?

Answer 1

Going digital allows more signals to travel in the same space currently being used.

Answer 2

digital is faster and cheaper, and requires less energy.....not to mention a much better signal, in my opinion analog should of been out of use 5 years ago....

Answer 3

That's a really loaded question with no one-size-fits-all answer.

1. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and other industry groups actually asked the FCC to consider a modern system.  Analog TV has been around since the 1930s and it really was time to scrap it and start over.

2. Congress and the FCC discovered that "spectrum fees" and auctions could turn into a viable revenue stream.  Therefore, by freeing up spectrum, they could auction it off for profit and then charge the "winner" annual fees for use of the spectrum.  The transition to digital allowed them to move all the stations closer and free up spectrum (not because digital takes less space, but because the stations would have to change channels during the transition).  After February 2009, channels 2-4 and 53+ will no longer be used for TV.

3.  The newer technology allows for more services that the old analog system would not support like "sub-channels", interactive TV, surround sound and High Definition.

Digital is also a better system, despite the "growing pains" of the transition.

Here is a history of the transition http://www.dtvprimer.com/timeline.html

I hope this helps.  Please return and select a Best Answer from all of those submitted.

Answer 4

it is better than analog and you will be able to see channel in high definition