Next year we will have all Digital....

I have a question about next February having to either buy a HD TV or need a converter in order to see TV at all. I have a VCR and loads of tapes, I tape quite often if there are two programs on at the same time, I watch one and tape another so I don't miss anything. Will I still be able to use my VCR when I get the converter. Any electricians here who would know or your signifcant others.

I thought it was only free to air tv that was getting turned off for non-HD, not all channels?

And you should still be able to use your VCR - it'll still tape what you see on tv.

well if you are buying an hdtv or a diigital box, most will havve a built in hard drive, which means you can instantly record any other prog at the push of a button. VCR is dead.

I still use mine LOL

As we move forward with more digital distribution, the media itself will be a whole lot less prevalent, and all your videos and such will be stored on drives instead of bulky tapes or scratchable CD/DVDs.

Anyone with cable, satellite has nothing to worry about. If you are still using bunny ears and an old tv, you might need a converter box which the government will help you pay for. Most people do not own a tv old enough that it only gets analog programming.

http://www.dtv.gov/

which gives me hope This is verbatim of what I read.

What about my VCR, DVD player, camcorder, and gaming console? Will I be able to use them with a digital television set?

Yes. Digital television sets are “backward compatible,†meaning existing analog equipment (VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, video games, etc.) will work on digital TV sets. However, their video will only be displayed in the maximum resolution that is available with each analog product. Manufacturers are producing a number of different connectors to hook equipment together and improve picture and sound quality when DTVs are used with existing analog equipment. Check with your retailer to determine the types of connectors that will work with your equipment.

So we will be able to use our VCR's etc, great news.

Yup, it's just the way that the air waves come into your TV only if you use rabbit ears antenna.

From my understanding the analog airwaves are being reassigned for the cell phone spectrum...or it has something to do because of the cell phone spectrum. I first heard about it last February from a student that worked for the local TV station. So memory is fuzzy...