If you watch with an antenna and have an older TV...

Get a Digital TV converter box.

If you watch TV by using "rabbit ears" or an outside antenna, then you must take action to keep watching after the switch to digital-only broadcasting.

You do not need to get rid of your old (analog) TV set. You can keep watching by using a Digital TV converter box -- a stand-alone device, about the size of a paperback book, which allows your antenna to receive and convert digital signals into a format that analog televisions can display.

Depending on how you use your TV, the converter box will plug into the front or back of your television set. The converter box does not need to be the same brand as your television, and you should be able to install the box yourself using the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

Buying a Converter Box

Digital-to-analog converter boxes retail for around $40 to $70 at consumer electronics stores, department stores and on the Web. To learn more about how you can get a coupon to help cover the cost of a converter box, check out our coupon page.

You will need one digital-to-analog converter box for each TV set or other device (such as a VCR) that only has an analog tuner. The converter box basically replaces the analog tuner in one piece of equipment. For more on how to setting up your VCR, read our VCR page.

Antenna information

You will still need an antenna, which now connects to the converter box. In most cases, connecting your existing antenna to the converter box will deliver a Digital TV picture. You may need to adjust the antenna or its location.

Some viewers may need to upgrade their antennas to maximize Digital TV reception. Visit our antenna page for more information on antennas.