In 16 months it will not matter as the analog TV transmitters will all
be turned off permanently. I've been using digital TV for almost 4
years now and I can't imagine dealing with NTSC ever again -- and I
work in a video post house. True, no tape based VCRs but certainly
recorders based on hard disks of which I have 3 units (PCs), often all
3 running to capture HD shows for later - MUCH later as in next
summer. No reruns at our house.

No ghosts, smears, ringing, noise (except for film grain), 5.1 audio.
Bulk storage? I'm using 500 gig USB drives ($110 Fry's) to hold
archived shows -- about 120 42 minute shows in HD (commercials
removed) per drive. 4 times that in std def. 20 years ago Bill Gates
told us TV would be centered on PCs and I thought he was full of it. I
was wrong. Time to take the plunge - the water's great.

GG



I quit watching TV alltogether years ago and don't miss that waste of time,
however for millions of consumers the changeover will be quite a hassle.
Even if the converter boxes are cheap, you still need a new antenna and
those aren't, nor is installing one trivial for everyone. Cable and satelite
customers will essentially be unaffected, but there's a lot of people in
rural areas throughout the country who don't have that luxury.