Best Buy, one of the top US electronics retailers, has decided to stop the sale of Analog Televisions and will continue with Digital only. They are the first to make such a move and have already begun removing Analog Televisions sets from their shelves since the beginning of October.
This, of course, marks the end of an era. Just like VCRs have slowly seen their way off the retailers shelves, so do Analog Televisions. This doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise as more and more consumers are purchasing digital TV’s with flat panels and high-definition screens.
While Cable operators are required to guarantee broadcasting of channels until February 2012, actual broadcasters will stop Analog transmissions on February 18th, 2009 (3 years earlier). So how does this affect the 60 million households still relying on antennas or Analog cable? Now consumers have to either upgrade to Digital Televisions or purchase converter boxes to convert Digital signals to Analog.
In the beginning of the upcoming New Year, consumers will be able to purchase these converter boxes. They will actually be offered two, $40 coupons for the purchase of these boxes, and Best Buy will also begin selling coupon-eligible ones in early 2008.
Just like the days of the VCRs and Cassette Tapes, so are the Analog days coming to an end. Who ever thought that the Analog TV days we have all grown up with will end!
Thinking of the Analog Television, I promise to remember the many fun times we had together: how the TV antenna had to be adjusted frequently in order to get a better picture, the increasing times that a hit on the top of the set would improve the visual, and the number of family members it took to carry the Television from the car into the house.
Analog TV! You will not be forgotten! Thank you for being such a big part of our lives and the wonderful memories!
Via: Msn Money, Picture by jonasbrofan
