After a four-month delay, TV stations will no longer broadcast in analog starting Friday. Gainesville residents should be ready for the switch to digital broadcasting, said City of Gainesville spokesman Bob Woods.
The digital switch is old news for television viewers at this point, Woods said.
Devon Chestnut, public affairs specialist for Cox Central Florida, said the change will not affect cable and satellite TV customers, even if they have analog TV sets. In fact, the conversion should pass without notice for many, he said.
Chestnut said that TV sets made before 1998 might not have a built-in digital receiver and will require a converter box or subscription to a cable or satellite service.
Digital broadcasting provides improved pictures and sound quality and frees up airwaves for other types of communication, according to DTV.gov.
Some of the frequency spectrum made available by the switch will be auctioned to companies to provide advanced wireless services such as wireless broadband, according to the Web site.
The switch, originally scheduled for Feb. 17, was delayed because many broadcasters did not prepare for the all-digital switch, and the 13 million people who still used analog televisions were unprepared, Chestnut said.
