Two Years And Counting.

Broadcasting & Cable, November, 2006 by Dickson, Glen; Eggerton, John

By Glen Dickson and John Eggerton

The clock is ticking for analog conversion and the hi-def revolution

The eventual success of high-definition television (HDTV) rides on the country's conversion to digital TV (DTV). Last December, when Congress voted to set Feb. 17, 2009, as the hard date for turning off analog TV broadcasts and completing the switch to DTV in the U.S., it set a finish line for the long slog that has been the digital transition. But local broadcasters, network executives and Beltway insiders all say the home stretch of this marathon will be a steep climb.

Since most digital sets sold now and in the future will be capable of providing HDTV, the analog-to-digital conversion is vital to the adoption of hi-def....