Old TVs to follow typewriters to dustbin under US Senate bill

0 Comments | AFP, December, 2005

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Old television sets, still used in about 40 percent of US households, are likely to be banished to the dustbin of history three years from now under a budget bill passed by the US Senate.

The bill, which for the first time establishes that US broadcasters will switch from current analog transmissions to digital ones on February 17, 2009, is certain to result in a windfall for the electronics industry and the government.

The digital signal will help deliver a much sharper image and better sound, and will help high-definition television sets -- available in most US electronics stores -- realize their full potential, according to industry officials.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton sought to assuage concerns, saying...