it won't be mainstream and old tv's will work just fine, you just won't get the new stuff. no way all the old cable systems out there are going to be converted to the digital. it will be just like it is today when there is a digital signal offered as well (usually in the 13.1 or 13.2 after the analog 13) but you won't get the digital one since your tv can't decode it. older tv's won't be obsolete and everyone can stop worrying about it. a 30 year old cable system can't be converted overnight. I use to be a cable tv technician and trust me, there are some ancient systems in the rural communities that just recently started getting local weather from the weather channel. the digital signal will be an addition, not the exclusive. for people who go out and buy a new dtv or hdtv it will be great but those who don't have them will still be able to use their older sets. nearly all sets sold today have digital decoders built in, but not all. oh, btw, the good old CRT, or tube set still delivers the best picture quality in hi-def or analog. nothing matches it's refresh rate or scanning abilities.

if you note, they keep pushing this date back. it used to be february 2006 that everything was going digital. I'll believe it when I see it. I still think this "site" is a utopianesque site setup by the government. It just isn't as easy to do this as they make it sound. people in the country with antennas who depend on "off-air" reception will be left out in the cold if this full conversion does take place. Farmer John isn't going to bo out and buy a new set or pay for a set-top box. Something's got to give. They've been spinning their wheels on this for a while and nothing tells me that they won't keep doing just that. Either way, let's not tell people they have to buy new tv's. a set-top box in the old sets will keep them online but I just don't see it happening. I'm a skeptic and believe things when I see them.