On Feb. 17, 2009, television stations -- including WYFF 4-- will begin broadcasting only in digital format.

The question is, "Will you be ready?"

Electronics retailers, such as Best Buy in Greenville, would love to sell you a new digital TV.

"The picture qualities much better, and there's surround sound you can now get and pump through a surround sound system," said Best Buy Associate Rick Simms.

But the fact is, you won't need a new television to receive the digital signal that is headed our way.

"If you have an analog television connected to cable TV, the transition doesn't really mean anything to you," said Doug Durkee, Director of Broadcast Operations at WYFF News 4.

He said old analog TVs connected to cable or satellite will work the same next year as they do now, with no changes or upgrades required.

So, which television watchers need to take action?

"People that have a television that receives via an antenna -- whether that be a simple set of rabbit ears or a roof-mounted antenna -- those are the people that are going to be affected in February of 2009," Durkee said.

Again, only people with analog TVs who receive their signal over the air using an antenna will lose signal. That's because television stations -- including WYFF 4 -- will no longer transmit analog from their towers.

"It's not doing away with all analog television. It's doing away with all over-the-air analog television," Durkee said.

But even that is easily remedied by connecting the TV and antenna to a digital converter box.

Consumers can get two boxes for next to nothing with special coupons from the government worth $40 each when applied toward the purchase of a converter box.

Without one, the old-fashioned method of getting a signal will have some people channel-surfing for a very long time.

"On Feb. 18, you're going to wake up, you're going to turn that TV set on, and all you're going to see is snow. There won't be any signal there at all," Durkee said.

Links:

Frequently Asked Questions from the FCC: www.fcc.gov

TV converter box coupon program: www.dtv2009.gov