TV's Digital Transition Doesn't Have to Cause Headaches

The transition from analog to digital television may have inflicted more confusion on the American public than any other electronic upgrade in history. Only the small minority of Americans who rely on the public airwaves for TV need worry about getting ready for the digital transition and its three direct benefits: better picture and sound quality; such extra digital channels as the cultural and educational programs many public broadcasters air; and, with a compatible set, high-definition video and sound, all for free. Should you be among those viewers affected by the switch, you have two ways to keep watching TV: a new set with a digital tuner, or a digital converter box for your old set. (Not sure you own a digital set? You probably don't, but run its channel-search function to be sure.) A new flat-panel TV can let you watch high-def broadcasts for free and liberate a few cubic feet of space, but most converter boxes cost only $50 or $60.