Mark this date: February 17, 2009

The end of an era is soon upon us. TV as we know it will be turned off on February 17, 2009, according to a new law signed by Bush. All broadcasters in the US must switch to 100% digital TV by that date. Old TV that only pick up analog transmissions will no longer be able to find a station. Here is the story and here is the FAQ. If you want to still use your old TV, you'll have to buy a converter. This is certainly a win for Big Media and Big Electrionics Manufacturers. The little guy will have to foot the bill on their conversion. Why can't they just let the market decide how fast to switch to DTV?