Well, the costs of a tube TV are greater than just the initial purchase price. There is the cost of feeding the beast -- tubes use much more electricity than LCD/plasma screens. Over the life of the product, you could spend much more on a tube TV than an LCD/plasma screen.

As for whether this will happen, I think it will. I suspect that technology and marketing will rise to the challenge, though, with inexpensive set-top boxes or maybe even devices which plug in to your cable or antenna outlet to convert the signal and make it available to any TV connected to that new box. TV people know there is a huge number of "analog" TVs still out there and that hardly anyone will go out and replace them all in the next year or so. People certainly are not going to stop watching TV! :-)

It also is quite likely that the prices of LCD and plasma screens will continue to go down -- I bought an LCD monitor for my computer five years ago (which still is working quite nicely, BTW); I can now buy a monitor twice the size, with greater resolution, for the same price.

As an owner of 2 HDTVs, I sure hope it happens! :) Once you experience the magic of HD, you'll start to stop watching certain channels just because they aren't HD. I always check what is on the HD channels before I even consider watching non-HD. The difference is THAT drastic. I may sound like a 'snob' to these without HD, but those that have it know what I'm talking about.

That being said, it's not like getting a receiver to convert the signal for an analog TV is that big of a deal. Millions of people already have a cable receiver. Millions of people have a satellite receiver. Millions of people have an HD receiver to receive over-the-air broadcasts (possibly combined with their satellite receiver). Needing a receiver to watch TV is far from a new concept.

The date that all broadcasts are to be digital is Febuary 17th, 2009. I sure hope this date holds true. I, like shelland, avoid watching non HD broadcasts as much as possible. I work 24 hour shifts at a fire dept and I purposely avoid my favorite shows while I'm there so I can watch 'em on my HD DVR when I am at home.

It IS possible to have a CRT (tube) HDTV although they're probably in the minority now, but non-tube types keep getting better and better and I believe there's a new type of flat-screen laser display that'll be out in a year or so that they say will kill off plasma and even LCD.

Set top converter boxes shouldn't be a problem, I've been living in Australia and there's 'digital tv' and HDTV, and you need a box for either unless you have a very new set. The converter boxes sell even in the supermarket there now, for as little as USD$40 or so, although they can run to a few hundred, too.

The only people that will need any type of equipment are those that currently get their TV via the antenna, which has got to be the extreme minority in this country. Every customer with either cable or satellite or both will not need any device as the cable/satellite company will be decoding the signal before sending it out to people's homes. You can expect prices of standard and digital(not HD) cable and satellite programming to go up to cover this cost, though it will probably cost cable and satellite companies very little long run to do this. That said, if you are in the market for a tv, I would suggest you purchase a HDTV or an HD ready TV.

By that time I'll probably have quit watching tv. There's less and less on that's interesting; i've quit digital cable and am seriously considering ditching the cable altogether. I can rent Lost at blockbuster next year. I know several ppl who use their tvs for dvd watching only.

We are in that minority that have always used antennas. I'm in my 40's and I have never had cable.

We are now looking into getting cable, but I'm not thrilled about it. I don't relish having to monitor my kids TV viewing. We don't watch alot of TV but I do like having it when I do want to see something and since I'm home all day, I llike it for company when I'm preparing meals.

The reason we're are taking the plunge is that both sets of rabbit ears are broken and to replace will cost about $75-100 and with the loss of signal imminent, we thought we should go for it.

The loss of choice does bother me though.

budge1, if your TV is at all recent (like the last 10 years or so, IIRC), you have the V-Chip built in which will let you lock out channels as you wish. It is possible there is a way to lock out channels on the cable convertor box, too (if you need to use one). Check your owner's manuals or call the companies that make the TV or the cable company.

Hmmmm....if the cable company can decode the signal as it enters my house...why do I need a box to see the digital channels now? In other words my main tv has a cable box for Digital channels and HBO/Cinemax. My other tvs work fine but do not pick up these stations. I do not want a box for each tv because it makes recording more complex. How will the HDTV be different. i doubt the cable complany is going to reverse the HD signal back to analog...that would screw all the folks who want that signal...no?