Here are answers to some of the questions we're frequently asked.

Q: I've heard about Digital Television and High Definition Television. What's the difference?

A. You have found the key question. They are not the same.

Digital television (DTV) simply means the signal is transmitted as a bunch of ones and zeros. Right now, direct home satellite systems use a digital system to send signals to your home (where most likely, you convert them back to analog TV to play on your TV set). Some cable services do the same thing.

At this point, all commercial television stations in our area are operating a digital service on a separate channel from where you now watch them. NBC 23 has its digital service (KVEO-DT) on channel 24.

You cannot see digital TV on a regular (or analog) television. You will need a new, special digital TV set or set-top-box to see the new digital TV channels.

Digital television has some big advantages. The picture you get is exactly what the station sends out. There is no "snow" or "ghosts" on digital TV. You either get the picture or you don't. The audio is also much clearer with the same range you expect from CD's.

High Definition Television (HDTV) is a special wide screen, super sharp, version of digital TV. HDTV is transmitted with about five times the amount of picture information and up to six channels of digital audio. It will provide the viewer with a clarity and picture quality you need to see to believe. It also appears on a wider-screen (much more like a movie screen).

There isn't enough "room" (bandwidth) on the current TV channels to send HDTV and continue to provide you with today's television.

NBC 23 has begun HDTV service. But as this new medium starts, not all of KVEO's television shows are produced in HDTV.

We are carrying in HDTV all NBC shows that are produced in that format (and that's much of NBC's primetime schedule). All the rest of our schedule is being "converted" to a picture that looks a lot like HDTV and plays on your HDTV but isn't true HDTV. [Click here for more on NBC & HDTV]

As time passes and more and more people have HDTV, more and more shows will be produced in this new format.

Q. Is HDTV expensive?

A. Prices have come down a lot. But top of the line, large screen, plasma HDTV's could cost you $4,000 or more. Other HDTV TV sets are selling in the range of $1,500 and up. Projection HDTV's range from about $1,200 to $5,000.

But just like color, most people believe those prices will come down as more and more people want HDTV and competition gets stronger. Already, in the last few years, we've seen prices come down about a thousand dollars a TV.

And the set manufacturers point out that the early color TV's, relative to the black and white TV of the 50's, were actually more expensive.

Q. I hear that my old TV will become obsolete soon. That doesn't sound fair.

A. When the Government developed the plan for the transition from today's (analog) TV to digital Television, back in the 90's, they guessed it would be complete this year. They predicted most all TV's in your home would be the new digital ones. However, because that hasn't happened, the deadline has now been extended to February 17, 2009. On that date, unless the government delays it again,your non-digital TV's will no longer pick-up any over-the-air signals.

The Government has plans for many of the old, analog TV channels NBC 23 and other local TV stations now use. The expansion of cell phones and other wireless devices makes these frequencies very valuable. Today's TV channels are being sold to other industries.