Monday, November 17, 2008

Digital TV for boat or RV

Beware, Canadians! If you're in the market for a new TV for your boat or RV, and you plan to travel where you'll receive antenna signals from the United States, make sure the TV you buy has a digital tuner. As of February 2009 (in the US) and August 2011 in Canada, broadcast signals will be digital and you MUST have a digital (ATSC) tuner in your TV to receive them.

The time delay between the two countries has left a glut of NTSC tuner (analog) TVs dumped into the Canadian market. They WILL NOT work with American signals after February 2009 or Canadian signals after 2011. Of course, a digital converter box will make an NTSC television work but in a boat or an RV the extra appliance draws additional power from your already limited power supply.

So - if you're buying a TV in the next few months (or years) make SURE it has an ATSC tuner listed in the specs.

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