5 ways the switch to digital TV will affect you

Over-the-air TV signals switch to digital from analog transmission as of Thursday morning in most major cities across Canada. The federal government and the CRTC mandated the change in order to free up broadcast spectrum. Here's how it will affect you.

• If you watch television via satellite or cable,you won't be affected. Satellite signals are already digital, while cable providers will continue to transmit the analog channels in their lineups the old way though it's expected analog cable channels will eventually be phased out.
• If you watch TV via an antenna or set-top rabbit ears and you live inone of30 markets(includingprovincial capitals or cities with more than 300,000 residents), you will need a newer television with abuilt-in digital tuner, or a converter boxthat turns the digital broadcast signal into an analog one that older TVs can use.
• In smaller markets, broadcasters areallowed to continue transmitting analog signalsover the air. For the most part, residents won't be affected, though there will be someshifting of channels.
• Some people are choosing tocancel their subscriptionto cable or satellite TV, since over-the-air digital broadcasts often have better, or at least equivalent, picture and sound quality
• GlobalTV and CTV are converting all their required transmitters to digital by the Wednesday night deadline, butthe CBC is not. Unless it receives a further exemption from the CRTC, cities like Saint John, Quebec City, Saskatoon and London, Ont., will lose their free, over-the-air English CBC broadcasts next August, while places such as Calgary and Windsor, Ont., won't get transmissions of French-language Radio-Canada.