The DATV picture will be very attractive, so some people are likely to buy the new sets right away, but most local stations will find it necessary to operate both the old conventional channel as well as the new DATV channel for a number of years. As is usually the case with radio and television policy matters, the government will decide how long the transition period will be. At the end of the transition period, all television stations which have been assigned a second channel for DATV transmissions will have to cease broadcasting in the old NTSC system and free up one of the two channels. They are in stores now, but be careful. Deal with a retailer you know and trust.
Many stores now have so-called digital sets on display, but the terminology can be confusing.
The technology gets better and better with each new generation, and the price has come down dramatically. Wow, I have two perfectly good TV sets at home. There's a complicated answer to that question, too. Most local television stations want to get started on digital television as quickly as possible, but there are political issues involved in this process. The Federal Communications Commission and Congress will decide how long the DATV transition period will be.