On February 17, 2009 millions of TVs in the U.S. will display a snowy screen as the analog transmitted signal they have always displayed ceases to exist.  The problem most people will face is not the lack of signal, but the lack of accurate information about how to get another usable signal on their old TV with an antenna on the roof.

Here are a few basic facts and tips on how to handle the transition if you or someone you know gets their TV shows from an over-the-air broadcast to an antenna.

If you have cable or satellite, it doesn't affect you. Only older, analog TV's hooked up to an over-the-air antenna will go blank n February 17, 2009. The Digital TV transition has nothing to do with cable, satellite, or any other paid for TV service.

If you don't have cable or satellite, you don't need to buy a new TV. Despite what the salesman in the TV store may say, or what you may read elsewhere on the Web, you can continue watching free, over-the-air television on your current TV, no matter how old or non-flat it is. Here's how.

What you do need to buy is a little Digital TV converter box that fits on top of your old TV, connects to your old antenna, and lets you watch the new DTV broadcasts. The box can also connect to a VCR or DVD recorder. It should only cost at most $20 total because the government has set up a coupon program for people whose TVs will go blank next February. Each coupon is worth $40 toward the purchase of approved boxes (full list of boxes) at any retailer selling them, and each household can have up to two coupons--a good thing since each TV needs its own box.

To get your $40 converter box coupon(s), call 888-DTV-2009 or go to www.dtv2009.gov. After you provide your information, the government will send the coupon(s) to your address. You can then go to an approved electronics retailer such as Best Buy, Circuit City, Kmart, RadioShack, Sam's Club, Sears, Target, and Wal-Mart, and use the coupon(s) toward the purchase of a converter box or two. You'll need to visit the store because the coupons do not work for online purchases.

The converter box has all the connections needed to feed your old TV new digital signals.  Hook it up to your old TV using your old antenna. Each converter box is equipped with an antenna input that should fit your current antenna. And yes, even those rabbit ears from 1959 might work just fine. The boxes have outputs to connect to an older TV's antenna input, as well as standard red, white, and yellow AV outputs, to connect to a newer TV's matching inputs. They should also include the required cables. The box's manual will guide you through the setup process, which will involve hookup and an automatic tuning step, where the box searches your local airwaves for the new digital channels. If it can find all of them, you're done.

With the box installed, you can again watch free, over-the-air TV. It works just like it did before, although you may have to use the box's remote to change channels. The channels should be the same as before, and there may even be some new channels. If you get a strong signal, the picture will almost certainly be clearer than what you're used to with your old analog connection. It won't be HDTV, however. To watch high-def at home, you will need to buy a new TV, which will have a DTV tuner built-in.