HD DTV STAndard

There is no point in time that channels will have to go HD. If they chose to go HD, as most have or will at some point in the future, then you would be able to see them in HD.

You are probably confused with the analog cutoff, which is when local TV stations must stop broadcasting standard analog TV, and be completely digital. Digital TV does not necessarily mean HDTV, but most local network affiliates are already transmitting HDTV.

Far be it for anyone here to try and change the mind of someone who is already convinced, not understand that their lower resolution set doesn't show the flaws in NTSC that are already there. I am sure there is someone with 20/200 vision thinks Rosie O'Donnell is hottie as well.

"You are probably confused with the analog cutoff, which is when local TV stations must stop broadcasting standard analog TV, and be completely digital."

And, they don't even have to be "completely digital", in the sense that they can feed their digital transmitters with any old analog signals they want. Only the transmission system has to be digital.

Hopefully, most broadcasters will get the message, though, that an all-digital studio is easier and less-expensive to maintain than the old analog stuff, once it is all built.