The Big TV switch to digital finally came in June 2009. Back in my day we put antennas on the roof and if we were lucky we got 4-5 stations to come in clear enough to watch. North of Boston it was 4, 5, 7, 38, and 56. The Bruins played on 38 so that was great.



Here is a picture of my uncle and step father putting up a roof antenna back in the 70's.

We rarely watched a show without snow, shadows, or static of some sort. When I first saw the Brady Bunch on cable TV in the late 80's, I couldn't believe how clear it was. Even now on the TV land channel they replay some Brady Bunch shows, and I watch them now just for the clarity.

We upgraded to a rotary dial in which you turned a dial in the house and the antenna would turn by motor as you tried to get the signal to come in better. Sometimes you had to do that ever time you changed the channel. The next step was Starz and Preview, two pay channels that were availble over the air with a special antenna, that was the predecessor to HBO. Finally cable arrived and antennas were obsolete.

Now the big switch came and you need a special converter to watch over the air TV now. Why anyone would still watch over the air TV is beyond me, especially with HDTV relatively inexpensive now.