Are you confused by all the jargon and TV lingo flying around? Here are some simple go-to definitions to help make your digital transition a little bit smoother:

Analog TV: Technology that has been traditionally used for U.S. television broadcasts. Analog signals are transmitted through varying radio waves. This results in differing picture quality as the radio waves vary.

Antennae: "Rabbit Ears" Can be used to pick up free over-the-air analog TV. Can also pick up digital over-the-air digital TV, though a better antenna may be required for digital TV.

Digital TV (DTV): Technology that provides a radically clearer picture and better sound quality than analog TV. DTV includes standard definition (SDTV), enhanced definition (EDTV) and high-definition (HDTV) broadcasting. Congress requires all full power stations to switch from Analog to Digital by February 17, 2009.

Digital Converter Box: A box that can convert the digital signal to an analog signal so that it may be viewed on analog televisions. A converter box easily hooks up to analog televisions and over-the-air antennae. Coupons for converter boxes are available to every family.

Enhanced Definition (EDTV): EDTV television sets produce picture quality that is of higher quality than Standard Definition TV (SDTV) and High Definition TV (HDTV).

High Definition TV (HDTV): Offers extremely clear picture, comparable to movie-theater quality, and CD quality sound. Most digital TV's sold in the U.S. are HD, though HDTV and DTV are not the same thing.

Multicasting: made possible by DTV. Stations can broadcast multiple free channels all at once, rather than one channel at a time.

Over-The-Air (OTA): Signals that provide free broadcasting to homes that use TV antennae.

Standard Definition TV (SDTV): Basic television. Digital SDTV provides picture and sound comparable to the best available analog TV.