This time next year, TV stations across the country will be getting ready to switch to digital signals. That means, in the next year, many of you will have to decide if you want to buy a new TV or get a converter.

Phyllis from Galien has a Good Question: "How can we tell if our TV is digital?"

WSBT's Kirk Mason looked into it.

If you are in the TV section of an electronics store you can see it on the faces of customers — many are deciding if it's time to go digital.

“They can still spend $300 - $400 and still purchase an old tube TV that has a digital tuner built into it,” said Best Buy’s Aaron Gramelspacher.

Then there are the large flat panels that can cost in the thousands. If you buy a new TV now in a store it is almost certainly going to be digital. The TV will say so right on it. But what if you already own a TV and you aren't sure if it has a digital tuner?

“That's something they can look in the manual or call the manufacturer, to find out if it's got the digital tuner in it or not,” explained Gramelspacher. “It's not something that you can just look at the television and say, ‘Oh it's got a digital tuner.’”

That's if you’re taking a signal off an antenna. If you have a satellite dish that signal is already digital. If you have cable that's not digital some sort of change is coming. Local provider Comcast is not yet saying what.

But you don't have to go out and buy a new TV because of the change. You can buy a converter box, instead. You'll need one for each TV in your house.

The government is offering coupons on those. Each U.S. household is eligible for up to two $40 coupons for the converter boxes. You can get one by calling this number: 1-888-388-2009.

Or you can apply on-line at www.dtv2009.gov.

For more information, go to DTV: Ready, Set, Know.