What will we do with our old outdated TV's in Feb. when it's switched to digital?

Yes, they can be recycled. They are still good if they are connected to cable, Dish or the converta box.

If you are concerned about being able to use a converter with the power out, well it's true they must be plugged in.

But my Zinwell ZAT-970 runs on 5 volts from a separate power supply, so you could just make a cable with the right plug and power it with batteries, either separate ones or tapped into your TV's batteries. The power consumption is very low so that should be practical.

We may need to discuss how to get 5 V out of standard batteries; and if you are interested in tinkering and voiding your warranty, you could open up the box, install a Ni-Cd battery pack charged from the normal input, and you now have a converter box that will run on AC or backup battery power.

you can still use your old tv the digital switch only applies if you do not have cable or satelite if you use a antenna then you need a converter box you can get a coupon for it at www.ntiadtv.gov

you can still use it if you buy a converter box.