As you should know by now, on Feb 17th 2009, they are turning off the Analog television broadcasts and switching to all digital.

This will immediately render useless any portable radios that pick up TV band audio, as well as any portable televisions.

There are very few choices for portable digital televisions, there's a big ugly Coby which tends to the garbage quality and the Haier which is equally crap.

Best Buy and Radio Shack have portable models, both about $200.

But it's definitely time now to look into your storm communications kit and plan ahead.

Are there any radios available which will pick up the new TV bands?

Can current tv-receiving radios pick up the sound or will the sound be digital as well?

I'm not really worried as I'll still be able to get information through Am/Fm/Shortwave and I've got a reasonably small 19" LCD tv with an ATSC tuner that I can run off my car or generator if need be, so I think I'll be fine.

Unfortunately audio is digital too...

I wonder, will high end scanners pick anything up???

I guess I don't see the need for an emergency TV. Info on the TV is what's been disseminated and often dumbed down into uselessness. During a tornado warning warning the first thing I do is make sure the scanner is on and I monitor the local spotters and police - go to the source for the accurate info. It's amazing how often that info is at odds with what the TV (or commercial radio) is spewing out. I sure as hell wouldn't trust it for something man made like a chemical spill.
Though I suppose that really only works if they are in the area. If you're out in the middle of nowhere where there aren't police sitting around talking... but even then the automated NOAA is as good a source or better.

You beat me to it, I've found the same, it takes several minutes to get from scanner to tv and then its live so the person on tv tends to make a lot of mistakes. I always wonder where they hire those people from.

Here is one(two?) solution to portable digital t.v. (If you have a portable t.v.). I suppose you could make it work with a portable radio, but it seems like it would be a bulky result.

http://www.winegarddirect.com/cview.asp?c=Digital%20Converter%20Boxes

I never understood why a portable tv was such a big deal. I think shortwave radio or a transistor would be a much better and widely available means of gathering information. Not to forget the emergency weather channels on most 'camping' radios.

If the tv is also suppose to be for entertainment then it will be much easier to watch dvds on dvd player (et al). Batteries can be recharged with a solar panel in the case of no electricity or no surplus.

Everybodys preparedness plan is different so if a tv is your bag, let us know what you find out when everything goes digital.

I found my little portable tv to be very useful during tropical storm Allison and Hurricane Ike after the power went out. The radio gives information, but the maps they were showing on TV were much more useful.

-Blast