As you're making the rounds through the stores this holiday, you'll notice a lot of attention to DTV in the electronics departments. And a great deal of hype about buying the biggest and the best HDTV units.

But are they necessary?

On Feb. 17, 2009, all broadcasters must turn off their analog signals and deliver your favorite shows and newscasts to you digitally through digital television, or DTV.

Tom Casey, Director of Engineering at KCTV5 and My KSMO-TV, said, "DTV is a term used to describe the transmission between the TV stations and the viewers home. HDTV has to do with picture quality."

HDTV stands for high definition television. It is the highest quality television set that can receive your digital signal. It is not necessary to have an HDTV television to see the DTV signal. With a digital receiver, your non-HDTV television can receive the signal.