Nowadays, it seems you need a degree in jet propulsion to understand the techno-babble that trips off the tongues of Best Buy clerks: analog, digital and HD; interlaced pictures and progressive scan; 480i, 720p, 1080i; native resolution; DVD; and Blu-ray disc.

All you want to do is watch "Oprah" and "House."

Make no mistake: You're going to have to know this stuff. After Feb. 17, all broadcasters are required to transmit their signals digitally. Blu-ray's recent victory in the High-Definition (HD) format war means the days of the standard DVD are numbered.

You still have time. Even after Feb. 17, people who subscribe to cable and satellite services can watch their old sets, and those who use antennas can buy converter boxes. So your existing equipment will still work -- even that old Betamax player. But when it dies, you're almost certainly going to have to go HD.

And when you do, you'll see dramatic improvements. With the cutting-edge technologies, your favorite shows and movies will look and sound much better.

For all the crazy jargon, the recent advances revolve around a basic achievement: the ability to transmit, store and display greater quantities of the audio and visual information that makes up your favorite shows and movies. It's akin to the difference between the "draft" and "letter" modes on your printer, or the difference between dial-up and high-speed access to the Internet.

In a nutshell it's as simple as the old adage: size matters.

The decision to get a new TV or disc-player is a personal one. It depends on your desires and budget. You always have to weigh the advantages of waiting over the immediate gratification provided by a spanking new rig. If history is any guide, products should improve while their prices drop.

To help you make your choice, here's a primer on the new technologies based on interviews with Matt Frazer, field training manager for Panasonic Consumer Electronics Co., and Patrick J. Hourigan, vice president of network operations in the Carolina Region for Time-Warner Cable.

Q: What's the difference between analog and digital?

A: A traditional tube TV receives an analog signal, just like over-the-air radio; video comes over an AM frequency, sound over FM. The TV converts these wavelengths into pictures and sounds.

Digital systems replace these waves with strings of zeroes and ones, the same coding used on compact discs and DVDs. It offers two chief advantages. First, it offers a cleaner signal. Instead of having to read subtle variations in wavelengths that are subject to distortion, TVs simply decode the ones and zeroes.

Second, digital systems offer much more bandwidth. This is crucial, because the HD signal takes up four times the space to deliver its richer sounding audio and higher resolution video signals.

Q: Can my old TV handle the digital signal?

A: Only if it has a digital tuner (check your owner's manual).

Q: Will I need a converter box to watch digital TV?

A: Most cable and satellite TV companies will handle that for their customers, converting the digital signal back into analog for older TVs. The only people who will need converter boxes are those who use antennas to watch over-the-air broadcasts on analog TVs. The boxes cost about $70. The government will provide up to two $40 vouchers per household, available at www.dtv2009.gov/applycoupon.aspx

Q: Is HD the same as digital?

A: No. Digital is the method used to transmit a signal to your TV. HD is one type of signal that can be sent digitally. In fact, the law only mandates that over-the-air broadcasters convert to digital after Feb. 17. MTV, CNBC, Fox News and other cable-only stations can continue to transmit analog signals.

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