While the program was largely successful, it faced significant hurdles. In early 2009, the program hit its funding ceiling, leading to a massive waiting list that prompted Congress to delay the original February transition date to June.
Digital signals occupy less "space" on the airwaves than analog signals. This freed up valuable broadcast spectrum for public safety communications (police, fire, and emergency rescue) and advanced wireless services.
These boxes were essentially small computers that decoded digital signals and converted them back into a format that older, "rabbit-ear" or rooftop antenna TVs could understand.
