A big change is coming and it involves watching television.

Three years ago, Congress voted to make television stations all over the country switch to a digital signal, instead of the analog signal most viewers are probably watching now.

Will you be ready for the change or will you have to buy some additional equipment?

Will you be able to watch your television a year from now?

If you don’t listen up, you could wind up missing out on all of your favorite programming.

At this time next year stations everywhere are switching over to a digital signal, moving away from the analog signal that's been used in the past.

So what do you need to know?

How do you keep your television from spraying static?

The discounted price tag or the consumer warning on older televisions help you know which ones will not be working after the switch to digital.

But the switch does come with some benefits.

“What we’ll be able to do is take the spectrum that is freed up by moving from analog to digital and using that for emergency services,” said Carlos Gutierrez of the U.S. Commerce Department.

“Really, you’ve got a lot of different options when it comes to making the switch. But, it’s not so much what’s inside but what’s outside that counts when it comes to keeping you out of the dark,” Gutierrez said.

Digital converters will be available for old analog televisions and some televisions come equipped with converters but they are more expensive.

There may be another reason to buy a digital-ready television, said Michael Ringer, electronics salesman.

“Those are the ones that you’re going to be able to get serviced down the road. They’re going to stop making picture tube TVs so the parts are not going to be available and if they are they’re going to be extremely expensive,” he said.