Blank screen day.

It is estimated that there are still 100,000 old analog TV's in use in Sydney - and today those screens will go blank.   Today is the day of the digital switchover and consequently the old analog transmitters will cease to broadcast.

In the vast majority of cases, those old television sets will not be the main entertainment medium in the family home.  Some will have been relegated to a child's bedroom while others will serve various secondary purposes, but it is inevitable that for some they will still be the sole means of receiving television services.

Expect bewilderment from some older people who will be totally unaware of this change, and expect demand to increase on charities and op-shops from those seeking a replacement.   It is also inevitable that there will be a blip in sales as replacements occur.

Television has come a long way from those dreary days when city viewers had the choice of three commercial channels and the ABC.    Most country viewers were served by a single commercial channel and the ABC - and broadcasting started at 10 am and closed at 10-30 in the evening.

Today - city and country both have the choice of not only the main networks but their affiliate second string channels, plus both the ABC and SBS in a multi channel format.   Most of these broadcast on a twenty-four hour basis.    The choice of free to air entertainment is huge.

At the same time, the advent of flat screen television sets has seen prices drop sharply from their introduction.   The bigger the screen, the higher the price, but for those satisfied with a relatively small screen the cost is now negligible.

The change from analog to digital delivered a better, sharper picture to viewers with the HD format.  It also delivered a bonanza to the government.   Freeing up those analog frequencies will bring in a further $ 2 billion to government coffers as they are resold to industrial users.

As the door closes on the old television era, expect to see a sharp increase in old television sets sitting at the kerbside.   Today, that seems to be the favourite disposal method for technology that has outlived it's use by date.