[Chad Hauris]

How did you mean about satellite TV not being ready for the digital conversion?
As far as I know the 2009 date is only for broadcast over-the-air TV...not cable or satellite which can use any transmission scheme they choose.
Plus all Direct TV and Dish Network is already transmitted digitally and HDTV is available. The only incompatability I see would be between older satellite receivers which only have analog video/RF outputs and purely digital TV's.

I still think the amount of analog TV's still in use in 2009 which depend upon an over-the-air broadcast signal (not cable or satellite) will be very small. Everyone I know has converted to digital flat screen sets. One place I read that 40% of American homes already have HDTV's...not counting digital SD sets.

As far as Refrigerators, I have a late 1940's or early 50's GE with top freezer that works great still! The old fridges have only the compressor (no fans or defrost heaters like modern ones) and are very quiet and much more efficient.