Read text files with a specific encoding? using fileinput?

[Jim Correia]

How can I read a test file off disk and interpret it as using a specific 
encoding? (Such as utf-8, iso-latin-1, etc.)

If I have a script which processes files on the command line, using 
fileinput, can I do the same?

(Pointers to documentation, tutorials or howtos appreciated.)

Thanks,
Jim