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January 15, 2009
DTV Converter Boxes - Are you ready when analog TV ends on February 17, 2009?
Time is running out. Unless the deadline is extended, analog TV broadcasting will end on February 17, 2009. If you are currently getting TV with an antenna and you don't get a DTV converter box after the 17th you won't be able to watch any programming.
It's now about four weeks until the cutoff date. The government has set up a program where you can receive a maximum of two $40 coupons per household to help offset part of the cost of getting a converter box.
So if you are receiving your television signal from an antenna, apply for your coupon(s) now. Its easy, go to DTV2009.gov, and then select "#1 - Apply For a Coupon" and fill in your name and address. I have heard from a few folks that it took about six weeks to receive their coupons (I applied in October and got the coupons in the mail about three weeks later). If you have already applied and received your coupons, remember that they expire 90 days after they were mailed.
Connection to your set is very straightforward. The instructions that came with the converter boxes that I purchased were actually clearly written. If you need some help, here is a link to a quick start guide for connecting your converter box.
What happens if you don't get a converter box? On February 18th, according to National Association of Broadcasters spokesperson Linda Yun, "People who haven't taken any action at all would see snow."
Do you need another reason to request coupons now? According to a Reuters Business and Finance article, demand might exceed supply. There is a budget for this coupon program; once the value of coupons sent equals the budget the program will be put on hold.
Do you need a converter box? Have you applied for your coupons? How long did it take to receive them? And was the converter box easy to hook up and use?
Posted by Bob Gatton at January 15, 2009 2:45 PM
Comments
my wife has an older syvanial(ms)on analog bought new vizio, both about same picture size now on charter digital,i think we are being shi--ed because there is not that much different that i can tell.
if you listen to fifth ave.sale pitches about what thet say yuo need ,you begin to believe them.
twenty or thirty years ago would you have believe that you would be paying just to watch tv what you were paying to buy a car!
Posted by: Charles Yount at January 22, 2009 10:14 AM
i noticed that the price of the converter prices in a month went up by twenty or thirty dollors basicly defeating the purpose that everyone could afford thr change over
Posted by: Charles Yount at January 22, 2009 10:19 AM
We have directv as our tv supplier. We get the local station by antenna. On annalog every body gets tv6(local). My husband has his DVT box hooked up,but when they do the test all of us get a red screen(no digital). So he bought a new antenna. Doesn't help. We are 50 miles from the station. Don't kow what to try. We have the Dish DTV box we purchades from a local store. It was recommended in Consumer Reports. Is there some thing that has to be done to activate these boxes? One tv is an old RCA, another is a few years old Sony and one is a LCD, so a there is a veriety of sets, but nothing works. Any solutions?
Posted by: Shirley at January 22, 2009 1:54 PM
I requested coupons for the converter box in Sept and received them on Oct 31, 2008. I put the envelope in my file so I wouldn't lose them and when I had the money in December was going to get my boxes. To my surprise my cards EXPIRED on November 6, 2008 what's the deal?? I am sure I am not the only one that was surprised by an expiration date, why did they do this?
Posted by: Kris at January 22, 2009 2:10 PM
I've been trying to get into in your piece about quick start guide for connecting your converter boxes and my computer freezes or gives me a page that says that page can't be gotten. I've been to your web address too and still can't make it work. HELP
Posted by: Shirley at January 23, 2009 2:15 PM
Hi Shirley,
I just tried the link for quick start guide and it worked on both Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Are you using one of these web browsers or a different one?
Try this link
http://www.digitaltips.org/docs/converterQSG.pdf
I am sorry that you had a problem with the link.
Bob
Posted by: Bob Gatton at January 23, 2009 5:58 PM
Well Bob, I sent the HGTVPRO email to my sister and her computer froze up too. Then I tried to open the new link you sent me and it froze my pc just like the first one. Is there some way for you to send the article to me. I know its a bother, but we are having trouble getting a signal thru the box that we have hooked up and I had hoped you had the answer.
Posted by: Shirley at January 24, 2009 12:48 PM
Hi Shirley,
I sent you a PDF file of the quick start guide. Another option is to call the customer service number of the manufacturer of the converter box that you purchased. They should be able to help you with connections.
Good luck!
Posted by: Bob Gatton at January 24, 2009 5:36 PM
Finally got it opened and printed. Thanks
Posted by: Shirley at January 26, 2009 12:31 PM
We have the converter box hooked up with a good indoor antenna. The picture is good but them it dies out and the voice dies out and then it is back again. We are about 25 miles from the TV stations. Our only hope is to see the news on the internet. It seems like we are going back in time unless we want another monthly bill to an outside provider.
Posted by: Dixie Wong at February 19, 2009 3:22 AM
Mr. Gatton,I have hooked up the converter boxes on my two small tv's and they work fine.But my large tv is a pioneer 64 inch 1080i HDTV that I recently found not to have a digital tuner so I'm looking for a HDTV tuner/receiver for it. I have looked at a few like the samsung DTB-260F,wineguard RC-1010 HDTV receiver or the aspen eagle HD3150 plus
not sure which one I need can you help?
Thanks
Posted by: Sam Johnson at March 28, 2009 10:59 PM
Mr Johnson,
All three of you options can output a 1080i component signal to feed your 1080i - HD ready television set. The Samsung and the Eagle Aspen also have an HDMI output which would make connecting it a little easier if your set has an HDMI input. If your set has an HDMI input and you get the Wineguard, you will need to connect the 3 component cables plus audio.
I have not evaluated any of the boxes in your selection, so I can't make a specific recommendation.
Posted by: Bob Gatton at March 29, 2009 9:32 AM
Why would my digital converter stop receiving signals? It worked fine when we hooked it up in November '08. Now? Nothing. Finding answers to this anywhere has been very difficult.
Posted by: Robyn at June 13, 2009 8:18 PM
I managed to correctly hook up the digital converter box to my TV and antenna but I also have a Sony Home Theater system that I have no clue how to hook up with the digital converter box and TV. I was using an RF Modulator to connect it all before this conversion and everything worked just fine. Now what? I spent a ton of money on gadgets to add connections but NOTHING works except for the basic TV and antenna to box connection. Also, my converter box has one antenna connection and one TV connection. Help!
Posted by: Jane at June 17, 2009 10:28 PM
Jane,
Have you tried contacting the manufacturer of the converter box?
Posted by: FrankT at June 18, 2009 6:46 AM
