Even in the midst of remarkable technological progress, over the air television broadcasts have remained all but unchanged. Those households who receive free over the air TV broadcasts using outdoor antennas or indoor “rabbit ears” have been largely immune from the many changes taking place in the wider world of technology.
That is about to come to any end with the dawn of digital television, also known as DTV. This change is slated to take place on February 1, 2009, leaving consumers little time to get ready for these big changes. While those who subscribe to satellite, cable and other pay TV services can breathe easy, those who rely on indoor or outdoor antennas for their TV reception will need to take action or risk losing their signal early next year.
Fortunately for those affected by the change to DTV the government has instituted a program to help them purchase the equipment they will need to receive the new digital signals. This program, known in the industry as the Digital to Analog Converter Box Coupon Program, is designed to help television viewers afford the converter boxes they will need to receive the new signals in February of 2009.
The program is administered by an arm of the Department of Commerce known as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or the NTIA. Through this NTIA program consumers across the country are entitled to receive up to two $40 coupons which they can then apply toward the cost of the digital to analog converter boxes they will need to receive the new digital television programs.
While the final cost of the converter boxes is still unknown, industry experts expect the retail price to come in at somewhere between $40 and $70 each. The NTIA expects these digital to analog converter boxes to be carried by big box electronic retailers such as Best Buy, Circuit City and others, making them accessible to consumers who need them.
Owners of analog televisions who currently receive their broadcast signals via indoor or outdoor antennas can visit the NTIA at ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon to sign up for the $40 coupons they need. Those without internet access can contact the NTIA via phone at 1-888-388-2009 to order their coupons.
The $40 coupons will arrive in the form of a gift card that can be applied only toward the price of the digital to analog converter box. These cards will not be good for any other purchases or accessories, nor will consumers be entitled to any cash back in the event the price of the box is below the $40 threshhold. Consumers also need to know that the coupons will expire 90 days after the date of issue, so it is important for television owners to go shopping as soon as possible.
The digital to analog converter box coupon program began on January 1, 2008, more than a year before the scheduled conversion to digital television broadcasting. However, since the digital to analog converter boxes have not hit store shelves yet, the NTIA is not expecting to start sending out those coupons until sometime in the middle of February 2008. This delay is intended to give those big box electronics stores plenty of time to stock the converter boxes and train their workers about them.
When ordering converter boxes it is important to keep in mind that each box will only convert one television set, and those households with multiple analog televisions receiving over the air broadcasts will need to purchase a converter box for each TV. Those who own more than two such televisions will need to pay the entire cost of additional converter boxes after their household limit of two coupons has been exhausted.
In addition, it is a good idea for those getting ready to order the converter boxes to take a look at the type of indoor antenna they currently use. Those whose indoor antenna has two sets of wires (one for UHF and one for VHF) will need to purchase a converter to combine those two wires into a single connection. These converters are readily available at the same electronic stores where the digital to analog converter boxes can be found.
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