We have been bombarded for months with all the ads, announcements, scrolling text and other means to let everyone know that as of February 17,2009, if you have an analog TV and pick up your TV stations using an antenna, and if you do not buy a converter box for each set you have in your home, you will not be able to get the signal anymore.
In my last article I told you about many of the advantages there will be in this switch to the all digital broadcast. There will be more stations you can pick up and in general the picture quality will be much better. The converter boxes which cost between $40.00 and $80.00, of which you can find many of them for $50.00 or less, are required to pick up the signal. However, to make life easier and to help reduce the cost, the government set aside over 1.3 billion dollars for the distribution of coupons worth $40.00 each and has offered each household 2 coupons.
Obviously the more analog TV sets you have the more boxes you will need, but just knowing that 2 of them could almost be paid for helps ease the financial burden for many. The problem is that the government just announced that they have run out of coupons and people who apply for coupons are now on a waiting list.
On top of all this, of the 46 million coupons that have been distributed, only 18 million of them have been redeemed. So, here we have millions of household needing coupons, and 28 million people that received coupons have not even redeemed them yet. Since the coupons expire in 90 days, the concept is that those who get on the waiting list will receive their coupons on a first come first serve basis, as the older coupons expire.
There is talk about Congress passing legislation to authorize additional funds for more coupons. If this were to happen, then coupons would become more readily available.
So what can you do if you can't get the coupons before the date? First let me tell you up front that if all your TV sets are analog, and you don't have cable or Satellite TV, or if you don't have a digital TV with a built in digital tuner, or if you don't have any type of A/V equipment with a built in digital tuner, you won't be able to pick up the broadcasts at all.
Now, here is what you can do. Keep checking the government website, http://www.dtv2009.gov, to see if there is any new news about the release of more coupons. After that, you can still go out an buy the converter boxes and like anything else you buy, look for the best price. They all do pretty much the same thing and yes, some have more bells and whistles they others.
Another thing you might consider is if your TV is getting pretty old and you would consider getting a new one, prices for a new Digital TV set have come down considerably. I have seen some great deals out there, so be sure to check Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, Target, K-Mart and of course Best Buy and HHGreg. Plus I have seen some great buys online including Amazon.com.
Another option you have is to purchase one of the DVD Recorders that have the digital tuner built in. Panasonic and Toshiba our two companies that make them and you can get them for as low as $120.00. Amazon.com has several you can look at. If you buy one of these you will not need a digital converter box for the TV and you be able to record programs on the DVD recorder.
For those of you who have cable TV, you already know you won't have to do a thing. You can hook up as many TVs as you want and still get the signal, even without the box, at least for now. If you Satellite TV and you have a couple of TVs in the house that don't have a set top box or DVR, there is an A/V and an RF output on the back of the boxes that you can run wires from to an analog TV, and you will be able to watch whatever programming is coming from that box, on the other TV as well. Of course in order to change the channel, you would have to go into the room where the box is located, but at least you can get the signal that way.
There is a rumor out there that the government may extend the date past February 17th, but it is just a rumor, at least for now. The idea is that it would give people more time to get their coupons. So, if you waited too long to get the coupons , don't wait any longer to get on the waiting list. Go to the website listed above and sign up and you will even be able to track the status of your order.
In 2007, Rick Maselli founded RTM Directories Inc. and as president of this company his goal is to help the do-it-yourself people out there to have a one stop home improvement resource and that resulted in his new website, http://www.showroom411.com
Showroo411.com is Your Ultimate Home Improvement Resource which is free to the public and reflects all the hard work that Rick has put into to being a building Pro.
You can also read his reviews on many new and innovative building and high tech products in his blog, http://www.leveladvice.com
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