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WHO NEEDS A DIGITAL TV CONVERTER? |
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The converter option is not necessary for everyone! People who have television sets connected to cable, satellite, or other pay television service will not need a Digital Converter for these sets. Neither will people who have a television with a digital tuner already built in. But if you haven’t purchased a television in the last five years and is not connected to cable or satellite service, it probably does not include a digital tuner and is a good candidate for a Digital Converter. Consumers can apply for converter box coupons by visiting www.dtv2009.gov, or calling 1-888-DTV-2009. |
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DTV Converter Box Information |
The federal government is offering coupons for DTV converter boxes; however, only 33 million coupons are available for the nearly 70 million television sets that need them. Click here to see if you own a TV that will need a converter box.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) kicked off its DTV converter box coupon program on January 1, 2008. The results were nothing short of extraordinary and in large part due to the great efforts to publicize the DTV transition by stations across the country.
NTIA took orders for over 1.5 million coupons in the first 48 hours of the program. An important note…. There is sufficient funding for only 33.5 million coupons, while approximately 70 million television sets need an upgrade. This is important to viewers who will need to purchase a converter box before February 2009.
Note: You will only need to purchase a converter box if you do not have cable or satellite. Only those households that receive the television signal straight over the air (i.e. an antenna/rabbit ears).
Consumers can apply for converter box coupons by visiting www.dtv2009.gov, or calling 1-888-DTV-2009. |
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What Should I Do To Be Ready for the DTV Transition?
You have three choices:
1) Connect your analog TV to a digital-to-analog converter box. Digital-to-analog converter boxes will be in stores in 2008 and will have a one-time cost of $40-$70. To help consumers pay for the boxes, the U.S. Government will be offering two $40 coupons per household. You will be able to request the coupons beginning in January of 2008. For more information on the coupons, visit www.dtv2009.gov, or call 1-888-388-2009 (voice) or 1-877-530-2634 (TTY). Your current broadcast antenna should work for digital broadcasts.
2) Buy a digital television (a TV with a built-in digital tuner). Remember that you do not need to buy a High Definition TV (HDTV) to enjoy digital broadcast television. Plus, your current broadcast antenna should work for digital broadcasts. 3) Subscribe to a paid TV service. If you subscribe to a paid service such as cable or satellite TV, you should contact your provider to see what, if any, equipment you may need. Remember that you will need a digital-to-analog converter box for any analog TV in your home not connected to your paid TV service.
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Ways to Prepare for DTV |
| Your TV tuner is: | You get your programming from: | You will need by Feb. 17, 2009: | | Analog | Over-the-air | Digital-to-Analog converter box | | Analog | Cable or satellite | Contact your Provider | | Digital | Over-the-air | Nothing | | Digital | Cable or satellite | Contact your Provider | |
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