Digital TV transition gets 30-day delay
December 30th, 2008, 8:18 am · 10 Comments · posted by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
Did you miss this? Time Warner Cable raising prices in 2009
Just 49 days left until major TV networks start broadcasting in digital all the time — and people who haven’t upgraded their old, analog TVs will see zilch on the screen. But since many are expected to procrastinate, President Bush signed a law that gives those consumers an extra 30 days to make the switch.
The Short-Term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness (SAFER) Act, which Bush signed on Dec. 23, doesn’t really extend the analog TV broadcasts 30 days beyond the Feb. 17, 2009 deadline. Instead, viewers who aren’t prepared for digital will be able to see educational information on how to make the switch.
The nation’s TV networks are switching to digital because it’s a more efficient way to broadcast TV — you can fit about 7 digital channels in the same airspace as one analog channel. The analog airwaves being given up will be used by the government for emergency communication.
Does this affect you? If you have an older TV and rely on an antenna to get a clearer signal, you’re one of those people who need to make a change. You can check your TV brand at this link: tinyurl.com/9fcefv
Such folks can either subscribe to paid TV service, such as cable; buy a digital TV or go the cheapest route and buy a digital converter box.
Consumers can order the $40 government-issued coupons for converter boxes at https://www.dtv2009.gov or call the 24-hour toll-free hotline at 1-888-388-2009 (1-888-DTV-2009).
Links:
- Guide to the 2009 Digital TV transition
- Consumer DTV information www.dtvanswers.com
- Coupon program www.DTV2009.gov
- FCC on DTV www.dtv.gov
- Coupon expired? Apex Digital offers $10 for expired coupons
- 99 days until the digital TV transition changes TV
- 50% more coupons available for digital TV converter box program
- Digital TV coupons now available to more users
- Digital TV discounts still available; Amazon starts selling converter boxes
- 23 reviews of digital converter boxes
- Most digital-TV coupons expire before being used
- Portable TVs will fade away after February
- Reminder: Digital converters bought with coupons aren’t taxable
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Please help!!!!!!!!!
I need 2 DTV converter box. I bought 1 DTV converter at Circuit City and was not able to successfully install. Took it back on Dec. 1, and the store credited back the $40 to the VISA card and gave me back my portion of the price ($21.44).
I have tried to get a replacement of the DTV $40 card and I am rejected. Left a note and my email address, explaining the situation, but no help coming.
Please let me have a replacement DTV card.
Thank You.
T. Kallai
T. Kallai — Interesting dilemma. Circuit City should have a record of the coupon code it used during your original purchase. If you have all the receipts, they should offer you the $40 discount again, otherwise Circuit City will profit from it.
Or, if you haven’t already, you can order a second $40 coupon. Every household can order 2. Other than these options, you can beg a friend who doesn’t need his coupons or you may just have to suck it up and pay the extra $40. Converter boxes won’t be gone after Feb. 17.
Does anyone else have suggestions?
Great now we have to put up with those annoying commercials for another 30 days too? More money to be made on advertising…
The converters are GREAT! My mom bought two RCA converters for a couple of cheap little 13-inch TVs she has in her sewing room and guest room. As soon as I hooked them up for her, the number of channels recieved went from about 24 to 58! And each channel was crystal-clear! There was a little color distortion, but that may go away when I change from the RF coax feed to video RCA connectors.
The RCA converter allows you to see the name of the program playing on each channel, as well as the program coming up next. Plus the remote control for the box can be programmed to control the TV, so you only have the one remote. Now all I have to figure out is what to do with so many Spanish and Asian language channels!
There was also a connector for a “Smart” antenna, but all I used was the rabbit-ears on the tv.
Digital TV is definitely a plus. My mom is considering dropping cable.
T. Kallai,
You said, “store credited back the $40 to the VISA card and gave me back my portion of the price ($21.44).” So Circuit City credited you back the $40 from the DTV coupon + the portion you paid out of pocket? I don’t get why you want another DTV card when you were refunded your money? You only get 2 per household and once you use the card it is no longer valid.
The credits for converter boxes that the government is issuing make me sick. Here we are, in a down economy, with a huge debt, and we’re subsidizing TV for poor people who won’t buy cable or satellite?! Where’s the logic there?!
Anyone looking for additional information about DTV options can develop a personalized action plan at http://www.comcast.com/dtvsite.
No matter which option you choose, spending just a few minutes using this planning tool can help you decide what solution best suits your needs.
I love the converter boxes because when you interfere with the signal you can make peoples faces melt or mutate and neat stuff like that!
It is important to note that the SAFER Act or “Analog Nightlight” Act does not allow most stations to continue analog broadcasts. In fact only 3 LA area stations are eligible (KNBC, KTLA and KWHY) and none of them are required to actually carry this analog information. Hopefully, at least one of them will. The full list of eligible stations, was published by the FCC:
[url]http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-281A2.pdf[/url]
A handy website for checking both current DTV and post-transition DTV reception is TVFool(dot)com. Over the air Digital TV has been around for several years.
Who writes the headlines here? Did they actually read the story? The “Analog Nightlight” act, as Mike says above, doesn’t allow most stations to continue analog broadcasts, and those that do will only offer digital conversion and emergency information. It definitely is NOT “Digital TV transition gets 30-day delay”