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50% more coupons available for digital TV converter box program

October 2nd, 2008, 12:29 pm by

Get your questions answered about the Feb. 2009 transition to digital TVThe agency that handles the coupon program for the digital TV converter boxes has upped the number of potential coupons to 50.5 million, which is 50 percent more than the 33.5 million the National Telecommuniciations and Information Administration had available over the summer. 

Meredith Baker, NTIA secretary, said earlier this week that the agency asked the Department of Commerce and received $7 million more to fund the program. The agency can also go back and request more, if neccessary. 

“At this point, we’ve ordered 44.5 million coupons. Our estimates are based on what we see in ordering and redemption rates,” she said, adding that they can order up to 50.5 million. “…We have asked for flexibility.”

The coupons offer a $40 discount on digital converter boxes, which are necessary for older analog TVs that rely on antennas to get TV signals. After Feb. 17, 2009, major TV stations will switch to digital broadcasts and end their analog broadcasts. With a converter box, which sells for $40 and up, older TVs will still work (consumers who subscribe to paid TV service like cable TV don’t need to worry about this).

As of Oct. 1, 11.2 million coupons have been redeemed, while 8.9 million have expired. The coupons expire 90 days after they are mailed, under the law. Once coupons expire, recipients cannot apply for a new one. No legislation is pending to change that.

Baker said that it’s now taking between two to four weeks for coupons to arrive. Since consumers must then go buy a converter box and install it, the agency is estimating that the whole process takes six weeks and urges consumers to apply for their coupons before the end of the year to make the Feb. 17 deadline. Read the NTIA’s “Apply, Try, Buy” tip sheet.

Other DTV updates:

* There is now a battery-powered digital converter box. The Wineguard RC-DT09A Digital to Analog Converter Box (pictured at right) is $62.99 and eligible for the coupon discount. More information HERE.

* Consumers can call the Federal Communications Commission for more information or help, at 1-888-CALL-FCC (888-225-5322)

* If you lost, misplaced or let your coupon expire, you cannot apply for another one. The government encourages those folks to ask a friend or family member who won’t need their coupon. Also suggested: Ask your local church or community group to see if a program has been set up to handle this.

Related:

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Digital TV coupons now available to more users

September 24th, 2008, 6:40 am by

Get your questions answered about the Feb. 2009 transition to digital TVIf you make a big enough stink, the agency that hands out those $40 coupons for digital converter boxes will, apparently, change the rules. 

Beginning Oct. 20, people who use P.O. boxes or live in nursing homes can begin applying for the coupons to get $40 off a converter box that will modernize old, analog TVs. Such TVs won’t work after Feb. 17, 2009, when all the major TV stations begin broadcasting in digital all the time. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration originally exempted these folks under its definition of ‘household.’ Read the NTIA’s revision HERE.

Also, more tests continue to see if parts of the nation are ready for the transition to digital TV all the time. Today and tomorrow, two stations in Sacramento will shut off their analog signals for 30 seconds. During that time, viewers will see a message showing if their TVs passed or failed the upgrade tests. 

And for the latest coupon update: As of Sept. 17, 10.4 million coupons have been redeemed out of a possible 33.5 million. There are still 7.4 million coupons out there waiting to expire. Coupons expire after 90 days. After that, you’re out of luck unless you can borrow one from a friend or petition the government enough to change thier minds. You can still order your coupon at www.dtv2009.gov or call 1-888-388-2009.

Links:

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Digital TV discounts still available; Amazon starts selling converter boxes

September 17th, 2008, 1:22 am by

Get your questions answered about the Feb. 2009 transition to digital TVFive months from today, TV broadcasts will change to all digital, all the time. Approximately 70 million older, analog TV sets won’t work after that date unless they’re connected to a paid-TV service or a digital converter box.

I’ve been following the transition since spring but hadn’t done an update since last month. For my Orange County readers affected, please go to my special Guide to the Digital TV transition to get basic questions answered.

A few updates:

  • The $40 government-issued coupons to help offset the price of a converter box are still available. If you’ve already requested yours, use it before it expires. They expire 90 days after being mailed.
  • As of Sept. 10, approximately 10 million of 33.5 million coupons available have been used. Some 7.9 million have expired.
  • Amazon is now selling digital converter boxes. There are 10 models available that can be purchased with a coupon discount. Here is Amazon’s page of digital TV products.
  • Residents of Wilmington, N.C. were the first to go all digital, all the time, last week. No major issues, from what I can tell.
  • The government-sponsored Digital TV Road Trip still has not posted any Orange County locations so you can’t go yell at them in person.
  • If you’ve lost your coupon, don’t want to pay for cable or satellite TV or have decided that installing a converter box is too difficult, consider buying a digital TV. They’re getting cheaper and you won’t have to worry about the day TV networks start broadcasting in digital all the time beginning Feb. 17.

Related:

Recent tech posts:


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Yell at the FCC on its Digital TV transition tour

August 19th, 2008, 2:45 pm by

Get your questions answered about the Feb. 2009 transition to digital TVI mentioned this yesterday but it got buried in the digital-transition post: Members of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission will be traveling to 80 cities starting Aug. 27 to educate consumers about why we’re moving to all-digital TV broadcasts.

The switch to digital affects people who own an older, analog TV that relies on an antenna to get pictures (Others with cable or another paid-TV service are being taken care of by their provider). On Feb. 17, 2009, major TV networks will stop broadcasting in analog signals and will switch to digital. Analog TV watchers will need to buy a digital-converter box to continue watching favorite shows. The government is providing up to two $40 coupons to offset the price of these boxes.

But many readers have complained that they don’t understand why this is happening (answer HERE) and why the coupons expire after 90 days (answer HERE). I’ve even listened to a reader who believes these digital converter boxes are an elaborate spy operation by the government, like a sinister version of the Clipper Chip.

Well, if you’re one of those readers, you can yell ask the government yourself.

The DTV tour targets cities where more than 100,000 households, or 15 percent, rely solely on the over-the-air signals for TV. (People who have cable, satellite or other paid-TV service are not affected by the switch, even if they have an old, analog TV.)

Orange County isn’t on the list of 80 cities, but Los Angeles and San Diego are. Dates are to be announced in the future. As part of the tour, the FCC will hold a public event in the community. I will post local information as soon as I hear about it.

The first batch of cities and dates: Read the rest of this entry »

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Back to school gadget advice from a 17-year-old student

August 19th, 2008, 12:01 am by

Michael Gil, OC Register summer intern 2008Michael Gil, a 16 now 17-year-old from Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School joined our staff for the summer. I was ready to dump a bunch of menial tasks his way but then I realized, he’s 16! He should know more about what students really need for school much better than me or the hundreds of back-to-school press releases in my inbox.

With September rapidly approaching, I am getting ready for my Junior year of high school. I have all my books, pens and paper but after a month working beside the ‘Gadgetress‘ in the Register’s Marketplace section, I’m becoming curious about what sorts of gadgets I could take back to school this year.

Dell Stuido Hybrid computer

Computers

The first thing that comes to mind is a computer. I am an Apple person, but while searching Dell’s website, I happened upon a “green” desktop computer. The Dell Studio Hybrid is advertised as 80 percent smaller than the average desktop computer. That makes it a great space saver for my small desk. Dell says it uses 70 percent less power. For people who want to be even greener, the computer is available with an outer cover made from bamboo instead of the usual plastic. It is available with up to 4 GB of RAM, a 320 GB hard drive and an optional built in TV tuner that lets you watch TV right on your computer. The Dell Studio Hybrid starts at $499.

The main drawback of a desktop computer is that, as its name implies, it is designed to be used on a desktop. For students who want a computer in class everyday, a laptop is the way to go. For school, the Apple MacBook is my number one pick. It has a 13-inch screen, which is convenient for carrying in a backpack – with a specially designed laptop compartment, of course. Built in Wi-Fi makes connecting to the Internet for “research” quick and simple. You can even download Schoolhouse 2, a program that helps keep track of assignments, organize notes and follow grades. 2 GB of RAM, a 250 GB hard drive and a built-in camera makes this a great computer. The MacBook starts at $1099. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Computers • Gadgets • • • • • • • • • | 3 Comments »

Most digital-TV coupons expire before being used

August 18th, 2008, 12:26 pm by

Get your questions answered about the Feb. 2009 transition to digital TVWith six months left before TV switches to all-digital broadcasts, the number of government-issued coupons used to offset the purchase of a digital-converter box dropped below 50 percent. This means that more than half of people who requested a $40 coupon have lost it or have let it expire.

[Also read: FCC will start an 80-city tour to answer questions about the digital TV transition beginning late August. ]

The latest data, from the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration, shows that coupon redemption rate dropped to 48.8 percent last week, down from a high of 53.5 percent three weeks earlier. Lost or expiring coupons rose to 52 percent. This data is for completed transactions, or coupons issued by May 10. Coupons issued since then have not yet expired.

Get your converter box coupon at dtv2009.govCoupons expire 90 days after they are mailed. The $40 coupon can be used to buy one of dozens of digital TV converter boxes at 2,458 retailers nationwide (at 28,097 locations).  Older, analog TVs that use an antenna to get a TV signal won’t be able to watch major channels after Feb. 17, 2009. But installing a digital converter box will convert the new digital signal back to analog so the TVs will still be watchable.

The government set aside $1.5 billion from last spring’s auctioning off of some airwaves to fund 33.5 million coupons. As of Aug. 13, 8.3 million coupons have been used, while 6.7 million coupons have expired.

Target still selling HD converter boxesPossible reasons for the higher rate of expiring coupons are people don’t realize they expire (the date is listed on the coupon), they realized they don’t need a converter box because they have cable, satellite or another paid TV service, or they recently bought a digital TV.  People who have let their coupons expire cannot request another one, but the program allows people who don’t need one to give their’s away.

Consumers can apply for a coupon at dtv2009.gov or call 1-888-DTV2009.

Many converter boxes have sold out, according to the NTIA’s official list. However, I know digital converter boxes are still in stock. I was at the Target store in Huntington Beach over the weekend and they had plenty (see photo on right).

For more tips, check out “Guide to the 2009 Digital TV transition.”

Related:

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Portable TVs will fade away after February

August 12th, 2008, 6:56 am by

10/2/2008 — UPDATE to this question: There is now a battery-powered converter box. Read the post, “50% more coupons available for digital TV converter box program”

Stump the GadgetressStump the Gadgetress isn’t really back. I’ve just been answering a ton of digital converter box questions and this one seemed worthy of sharing my research with all readers.

Question: Will my portable TV not work after Feb. 2009?

Gadgetress: Nope. You’re out of luck. 

**UPDATE** WineguardDirect.com now sells a battery-powered converter box.**

My initial research shows that nearly every portable TV will need a converter box because they are analog TVs. And everyone should know by now that on Feb. 17, 2009, TV broadcasts for the major channels will switch to digital only, leaving analog TV viewers in the dark. But you don’t need to get rid of your TV — you just need to buy and install a digital converter box. Lots of info on that at “Guide to the Digital TV transition.”

The lone exception to ditching the TV is the portable TV. There are no battery-operated cAccurian 7″ Portable Handheld TV sold at Radio Shack is one of the rare digital portable TVsonverter boxes available and no manufacturer has stepped up to make such a product. It’s probably because the portable TV market is so small, no one can make any money developing such converters.

This is quite sad for many folks out there who rely on portable TVs for news during emergencies.  Guess you’ll have to rely on TV on your cell phone during those tough times.

However, there are portable TVs that have the digital tuners built in, but that will set you back at least $200. Read the rest of this entry »

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UPDATE: Watch the Olympics in HD

August 8th, 2008, 12:30 pm by

**Time Warner offers an update to its Olympic HD coverage. See below in bold **

The games have begun, but if you’re wondering who’s actually offering the Olympics in high definition, I did some checking around.

NBC is broadcasting the games in HD at certain times of the day. Its Universal HD channel is broadcasting in HD 24 hours a day. Also, NBC has provided two sports-specific channels with 24-hours of either soccer or basketball.  In total, NBC is offering more than 800 hours of coverage, which includes video on demand. In high-definition, NBC’s coverage is: NBC HD (225 hours), Universal HD (379 hours), USA HD (165 hours) and CNBC HD (95.5 hours, broadcast late at night)

Online, NBC’s Olympics site makes it easy to search sports schedules based on your TV service and region. Check the schedule at nbcolympics.com/tv_and_online_listings

But not every paid-TV service offers everything. Check out the list below:

Cox’s Olympic Showcase channel shows what’s on mulitple channels

Cox Communications — Offering HD Olympic soccer (channel 797) and HD Olympic basketball (channel 796) Both are free to digital cable customers. Also, its Olympic Showcase channel (shown above and on channel 998) gives viewers a glimpse at what’s happening on five channels simultaneously. Cox also offers on-demand coverage of the Olympics, though none in HD.

Time Warner Cable –  Also offering the two special HD channels of just Olympic soccer (channel 413) and basketball (channel 422). The two channels temporarily replace MOJO HD (Ch. 422) and HD Special Events (Ch. 413) during the games. This is available to all areas that receive those channels. See Time Warner’s roll-out schedule for HD in various cities.

DISH Network –  Free access to HD Olympic soccer channel (Ch. 99/367) and Olympic basketball (Ch. 98/365). There’s also numerous Video on Demand titles for free but not in HD (Meet the Athletes, Beijing 411), as well as the usual NBC channels (Universal HD on Ch. 366 is available to Platinum HD subscribers). Select DishHOME (Ch. 100) to get highlights of day’s events though not all are in HD. For foreign language coverage, the Mandarin Chinese broadcast is on Ch. 664, while Korean is on Ch. 655.

DirecTV –  HD basketball will be on channel 754, while soccer will be on 755.  Lots of video-on-demand content (ch. 1008) of the Olympics, though not all in HD.

Verizon FiOS TV — Just in time for the games, FiOS users got two more NBC HD channels, including CNBC HD, USA HD (in addition, FiOS added Bravo HD and Sci Fi HD). FiOS users also get the two 24-hour HD channels of soccer and basketball.

AT&T U-Verse — On-demand content features shows that wrap up the day’s events. AT&T Wireless is offering customers around-the-clock coverage on its mobile TV service, available at www.att.com/mobiletv.

For more Olympic coverage from The OC Register, visit the OC in Beijing page.

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