The DTV Converter Box Coupon Program and Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About It
Important: Consumers have from January 1, 2008 until July 31, 2009 to apply for the coupon’s or until supplies last. At this time, there are no plans by Congress to extend this date.
Converter Coupon Program Details and How to Sign Up
The coupon program allows U.S. households to obtain up to two coupons, each worth $40, that can be applied toward the cost of eligible converter boxes.
To Apply for a Coupon:
Apply Online: Government’s DTV Coupon Application Page - The whole process takes less than 2 minutes.
Apply By Phone: Call the Coupon Program 24-hour hotline 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009).
Apply by Mail: Mail a coupon application to: PO BOX 2000, Portland, OR 97208-2000. Download a Printable Coupon Application here from the Government’s DTV Coupon Website.
To Fax a Coupon: The Fax number for sending a coupon application to the Government is 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632)
Deaf or hard of hearing callers may dial 1-877-530-2634 (English/TTY) or 1-866-495-1161 (Spanish/TTY). TTY Service is available from 9 AM - 9 PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday.
Where is My Converter Coupon?
To check your application or coupon status, go to https://www.dtv2009.gov/CheckStatus.aspx. Be sure to have your reference or coupon number to check your status. As of 10/19/2008, the following information was provided from the NTIA Government website for expected Mail Date’s for Converter Box Coupon’s.
Your Application Approval Date Target Mail Date January 1, 2008 2/29/2008 January 2, 2008 3/14/2008 January 3 - 6, 2008 3/21/2008 January 7 - 13, 2008 3/28/2008 January 14 - 30, 2008 4/4/2008 January 31 - February 16, 2008 4/11/2008 February 17 - 24, 2008 4/18/2008 February 25 - March 10, 2008 4/25/2008 March 11 - 23, 2008 5/2/2008 March 24 - April 7, 2008 5/9/2008 April 8 - 22, 2008 5/16/2008 April 23 - May 7, 2008 5/23/2008 May 8 - 22, 2008 5/30/2008 May 23 - 30, 2008 6/20/2008 May 31 - June 6, 2008 6/27/2008 June 7 - 13, 2008 7/4/2008 June 14 - 20, 2008 7/11/2008 June 21 - 27, 2008 7/18/2008 June 28 - July 4, 2008 7/25/2008 July 5 - 11, 2008 8/1/2008 July 12 - 18, 2008 8/8/2008 July 19 - 25, 2008 8/15/2008 July 26 - August 1, 2008 8/22/2008 August 2 - 8, 2008 8/29/2008 August 9 - 15, 2008 9/5/2008 August 16 - 22, 2008 9/12/2008 August 23 - 29, 2008 9/19/2008 August 30 - September 5, 2008 9/19/2008 September 6 - 12, 2008 9/26/2008 September 13 - 19, 2008 10/3/2008 September 20 - 26, 2008 10/10/2008 September 27 - October 3, 2008 10/17/2008 October 4 - 10, 2008 10/24/2008 October 11 - 17, 2008 10/31/2008 October 18 - 24, 2008 11/7/2008 October 25 - 31, 2008 11/14/2008 November 1 - 7, 2008 11/21/2008 November 8 - 14, 2008 11/28/2008 November 15 - 21, 2008 12/5/2008 November 22 - 28, 2008 12/12/2008 November 29 - December 5, 2008 12/19/2008 December 6 - 12, 2008 12/26/2008
A History of the TV Converter Box Coupon Program
In 1996, after years of studies by government/television industry committees, U.S. Congress deemed Digital Television as an acceptable upgrade to the 50-year-old analog television broadcasting technology.
At that time, Congress authorized the distribution of an additional broadcast channel (for digital broadcasting) to each broadcast TV station which would allow for broadcasting in both analog and digital channels simultaneously.
In 1997, the U.S. government mandated that all public TV stations were to begin broadcasting digital signals by May 1st, 2003, giving stations almost 6 years to comply. More than half of the country’s 357 public TV stations missed the deadline. (Source: Current.org).
It wasn’t until The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Approved by Congress and President Bush), that a final date of February 17, 2009, was set for all TV broadcasters nationwide to make a complete transition to digital television and switch off their analog broadcasts.
The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 allocated $1.5 billion to the TV Converter Box Coupon Program as a subsidy to consumers to help purchase up to two DTV converter boxes. The converter box would allow most existing analog television sets to continue to receive broadcast TV signals after the transition occured on February 17th, 2009.
Additional contingency’s for allocation of funds to the coupon program were included if the original funds were exhausted.
Comments
22 Responses to “The DTV Converter Box Coupon Program and Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About It”
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Our TV is 13 years old and I looked at the list for our zenith tv which does not match the number on the list (zenith DTT900/DF2000 will the converter box still work on it???
I have tried and tried and tried to get the coupons on line and can see the code at the bottom of the page to put it in. So I tried to contact them and it requries the same in put of a code at the bottom so you can send an email. But none of this shows up at all. Why is it that the Goverment of the United States of American….Makes it so difficult to get these coupons? Just like every other Goverment progam, they need to get it together!
(Edited By Admin)
PC Miller, thanks for visiting!
I’ve emailed you the answer to your question, let me know if you have any other questions.
Jay
Eugene, thanks for your opinion and visiting!
I’ve emailed you a direct link to the government coupon site along with a little info.
Let me know if you have any other questions,
Jay
[...] Click here to learn more about the U.S. government coupon program. [...]
[...] you have not done so already, you can order a total of (2) $40 converter box coupons from the government to help with purchasing a digital [...]
[...] the government has been so very kind in offering the nation a $40 coupon for these boxes. However, these coupons are only good for 90 days from when they are mailed out to [...]
My daughter is currently in prison. She was told that she needs to get one of the boxes for her TV to work. Do I get the coupon in my name or hers in order to purchase this for her. I will be the purchasing but will be having it shipped to her. Thanks for your help.
Sue
[...] Information about $40 DTV Coupons [...]
[...] afford a cable television subscription. If they do not choose to buy these boxes now with the government coupons currently available, it could cost them a lot more in the future to watch television. Current [...]
[...] you waiting to fill out the application for the $40 dtv converter box coupon? The government has scheduled the last day to apply for the coupon on March 31st, [...]
[...] everyone has seen the annoying commercials on TV about the importance of applying to the government coupon program and buying a new converter box for the digital transition, but the whole process can be rather [...]
I received my coupons for converter boxes for two old/portable TVS. This month my local station has provided two test sessions and the converter boxes (because of the inadequacy of the TVs and their antennae) are not helpful. I am unwilling to spend the amount to have an outside antenna installed for such old TV equip. Because I got my coupons early and had to spend them by 7/31 the store (Radio Shack) will not allow me to return them even though one hasn’t even been opened. Advice?
I did not realize the converter box coupons had an expiration date on them until today when I opened the letter containing the two coupons and see where they expired 12/01/2008. Can I still use these anywhere or can I exchange them for ones that are not expired.
Thank You,
Don
My cards expired and how can i get new ones to get the boxes?
I do really agree with disable granny about the buget cutting out the rental rebate this year leaving it hard for the low income family to barely beable to afford food to put on the table.So pleas make easier to use the coupons and make the store more staked with the converter boxes.But dont get me wrong i do appreciate the help in full so thANK YOU AND GOD BLESS.
[...] in the form of $40 TV Converter Box Coupons to help with purchasing up to two converter boxes. Visit here for info on how to apply for DTV Coupons. For a list of retailers approved to accept DTV Coupons with purchase of a converter box, visit [...]
What the heck, this is ridiculas! We ordered our coupons back in June ‘08 and NEVER received them. I have emailed about this once a week since AUGUST and no one can even have enough respect to reply to me. So I had my husband apply for some and it said our household was already approved for 2 coupons. Well I understand that but we never recieved them! I don’t know what else to do. We live out in the country where there is not even cable lines ran to subscribe to cable if it came down to it. Satelite is our only option besides buying them straight out and we can’t afford it on a 1 paycheck for a family of 5 in Ch 13 bankruptcy. Please, if anyone has any suggestions I would very much appreciate hearing them. Here we are 5 weeks away from the switch and we will have nothing even though we followed the directions and ordered coupons early to ensure we would have some.
Very dissapointed in the govt once again
I PUT IN FOR THE COUPONS AS FAR AS EARLY NOVEMBER AND I GOT A REPLY THAT. THEY WERE SENT OUT THE LAST OF NOVEMBER. i HAVENT RECEIVED ANY COUPONS AS OF NOW IS FEBUARY5,2009. AN I ALSO TRIED REAPPLY AND WAS TOLD I WAS NOT APPROVE TO GET ANY. SO PLEASE TELL ME WHAT CAN I DO NOW. bECAUSE YOU TRY TO GET OR BUY THE BOX. THE QUESTION THEY ALWAYS ASK WHERE YOUR COUPONS? i AM VERY DISSAPPOINTED THAT I CANT GET ANY ANSWER ON TRYING TO OBTAIN THESE COUPONS TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR ME.
[...] in case anyone has not applied for a DTV Coupon yet, the Government TV Converter Box Coupon Program has been extended to July 31st, 2009 to help [...]
[...] To Apply to the Coupon Program, visit: How to Apply Online, By Phone, or By Mail [...]
[...] dark”. To prepare, you will need to purchase a converter box (Don’t forget to apply for a coupon), buy a TV with a digital tuner, or subscribe to cable or satellite TV service. What are you [...]