Are you ready for DTV?
DTV 2009 Countdown - On June 12, 2009, All over-the-air television stations have been mandated by the U.S. government to broadcast digital only television signals.
U.S. households may be eligible to request up to two converter box coupons, worth $40 each, which can be applied toward the purchase of up to two, digital-to-analog converter boxes.
DTV Coupon Elgibility And Applying to the Coupon Program
(Click Here)
Browse or search our site to begin learning about DTV and the digital transition .
(Over 350 answered DTV questions)
Search for your DTV answers here
Digital Transition: What’s it costing you?
The Digital Transition is less than 11 days away, and we want to here from you! The switch to digital television signals will cause old analog TV sets that are unprepared to “go 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 doing to prepare?
How much have you spent or do you plan on spending?
Do you plan on purchasing a new DTV Antenna?
How many TVs in your house do you plan on upgrading with a converter box?
Share your thoughts by going to the bottom of this page and submitting a comment.
Converter Box Coupon Update: Relief for Expired Coupons?
UPDATE 3-25-09: Expired Coupon Holders can now Reapply!!!!! Click Here to Find Out How
The last day to request a tv converter box coupon wll be on March 31st, 2009.
As the coupon deadline looms, there are some interesting redemption statistics (updated weekly) available at the NTIA Website. A total of 21.3 million coupons have been requested, and at the time of this posting, the coupon redemption rate is 54.6 percent for households that rely on over-the-air broadcast signals only.
Considering the amount of media attention lately surrounding frustrated consumers not being able to find converter boxes before their coupons expired, it’s not suprising to see such high expiration figures.
At a recent Capitol Hill oversight hearing on the state of the transition, legislators were argueing in support for re-application of expired $40 DTV converter box coupons.
The main problem re-issueing the coupons lies with the cost to make more of the coupon credit cards that consumers use to purchase the converter boxes. The original contract with IBM (maker of the converter credit cards) only covered the costs to manufacture, not reissue the cards.
Help on the Horizon for Expired Coupons?
The Washington Post reported today that a letter delivered to legislators (7/25/08) from acting assistant secretary for communications and information, Meredith Atwell Baker, said the NTIA has “initiated action with IBM to order an additional quantity of 6 million coupons” using the funds from unredeemed and expired coupons. She also said that the current budget for the converter coupon program “will be sufficient.”
The demand for converter boxes has been strong from consumers, especially with the recent announcement by Zenith that it has shipped one million converter boxes to retail stores.
What should consumers who are holding expired coupons do now?
TVConversionHelp Take: Keep waiting! As news breaks, we’ll keep consumers informed by posting details about re-ordering digital converter box coupons.
Make your voice heard and comment at the bottom of this article.
Update 11-19-08: No news yet on when or if the government will choose to allow expired dtv coupon holders to reapply.
Update 12-16-08: Still no news, we appreciate your comments!
List of cable and satellite companies and their policy on the transition to digital television (DTV)
Are you wondering what your cable or satellite provider is doing about the upcoming transition to digital television on February 17th, 2009? You’re not the only one! TVConversionhelp has been flooded with emails and website comments over the last few weeks with questions asking what a person needs to do to upgrade to digital television if they have cable or satellite.
After a little bit of research, the following list has been been put together in accordance to Cable/Satellite provider, their policy on the transition to digital television, and a direct link to their website where you can verify the information.
Check back often, we will be adding more Cable/Satellite providers to this list soon.
Disclaimer: The following information is based on opinion, and should be verified through your local cable or satellite television provider.
Cox Communications (Cable Television Service)
Cox is offering to down-convert from its digital format to analog broadcast signals for at least three years after the February 17th, 2009.
What does this mean for Cox customers? If you have basic cable (or any television cable service from Cox) and no set top box (rented through Cox), you will continue to receive television signals after the February 17th, 2009 cut off date for “at least” 3 years.
Link to Cox Communications Digital Television Information Page
Time Warner Cable (Cable Television Service)
Time Warner Cable’s digital transition page is a bit ambiguous to say the least. They offer no insight as to their future plans on helping their customers after the digital transition. The following is a direct quote from their webpage:
Q: If I’m a Basic (analog) Cable customer, will I have to sign up for Digital Cable?
A: No. Any Basic Cable setup will do. However, now is a good time to consider upgrading to Digital Cable, which offers more channels, as well as On Demand Programming, a free upgrade to HD service, an interactive program guide and more.
While informing their customers that they will indeed continue to receive cable service after the digital transition, they offer a sales pitch to “upgrade” to digital television. It pales in comparision to Cox Communications digital transition policy.
Time Warner offers no other information on their website at this time to inform basic cable subscribers how long they will continue to receive uninterrupted cable service after the digital transition.
Link to Time Warner Cable Digital Transition Information Page
Direct TV (Satellite Television Service)
According to Direct TV, most customers won’t need to take any action for the transition to digital television. For customers who have Direct TV service, but receive local channels over-the-air, may have a tough road ahead trying to figure out what they need in order to make sure they will continue to receive television signals after February 17th, 2009.
The Great News: If you receive all of your television channels through Direct TV which includes (Very Important) local television channels (ie: NBC, Fox, CBS, etc), you should continue to receive television signals without a problem after the digital transition on February 17th, 2009.
The Bad News: If you have Direct TV service, but get your local channels through an off-air antenna, you will be most likely be affected by the DTV transition depending on what type of set top box you use. There are currently only 3 set top boxes that contain both a digital tuner for “over-the-air” television stations and a tuner for satellite stations. They are the DIRECTV® HD (H20) or DIRECTV Plus® HD DVR (HR20 only), or The new DIRECTV Plus® HD DVR (HR21). If you use either one of the 3 mentioned boxes, you should be able to continue watching television after the transition date.
Important: To check and see if Direct TV provides local television programming in your area through their satellite service, click here.
So lets use a few different scenarios for those out there who have Direct TV service but are still wondering what to do:
Scenario #1: If you have Direct TV service, receive local channels through a regular antenna, but have a television with a digital tuner, you should continue to be able to watch television after the digital transition.
Scenario #2: If you have Direct TV service, receive local channels through a regular antenna, but have an analog television set without a digital tuner, you will need to obtain a digital converter box solely for the purpose of watching local television stations. In this case, you will have 2 set top boxes, your Direct TV box for viewing non-local channels, and the other “over-the-air” digital converter box for viewing local channels.
Scenario #3: Upgrade to a DIRECTV® HD (H20) or DIRECTV Plus® HD DVR (HR20 only) set top box which contain both tuners for viewing satellite channels and “over-the-air” local television stations. The only other piece of equipment needed with these 3 converter boxes will be an antenna to help receive a clear reception of local channels. This scenario may possibly be the costliest to the consumer of all 3 scenarios.
Link to Direct TV Digital Transition Information Page
Dish Network (Satellite Television Service)
Dish Network’s FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) on DTV and information provided on their webpage about the digital transition is the worst of all the cable and satellite providers I’ve seen so far.
Dish Network has side stepped directly answering what their customers need to do in order to continue to receive television broadcast signals after February 17th, 2009.
The only reference on their DTV FAQ page that may ambiguously notify their customers that they will continue to receive broadcasts after February 2009 without changing their set up is this:
“After February 17, 2009, analog TVs will no longer be able to receive programming unless their owners do one of the following:
1. Subscribe to a satellite or cable TV service”
Directly after this sentence, comes the hook…”DISH Network makes the digital transition easy by offering great satellite TV at the lowest all-digital price anywhere, and DTVPal—the coupon-eligible converter box with analog pass-through.”
So…after glancing at this sentence, could a Dish Network customer make the assumption that he needs to purchase a DTVPal? It’s possible, but don’t be fooled. The DTVPal is only far non-customers who receive over-the-air broadcasts on their analog television sets. DTVPal Link.
This is very dissapointing and inconclusive information provided by Dish Network. If you are a customer, you may want to contact them directly and ask what their policy is for the digital transition.
Link to Dish Network Digital Transition Information Page
Digital Converter Box Installation Help Videos (and help with connecting to a VCR)
Here are some great digital converter box installation videos I’ve found on youtube. If you’re on a dial up connection, you may have to wait a few minutes for the videos to load after you press play.
This first installation is a basic digital converter box to an analog television set. The converter box model is a RCA DTA 800 which has the typical inputs/outputs that most other converter boxes come with.
This second video explains how to connect your digital converter box to a VCR or DVD recorder. Again, the converter box model is a RCA DTA 800 with the typical inputs/outputs that most other converter boxes have.
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.
Who Can Requst a Coupon?
According to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, all households in the U.S. and its territories are eligible.
If the DTV converter box coupon program exhausts its $890 million coupon budget, a second phase (providing an additional $510 million) will begin. During the second phase, households that receive cable, satellite or other pay television service will no longer be eligible to receive coupons. The remaining coupons would be available to over-the-air viewers only.
The limit is two coupons per household, each good for $40 off the price of a digital TV converter box. The coupon program is for households only.
What counts as a household?
Under the government’s definition, a “household” consists of all persons who currently occupy a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room that is occupied as a separate U.S. postal address. (Even if multiple families share the same household, the limit remains two coupons worth $80 in total. For example, if your family shares a house or apartment with your parents, the whole lot of you will still be limited to two coupons to divide among yourselves.) If you live in an apartment or other multiunit dwelling, each unit with a separate postal address can request two coupons. A post office box does not count as a household, although a P.O. box is acceptable as a mailing address in rural areas without home postal delivery.
To Apply to the Coupon Program, visit: How to Apply Online, By Phone, or By Mail