Converter Box Options for consumers without a DTV coupon
Don’t have a DTV Coupon? We’ve seen converter boxes selling on eBay lately for half of the original price. No eBay account? You can sign up here.
The following converter boxes auctions listed below are ending today. This list is updated as each auction ends, so if you come back tomorrow to this page, you’ll see a fresh new list.
Is your cable company forcing you to rent or purchase a converter box?
The FCC states the following information for a consumer who is connected to a cable or satellite television service:
If you subscribe to cable service, the DTV transition should not affect any TV sets that are connected to your cable services.
End of story right? Not quite.
Complaints are beginning to surface as cable and satellite providers deal with the digital transition coming in February of 2009. Consumers are turning on their television sets to find missing channels from their basic cable lineup.
A Charter Communications customer is faced with 3 missing channels:
Charter took off 3 of our main in state channels that most people in this area watch. I called and asked why, as they gave us no notice, and they explained to see these stations we must upgrade to their digital converter box and install one on each tv.
Referencing back to the FCC’s FAQ on the digital transition provides a clear cut answer for cable providers and digital programming:
Can my cable company make me get a box to receive the cable channels I receive today without a box?
Some cable companies have decided to switch to digital service. This is a business decision made by the cable companies and is not required by the federal government. Your cable company may decide to move certain cable channels off of its analog service tier and onto a digital service tier, or it may decide to switch to all-digital service at once, so that there is no analog service tier for any subscribers.
The same Charter Communications customer had this to say about upgrading their cable service to receive the missing channels:
…the charge for each box we need (4) is $5.00 a month extra. Wow, it is going to be costly making this change. I hope to find out more about it and what is exactly necessary. I want to know the most economic route with quality of course.
$20 a month for 4 digital cable boxes adds a grand total of $240 to this cable customer’s bill each year, which seems like an unfair cost incurred during these tough economic times. Unfair as it may seem, the FCC has given strict clarification on their webpage which enables cable and satellite providers to charge for rental of converter boxes.
If your cable company decides to move some or all of the channels it provides onto a digital service tier, it may notify you that you need to get “digital cable” equipment to continue receiving that cable service. This may include renting or purchasing a digital cable set-top box or purchasing a digital cable ready TV equipped with a “CableCARD” slot. The digital cable equipment is different from the digital-to-analog converter boxes that are used to receive over-the-air broadcast signals.
The above FCC statement leaves few options open, because consumers who want to purchase a converter box for use with basic cable service are limited to boxes only authorized by their cable company. None of the OTA (Over-the-Air) digital-to-analog converter boxes that qualify for use with $40 dtv coupon cards are compatible with cable service.
Are you a cable or satellite customer affected by the digital transition? We want to hear from you, please comment by using the form just below this post.
Receiving Digital Television Signals
Consumers are discovering that the transition from analog to digital television may require a new antenna in addition to the new converter boxes. This problem is not totally inclusive to those living in rural areas but those living in dense populated cities, as well. Thanks partially to the Apply, Try and Buy programs these little glitches are being discovered. Many consumers who were able to get their shows on analog signals are not able to get them when they switch over to digital-analog converter boxes.
There are still a lot of issues to be worked out before the transition to digital television. Consumers have been told that once the switch over has been completed on February 17th, 2009, there is no going back to analog television.
Consumers have been told to buy radios in case of a power failure or emergency situations. In a society where technology is continually advancing, this may ultimately be a huge step back. Foreseeing any natural or unnatural disasters in the future consumers are concerned that they will be cut off from the world. There is a fairly large percentage of the population who are not physically or financially capable of buy or putting up new roof top antennas required for the transition.
Congress, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA) are all aware of these not only potential but apparently existent glitches in the new system. They are looking into the matter. With only four months left to go before the forced transition deadline in February 2009, no immediate plans have been announced to extend the deadline.
Source: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6601852.html?industryid=48696
Written by acwriter
Consumers React To Forced Digital TV Conversion
I remember in one of the futuristic movies we once watched, a scene in which a little girl was amazed her parents were once able to watch free television. Back then we all laughed, because we could still get free television. However, consumers are now concerned that free television is becoming a thing of the past and many are not happy about it. Due to FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulations all full-power broadcast television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and begin broadcasting only in digital. This transition will take effect on February 17, 2009.
Consumers are upset that they do not have a choice in this major transition. In our democratic society we were not given the opportunity to vote on this very impactful legislation. We have only been informed that this is now the law and we will not be able to get television signals into our home without special costly equipment. You may read that these boxes are not very expensive; however to those on a low or fixed income the fact they even have to buy one is unrealistic.
Yes, 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 you. As many of us know in the condition of our current postal system we may not get these coupons for a minimum of two or three weeks from when we order them. We are only allowed to order two coupons per household. If you have more than two television sets in your house or if your converter boxes become damaged then you will have to pay full price for these required boxes that have been priced between $49-$70. According to the lettering on the coupon it is only good for certain models of boxes. Customers are having difficulty finding these particular models in the stores in which they shop.
We are living in a time of financial uncertainty. The stock market is unstable, the oil prices are fluctuating with shortages in some areas, and most importantly the American dollar is no longer backed by precious metals as in the past; such as gold, silver or even copper. We are in the middle of a possible multi-billion dollar bail-out of our bank system. Where will they get this money? Possibly they will just print more. There again, many people would rather the government let them decide where this extra money should go. We should have the choice whether to spend it on paying off our mortgages, bank loans, credit cards, etc. But, alas once again we as the American democratic people have no vote in the matter. Of course, we understand that we can’t be consulted on every issue that comes before the house or senate committee. But, the financial issues that will affect us personally we want as patriotic American citizens to have the right to decide our futures. We can only put so much trust in the politicians we elect to office, as many promises are made in campaigns and yet not kept.
For those who have already bought the digital-analog converter boxes, they have found that there are pros and cons to these boxes. As with any new technology coming out, there may be problems that are not initially known. Some customers are complaining they cannot get a signal in their area with the new boxes. On the positive side, the majority of customers can get a signal and are finding out they are getting more channels with better quality. Many customers may not be immediately affected by the new change. The majority of customers who are paying for service already through cable or satellite, feel that this transition will not affect them. Direct TV does advertise that their services are already completely digital. They do mention that if you get your local channels thru an antenna depending on the type of receiver you have you will; have to buy the new converter box, upgrade your package or do without your local channels. However, not all of the cable and satellite providers are claiming to be completely digital or express confidence in the service their customers will receive after the transition. Some companies seem to have the wait and see mentality that is also shared with a percentage of consumers. If you are not certain what stand is currently being taken by your specific provider, it is recommended that you contact them personally.
Consumers are now faced with the possibility, of having to pay for television shows regardless of their financial condition or do without television all together. In a society where we have become accustomed to watch television on a daily basis, this would be a drastic change for many. Housebound consumers, poverty stricken consumers for example depend on the television to bring some joy to their existence. Also a concern is that more of today’s youth population will turn to the streets for entertainment if they can’t get it thru television. In conclusion, with a presidential election just around the corner bringing with it all the implications and uncertainty of a new president coming into office, consumers are definitely concerned about the forced transition.
Written by acwriter
DTV Boxes - What are they?
What exactly is a dtv converter box (also known as digital-to-analog converter box)?
If you watch TV over-the-air, using an antenna or “rabbit ears,” you will need to either convert your old analog television by connecting a converter box to it or purchase a new television with a digital tuner by February 17, 2009.
A digital television converter box is used to convert an analog television to accept digital television broadcast signals. The device itself (like the one pictured to the left), looks similar to a set top cable box, but it’s important to note that over-the-air dtv converter boxes cannot be used in conjunction with basic cable service.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is issuing each household up to two $40 coupons to help consumers with purchasing converter boxes.
What’s the Difference Between DTV and HDTV?
Do you know the difference between DTV and HDTV? Did you know that, when you purchase a digital converter box for your analog television, this will not upgrade your TV to HDTV. It’ll only upgrade your analog television to view the DTV (also known as EDTV) format.
You may want to read our article about the difference between DTV and HDTV. We also explain why SDTV (Standard Definition Television) also known as analog television is being replaced by DTV after the digital transition on February 17th, 2009.
Also, you can register at the forum if you have any questions about DTV, HDTV, or SDTV.
Want to Sound Off About Your Expired Converter Box Coupons?
Have your $40 converter box coupons from the U.S. government expired? Are you waiting for congress to legislate a change which will allow for re-application of the converter box coupons (Which still hasn’t happened as of 8/25/08)?
TVConversionHelp has decided to make a special Expired Converter Box Coupon Complaint Thread for frustrated coupon holders to voice their opinion. You can view the thread by clicking here, and if you would like to post your response, you must register to the forum first.
The most common reason we’ve seen in emails are:
- There aren’t any converter boxes available at local stores
- The expiration date was too soon for you to make a decision on which type of box to purchase
- You didn’t pay attention to the fine print that explains the expiration date of the coupon’s
Whatever your reason may be, we want to hear about it! If we receive enough complaints, we will forward the web address of all the complaints to U.S. Congress and State Representative’s offices.
Startling FCC DTV Hurricane Plan for Handheld TV Owners
One of the nagging problems with the switch to digital television is the lack of options available for handheld and mobile TV owners. There just isn’t any workable alternatives available for users of these devices; so what does this mean after the digital transition date of February 17th, 2009? Most analog handheld and mobile TVs will be rendered useless.
What about the consumers that depend on these devices for news or information during an emergency or power outage?
And once the entire country goes digital, none of the stations will be allowed to switch over to analog, even if there’s an emergency.
The above quote is from a National Public Radio station, which echoed comments from FCC Commisioners at a recent town hall meeting.
I’m going to open the comments section below this post for users of handheld and mobile tvs to voice their opinion. Your comments will be monitored (usually takes a day) before they’re posted, but I’d like to get some public opinion on this story.
Update: 11-19-08
There is now a “portable” converter box on the market which may allow for consumers to convert their analog televisions for digital television. Check it out here: Winegard RCDT09A - First Battery Powered Converter Box Available Soon Read Reviews about it here: Winegard RC-DT09 Converter Box