Digital Switch (Video Included)

Contact Webmaster · Station Info · What's on TV

Home · Weather · News · Morning Show · Sports · TV Station · Contests · Local · Features · Blogs · Epros

For Women Only · Money · Entertainment · 23 News Politics · Food and Recipes · Lottery · Digital TV Switch · Game Room · Watch CBS Programs

Those interested in coupons for digital TV converter boxes can apply now by calling (888) 388-2009 or by logging on to www.dtv2009.gov

How to Contact the FCC: Do you still have questions about the DTV Transition? If so, please contact the FCC.

Federal Communications Commission:

Phone: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)
TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)
Fax: 1-866-418-0232
E-mail: DTVinfo@fcc.gov

Submit a Question

How do I get the coupons for the converter box? - 6 Comments Posted

Answers to Digital Switch Story Comments - 3 Comments Posted

Digital Switch (Video Included)

Save

20 comments

The average American spends 30 hours every week in front of the television. But many of the TVs you are watching won't work at all when we switch to digital.

Let the countdown begin. In 655 days a popular past time will change forever but do you know just what we are counting down to?

Do you have any idea what it might be?

Apparently no one knows exactly what is happening so we asked an expert.

Greg Roberts, a television specialist says, "That's the point where the analog transitions from stations like yours and all the rest of the stations will be cut off and going to just a digital signal."

People with satellite don't have to worry. They are already receiving a digital signal and the cable company will ultimately decide whether or not their customers will have to pay for the transition, but everyone else who is using rabbit ears on grandmas black and white TV from 1957 will have to dish out some cash.

One solution will be to upgrade. But digital televisions are priced from a few hundred to several thousands of dollars. Television junkies who don't want to spend that kind of money do have another option.

They'll need to buy the converter box that goes on top of their analog TVs that will grab the digital signal and transform it back into analog signal for those old TVs.

Those boxes should cost around a hundred dollars but coupons for almost half of that will be available to every household.

del.icio.us

Google

Yahoo

digg

Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Jeff Location: WIFR on Apr 15, 2008 at 03:16 PM
Frances, I don’t know what you mean by a “digital connection” on the back of your TV. The connections for digital are the same as analog. What you should be concerned about is whether your TV has a digital tuner or not. You should go to the main menu of your TV and perform a channel search. See if your set searched for digital channels. That should tell you right away if your TV has a digital tuner.

Posted by: Frances Location: Canton, Il. on Apr 12, 2008 at 11:41 AM
I have a RCA TV with a digital connection on the back of the set, Am I ready for digital? My sister wants to know also if she will need a box for digital, she doesn't have a digital connection.

Posted by: Jeff Location: WIFR on Apr 9, 2008 at 08:07 AM
I would think you’d get your coupons real soon. I ordered mine in January and received them a few weeks ago. There is another employee at the station that ordered hers in the beginning of February and she just received hers last weekend (April 5th).

Posted by: Donna Location: Dixon MO on Apr 8, 2008 at 06:30 PM
I still have not received the 2 coupons I filed for in Feb 2008 Will I still get them please let me know what happened to them

Posted by: Jeff Location: WIFR on Mar 31, 2008 at 02:03 PM
James, I sent for my coupons in mid January and I just got them last week. (March 26th) I took awhile but I finally got them. They work like a debit card. You purchase you converter box, swipe the card and pay the diffeence. You'll end up paying about 10 dollars after the coupon.

Posted by: James Location: Oklahoma City, OK on Mar 5, 2008 at 08:12 PM
I still have not received the 2 cupons offered as of 3-5-08. Are they still coming? Please let me know.

Posted by: Mary Wedel Location: Freeport Illinois on Feb 18, 2008 at 06:24 PM
We still have the option of not watching TV! It would take about 3 weeks to get through the withdrawl of TV addiction. Then we may start using our time figuring out what we were created for. What are we passionate about? Reading, Gardening, Visiting Family, Games with our kids, Crafts, Sewing, Canning, Caneing, Neighbors, Exercising, Cooking, Sewing, (add more to the list)

Posted by: Diane Location: Rockford, IL on Jan 7, 2008 at 12:58 PM
It's scary that the government sees fit to get involved with how we watch TV. I mean, how is this a government issue? Seems the next step for them would be what we watch. The only reason I can see that government would regulate this is the airspace involved. I don't know much about bandwidth and analog vs. digital, is the airspace too cluttered with analog signals...does analog require more airspace or bandwidth or whatever?

Posted by: coco Location: georgia on Jan 4, 2008 at 10:54 PM
Converter boxes cost $179.00 to $400.00, if someone knows where we can buy a converter box for $50.00 please let me know. I read article, us gov. can sell analog waves to wireless communications for as much as $15billion. Congress has sold the american people out, they are giving tv stations money to go digital, $40.00 cupon is a joke for the people who live on Social Security/Meicaid/Poor. We will be left with NO TV.

Posted by: randy Location: corsicana texas on Dec 18, 2007 at 02:14 PM
i thought analog tv was allright just another way for the goverment to make money.

Posted by: mary Location: columbus,ohio on Dec 13, 2007 at 04:34 AM
This is just another way for Uncle Sam to monitor us and spend our money.America is "the new Russia".

Posted by: Answers to Questions Location: WIFR - Engineering on Nov 30, 2007 at 10:03 AM
You don't have to spend a lot of money to watch tv. Converter boxes will sell for $50 - $70. The government will allow you the opportunity to get 2 - $40 coupons that you can apply towards the purchase of a conveter box. If you choose to pay a cable company for TV services your analog TV will still work. If you get a converter box, your current TV antenna will work fine. Make sure you can receive VHF and UHF signals. A person's income has nothing to do with the governments decision to change TV standards to digital. They want to sell the bandwith that's created to other businesses. Supplying converter boxes to consumers is part of their strategy to get control of the airwaves (or bandwidth) An "old" TV is a TV without a digital tuner. Some of these TVs could be less than a year old. Before you buy any new TV make sure it has a digital tuner. Don't be confused by an "HD Ready" TV. Those are monitors that will display the resolution of HD but they still need a tuner.

Posted by: Shane Location: Beloit on Nov 28, 2007 at 09:56 AM
Why should we have to pay hundreds or even thousands just to watch tv its bad enough that we have to pay so much for cable or other providers just to watch some shows.

Posted by: Digital Switch Location: Rockford IL on Oct 25, 2007 at 11:36 PM
What if you have Insight Cable, will my 2000 to 2007 TV's work as they are?

Posted by: Pete Location: Rockton on Oct 25, 2007 at 12:28 PM
If no one can watch new TV then expect more people to go back to the old way of life before TV was around. This will be a blessing.

Posted by: Gary Location: Illinois on Jul 31, 2007 at 10:09 AM
If I get a coverter box and plug it in will I still be able to use my rooftop antenna or do I have to subscribe to cable?

Posted by: J Location: Rockford on Jul 30, 2007 at 09:03 AM
if someone is low income, then they should work on getting a higher income and not depend on others to get a converter.

Posted by: T Location: Rockford on Jul 8, 2007 at 11:06 AM
The cable company should have its own converter hooked up to their own system so low income families don't have to buy a converter box.

Posted by: judy Location: Dixon on May 4, 2007 at 10:25 PM
I still don't understand. If I have cable TV I don't need to worry how old my TV is? I just may have to pay more? OR, I have to buy a new TV, or a box for my old TV? How old is OLD?

Posted by: Sharon Location: Rockford on May 4, 2007 at 09:43 PM
What about those of us who are on a low fixed income and can't afford the converter box - even at half price? Senior citizens and the disabled are getting rooked - again!

Your DTV COUPONS are one click away! CLICK HERE

Return To The DTV Main Page

February 17, 2009 (in ) the era of analog broadcast television in the United States will end as the nation completes its transition to an all-digital system. While this change will mark the end of the traditional analog method of broadcasting over-the-air television, it won’t signal the end of free broadcast television, and your favorite broadcast programs and local television stations will still be available.

Consumers that subscribe to a "pay" television service such as cable and satellite aren’t likely to be affected by the switch, but if you currently receive analog television over the air or via an antenna, you’ll need to take action to continue watching your favorite stations.

TV sets that currently receive programming through cable or satellite are not likely to be affected by the transition to digital.

However, TV sets that rely on "over the air" broadcasting with an antenna (set-top or rooftop) to receive a signal will be affected by the cutoff of analog broadcasts in 2009. You will need to consider one of the following options:

Purchase a digital-to-analog converter box that plugs into an existing television. The boxes, which are expected to cost between $50 - 70 will be available for purchase in 2008. Beginning on January 1, 2008, U.S. households can request up to two coupons valued at $40 each. Each coupon can go toward the purchase of a single set-top converter box that will allow you to continue watching FREE "over-the-air" television on an analog set.
Subscribe to a cable, satellite or telecommunications service provider if all desired local broadcast stations are carried by that service.
Purchase a new television set with a built in digital tuner.

Any of these steps will ensure that "over-the-air" television consumers will continue to receive programming.

Oppo DV-980H Upscaling DVD Player
OPPO’s DV-980H fills out a line of upscaling DVD players that represent outstanding value and performance.