Better wait to send for those DTV Converter coupons

Now that the new year is well underway we find ourselves just about thirteen months from the end of analog TV broadcasting. I have written several times about this transition and will certainly continue to do so in future columns all year. You may have seen some spots on TV discussing the various options you have in order to make sure that you continue to receive your favorite TV programs after February 17, 2009. Look for cable companies and satellite services to run advertisements that lead you to believe that you will need to subscribe to one of their services to continue to use you old TV. You don’t need to use them. In fact, you don’t even need a new TV set. You can purchase a converter that will receive the new digital channels and convert them to channels that your old TV can display.

In my column last week I briefly mentioned the beginning of the Federal program that will provide up to two $40 coupons for use in purchasing DTV converters. Over the past few weeks there have been several articles in the newspaper and some news reports on TV and radio urging people to request the coupons as soon as possible. While the program officially began January 1, 2008, and more than 800,000 households have already requested coupons, I would suggest that you wait to send for your coupon.

There is a one detail about the coupon program that has not received much discussion in most of the reports in the news. The coupons have an expiration date. They expire 90 days from date of issue. If you request the coupons now, they will expire in April. I have been watching the stores and have yet to see any converters for sale. Since there have been only a few manufacturers that have been approved to make the devices and those approvals have been issued by the FCC in the last few months, it may well be spring or even summer before the devices can be purchased in local stores. I don’t know about you, but I am not too excited about re-applying to the Federal Government for two additional coupons when the ones I first received expire.

Waiting till summer or even fall should not be a problem. Congress has indicated that if the first appropriation to fund the coupon program is not sufficient to handle the demand, they will increase the funding. No congressperson wants his constituents calling and complaining that they can no longer watch TV.

I will continue to monitor the various local electronic stores and report when the converters are available. A spokesperson for Best Buy® was quoted in a recent Associated Press article that his stores would be getting the converters soon after the first of the coupons were mailed to consumers. Once that happens I will see what models are available. Since there will be several “flavors” of these converters, each with special features and options. I’ll try to cut through the “technobabble.” In the meantime you can get more information by going to my blog or by calling 888 DTV-2009 (888-388-2009) or go to the DTV information website http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/PreparingForTheDTVTransition.pdf

Better wait to send for those DTV Converter coupons

Now that the new year is well underway we find ourselves just about thirteen months from the end of analog TV broadcasting. I have written several times about this transition and will certainly continue to do so in future columns all year. You may have seen some spots on TV discussing the various options you have in order to make sure that you continue to receive your favorite TV programs after February 17, 2009. Look for cable companies and satellite services to run advertisements that lead you to believe that you will need to subscribe to one of their services to continue to use you old TV. You don’t need to use them. In fact, you don’t even need a new TV set. You can purchase a converter that will receive the new digital channels and convert them to channels that your old TV can display.

In my column last week I briefly mentioned the beginning of the Federal program that will provide up to two $40 coupons for use in purchasing DTV converters. Over the past few weeks there have been several articles in the newspaper and some news reports on TV and radio urging people to request the coupons as soon as possible. While the program officially began January 1, 2008, and more than 800,000 households have already requested coupons, I would suggest that you wait to send for your coupon.

There is a one detail about the coupon program that has not received much discussion in most of the reports in the news. The coupons have an expiration date. They expire 90 days from date of issue. If you request the coupons now, they will expire in April. I have been watching the stores and have yet to see any converters for sale. Since there have been only a few manufacturers that have been approved to make the devices and those approvals have been issued by the FCC in the last few months, it may well be spring or even summer before the devices can be purchased in local stores. I don’t know about you, but I am not too excited about re-applying to the Federal Government for two additional coupons when the ones I first received expire.

Waiting till summer or even fall should not be a problem. Congress has indicated that if the first appropriation to fund the coupon program is not sufficient to handle the demand, they will increase the funding. No congressperson wants his constituents calling and complaining that they can no longer watch TV.

I will continue to monitor the various local electronic stores and report when the converters are available. A spokesperson for Best Buy® was quoted in a recent Associated Press article that his stores would be getting the converters soon after the first of the coupons were mailed to consumers. Once that happens I will see what models are available. Since there will be several “flavors” of these converters, each with special features and options. I’ll try to cut through the “technobabble.” In the meantime you can get more information by going to my blog or by calling 888 DTV-2009 (888-388-2009) or go to the DTV information website http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/PreparingForTheDTVTransition.pdf