Digital Converter Box 4 Your Old TV-Free$40 Coupon

[Randy_]

Lots of folks still are unaware their old TVs that are hooked up to rabbit ears or a roof antenna will quit working a year or so from now when the industry switches over to digital transmission. Those folks will need to do something if hey wish to continue watching TV. Buy a new TV, subscribe to cable or satellite TV or buy a converter box to make your old TV work with the new digital system. To ease the pain for the many owners of older TVs, the government will give you a free coupon worth $40 each toward the purchase of a converter box which will probably cost about $70.

You can sign up for the coupons by logging on to www.dtv2009.gov . It takes all of about 15 seconds to register for the coupons. There are about 26 million coupons available, IIRC, and they will be issued on a first come, first serve basis. Best get your request in early if you are interested. Coupon mailing will start at the end of this month when the boxes are expected in the stores. Only hinky thing about this deal is the coupons are only good for 90 days so you will have to buy your converter and then stick it away in a closet for nine months until the switch-over takes place.

In Their Memory

 

[alphageek]

Two more tips - You can actually get up to 2 coupons per household. Also - That 90 day warning is important... You might want to delay just a bit. Right now its nearly impossible to find a converter, esp at a reasonable price. I'd consider waiting a bit until you see the mass produced lower priced machines start to come out.

 

[Randy_]

I knew that!! And meant to put it in my original post but my fingers deceived me. Note though that you have to buy two converters if you have two coupons. You CANNOT combine the 2 coupons on one converter in attempt to get it for free.

The reason converters are so scarce right now, according to the DTV web site is that the boxes are not even scheduled to be delivered to the stores until end of Feb/early March. Certainly there is some risk in not having an adequate supply of reasonably priced boxes available; but the web site says they won't start actually mailing cards until the boxes show up in the stores(mailing date is the start of the 90 period, not your registration date. I didn't plan on buying a box until toward the end of the 90 day period,anyway. I'd rather risk dealing with a short supply and higher prices than risk missing out altogether and not getting a coupon because the government ran out. As I mentioned earlier there will be a large supply of coupons available; but not an unlimited supply. When the supply is exhausted, that's it. No more will be available so there is a risk either way you go.

 

[leehljp]

Thanks fellows for this. I signed up (even from Japan) for my USA home. I still have two TVs that we move around and occasionally use the rabbit ears for Memphis broadcasts. It allowed me to sign up for two coupons and I will probably give one to one of my daughters.