TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Demand High For TV Converters

ADVERTISEMENT

By RICHARD MULLINS The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 3, 2008

The federal government took half a million requests for coupons to buy analog-to-digital converter boxes for televisions Wednesday, one day after they became available, said Bart Forbes, a spokesman for the Commerce Department.

Each household can request from the government two $40 coupons to help offset the $50 to $70 expected price tag of the converter boxes.

Consumers have until Feb. 18, 2009, to purchase a converter. That's the date television stations will stop broadcasting traditional analog TV signals - the kind picked up by antennas.

That means any older, non-digital televisions without cable or satellite service hooked up will need a converter box to receive a picture.

But don't run out to order a coupon or buy a converter box just yet. Most major electronics stores don't yet carry the boxes, and probably won't stock them until spring. That matters, because the coupons expire after 90 days, so it may be best to wait until your local TV store stocks the boxes before ordering a coupon.

"We do know that there may be between 13.5 million and 20 million over-the-air only recipients, and they may not realize they need these boxes," Forbes said. "We're encouraging retailers to have the boxes on the shelf by mid-February, one year out from the conclusions of the analog broadcasts."

Despite the number or requests reported by the Commerce Department, real demand for the boxes likely will take some time.

"We don't think there's going to be a mad rush on boxes until summer, maybe fourth-quarter," said Rory Courtain, president of Sansonic Electronics, an El Monte, Calif.-based company making converter boxes. That said, he hopes the government and retailers can clear up confusion over whether people need boxes.

Why is the government doing this? Analog signals take up more space on the wireless spectrum than digital signals, so there's a lot of potential room for more digital TV channels and advanced wireless services if analog TV signals go away.

There's no concrete rule to finding out if your TV is analog or digital. But likely any TV bought before 2004 will be analog and need a converter box, or a connection to cable or satellite service.

CONVERT YOUR TV

The best Web site for information about the transition is www.dtv2009.gov. There are four ways to request a coupon:

•Apply online at www.dtv2009.gov.

•Call the coupon program's 24-hour hot line at 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009) or 1-877-530-2634 for TTY users.

•Mail a coupon application to P.O. Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208-2000.

•Fax a coupon application to 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632).

The program is administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. For information, visit www.ntia.doc.gov.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. Reporter Richard Mullins can be reached at rmullins@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7919.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT