DTV Converter Box Confusion

Reported by: John Matarese

The countdown is on: We are now just one year away from the end of Analog television.This means the TV's that many of us still use to watch our newscast will no longer be able to pick up a signal..unless you have some sort of converter box.

Mark the date: February 17, 2009. That's when TV pictures will suddenly go dark....if you are still watching our news on an Analog TV, with just an antenna.

The government thinks thats easy to understand. Shoppers we found at a Circuit City store did not.

Jamie Bryant says"Yeah, I heard something about that. Is it confusing? Yeah, its confusing." Jamie and Greg Pullman say some of their older relatives are starting to panic!

Greg explains "my Grandmother has regular basic cable and she's freaking out. She's wondering if she should buy those converter boxes."

He's talking about Analog to Digital converter boxes, that will allow you to continue using an older analog set for years to come.

Steve Straucher of Circuit City tells me "these boxes will enable you to plug in and convert the new Digital signal being broadcast in February of next year, into the Analog input in your old TV."

Converter Box Details

Circuit City, Best Buy, Target, Wal- Mart, and other retailers are now starting to sell these boxes.Cost? Between $50 and $70, depending on the store.  Best Buy finally started selling them Sunday Feb 17th....other stores are slowly adding them as they arrive.

To help ease the financial hit, the government has set up a website -- www.dtv2009.gov -- where you can register for two free $40 vouchers, to cover 2 TV's.That will bring down the price, though it won't make the boxes free. The government is mailing out the vouchers starting Monday February 18th.

Circuit City's Steve Straucher says "so after that $40 youre looking at  just between $20 and 30 that you'll have to pay."

Finding a Converter Box

But where are the boxes? I walked into a Radio Shack store...Which was supposed to be one of the first retailers selling them. But I was told to check back next week.

Most major retailers now say they will have boxes in stock by the end of February. Let's hope so...because the free government coupons expire after just 3 months.

Why you May Not Need One

But wait a minute! It turns out you may not even need a converter box after all. If you have Cable TV or Satellite, like Direct TV ...your provider will continue to send an analog signal for 4 more years, until 2012.

If your TV is already "digital" (all High Def TV''s are digital), then you don't need a converter box. It can pick up the new signals off air.

But it leaves some TV viewers like Jim Makstaller wondering: Why are these all rules being forced down our throats?

Jim says "I don't get it...Who made the law and why?"Great question...But we don't have time for that debate today.

How to get your Vouchers

Bottom line: You can now register for two $40 converter box coupons, for two older TV's in your house. The government will start mailing them this February 18th.

Call 888-DTV-2009, or go to www.dtv2009.Gov (click the link above).

And don't waste your money. I'm John Matarese.