guess what came in the mail today (set top box coupons)

[LCHIEN]

I got my two set top box coupons in the mail today.
I have analog cable it will continue but I do have a couple of TVs not hooked up to cable in remote rooms. What the heck, the US gov is getting $10B for the auction of the spectrum, they're putting my otherwise working TVs out of business and the coupons are free.

[bigstick509]

I got our coupons about a week ago, being the A/V and I/T guy that our families call when they need help I thought they might come in handy. Older members of the family still don't have cable to secondary TV sets in bedrooms, these should save me from running coaxial to them.

[jon_ramp]

When I checked in January, there were no converter boxes available - at least locally, I didn't check on-line. I had heard that the coupons expired 3 months after issue. Are they available at retail stores yet? Is there any difference from one brand to the next?

[Knottscott]

Guess I haven't followed this all that closely....anyone care to fill me in about these coupons? How do I get them and do I need them?

ps...why does the govt of a "free" country think they need to get involved with regulating that aspect of an entertainment media like TV? Why not require everyone to have better sounding stereo systems! I'd guess some public servants are using the "self service" pumps.

[Stytooner]

Guess I haven't followed this all that closely....anyone care to fill me in about these coupons? How do I get them and do I need them?

I'm right there with you.
I did hear that soon I will no longer be able to receive local signals unless I have an HD TV. I don't have one in the house. We do have three sets though. Is this box to convert HD to an oldler set Like I have?
I rarely watch it unless a storm is close. I unplug everything else and just watch one small TV for local updates.

[LinuxRandal]

This IS a box that has a built in digital receiver and hooks to your tv. You then change channels on it. BUT:

Does it only have one tuner? (tv can use one, vcr, dvd, tivo style recorder needs its own and they no longer can change them)
What are its inputs and outputs? (what connects through it)
Do the coupons expire? How long from being issued? When will the government stop providing them?
I doubt that this is going to stop that free tv was supposed to be paid for by commercials, yet SUBSCRIPTION based services were not.


Seems to me, we might be better off, if tv's died, and we disposed of them.
Less wasteful spending on the newest gadget, more getting done around the houses/shops of America, more money going towards debt reduction, home improvement, over doo-dads, and fitness level goes up.

I am actually thinking of eliminating my tv in the next two months because of this.

[MilDoc]

February 17, 2009 all broadcast TV goes digital. Older sets receiving over-the-air analog signals now through rabbit ears or outdoor antennas will no longer be able to receive over-the-air signals. The Gov offers up to 2 $40 off coupons towards buying a converter box and yes, the coupons expire in 3 months, Boxes are supposed to cost $70-$80 but i have yet to see one either.

This supposedly will not effect cable, satellite, or other pay TV sources as they will transmit both analog and HD channels. But who knows if that will last?

https://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx

[BobSch]

ps...why does the govt of a "free" country think they need to get involved with regulating that aspect of an entertainment media like TV? Why not require everyone to have better sounding stereo systems! I'd guess some public servants are using the "self service" pumps.

The government's purpose in forcing TV to go digital wasn't to control quality but to free up a wide spectrum of frequencies they then auctioned off to cell phone companies and for other uses. Analog TV "wasted" a lot of space in the broadcast frequencies.

[LCHIEN]

I'm right there with you.
I did hear that soon I will no longer be able to receive local signals unless I have an HD TV. I don't have one in the house. We do have three sets though. Is this box to convert HD to an oldler set Like I have?
I rarely watch it unless a storm is close. I unplug everything else and just watch one small TV for local updates.

Its not really an HD converter so much as a digital converter.
It receives digital broadcasts and outputs an RF signal in the old analog mode over a coax output so you can plug it into your older TV; The TV does not know it comes from the antenna or converter so its happy. of coourse the otput will be constraned to channel 3 or 4 just like VCR coax outputs have been in the past.

For the other poster who said why should the gov say what people use...
I guess its a normal function of govt to allocate division of and regulate use of airwaves since otherwise there would be sheer chaos. Its also a better use of airwaves since digital can be compressed and carry much more info. Its really for mutual benefit. Maintaining two sets of broadcast equipment is wasteful of the limited spectrum we have so that's also a good thing. Anyway that's why the govt is involved and telling us what to do and from a technical point of view its actually a good thing. We all suffer a bit for the common good. If you're an anarchist, then I can see your POV, too, ever so slightly.

[RAV2]

Lots of great info on this matter if you Google DTV.

Some corrections - the change is to digital brodcast format (1's and 0's). HD is a totally different thing and refers to image quality above 480i (the current quality of analog broadcast signals).

Cable subscriber will not need to do anything in Feb 2009. BE AWARE - contrary to what my mother thinks (not so tech savvy), cable companiew will not pass HD signals (then or now) unless you buy an HD box from them (another $10 per month on top of the regular cable box fee) - this includes directly connected tv's to the cable line without a cable box. (I THINK THIS IS A TRAVESTY THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BY THE GOVERNMENT).

Converter boxes are between $49 (Walmart) to $59 (Best Buy, Rshack, all other electronic stores have them). Coupons - up to 2 per household get you $40 off. I have 2 of the Insignia boxes from BB. They control TV volume and also TV power. Clarity is very good and they have an (free) on screen guide with channel info that is great. I looked at the WM box but the quality is not so great.

There are some interesting (and confusing) things to consider in the future. In 2009, most stations will be broadcasting on the UHF band. If you are getting a new antenna (just to try this out) quality UHF antennas are available that should be used. It is unclear whether the couple of stations that are digital on VHF will move to UHF in my area so the combo UHF/VHF antenna I have is good for my needs now.

On antennas, there is no need to purchase any antenna different than your 1970's vintage aerial antenna on most existing rooftops. Rabbit ears on top of your set may work excellent if you are close to the signals (see antennaweb.org). My 16' aerial antenna from RS is in the attic and wired to my 3 sets.

By the way, I'm writing this on my fiber optic cable connected internet (FIOS), watching Over-the-air HD from PBS-World HD on my 42" 1080 plasma TV, but can not accept that I need to spend $50+ per month plus $20 (rental for HD per tv) to get TV from FIOS. I'm using Netflix and Netflix Instant (7000+ on demand selections over the internet) for $14 per month as an acceptable alternative.

[LCHIEN]

February 17, 2009 all broadcast TV goes digital. Older sets receiving over-the-air analog signals now through rabbit ears or outdoor antennas will no longer be able to receive over-the-air signals. The Gov offers up to 2 $40 off coupons towards buying a converter box and yes, the coupons expire in 3 months, Boxes are supposed to cost $70-$80 but i have yet to see one either.

This supposedly will not effect cable, satellite, or other pay TV sources as they will transmit both analog and HD channels. But who knows if that will last?

https://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx

The coupons (actually swipe "credit" cards) came with a lengthy list of the models theat are approved for purchase with the card and a list of local stores that carry them.

[Stytooner]

Thanks, Loring. Next question. Does this box then eliminate the need for an antenna? Is it strong enough to catch the local signals that will then be broadcast? I do watch Dish TV some, but occaisionally there is that Bama game on that I want to watch. Since all but one TV is running satelite, to watch the game in the living room, I have to rob the rabbit ears from a bedroom. Is this box the answer to all the rabbit ear dohickies?

[LinuxRandal]

This supposedly will not effect cable, satellite, or other pay TV sources as they will transmit both analog and HD channels. But who knows if that will last?

https://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx

Cable IS going to digital, and still plans on keeping the HD as a seperate charge from the meeting they were having (place withheld). I didn't hear a timetable (these things take quite a while, national role out), but they are going to be issuing set top boxes to ALL their customers (and I think I heard 1 free one, like the cable of old). I didn't exactly get friendly with them (I do see them a fair bit), since THEY are my Bit torrent problem (I USE and DOWNLOAD LINUX). It has MUCH improved since they got busted, and the FCC started looking at them.

[LCHIEN]

Thanks, Loring. Next question. Does this box then eliminate the need for an antenna? Is it strong enough to catch the local signals that will then be broadcast? I do watch Dish TV some, but occaisionally there is that Bama game on that I want to watch. Since all but one TV is running satelite, to watch the game in the living room, I have to rob the rabbit ears from a bedroom. Is this box the answer to all the rabbit ear dohickies?

if you used an antenna for that TV before, you'll still need the same antenna. The frequencies are the same band, signal propogation is the same, just the signals have a different format/content. You can probably unplug the antenna from your TV and plug the same antenna into the converter box, then connect the converter box coax out to your TV where the antenna used to be hooked.

Now the caveat is: If you old picture was good and clear you'll be OK. But if your old picture was fuzzy and full of snow and or multipath then you'll have bad luck. Digital has more tolerance for noise and weak reception up to a point, then when there's too much the picture just falls apart, pixellates and goes blank and the sound goes completely off.

[LCHIEN]

Cable IS going to digital, and still plans on keeping the HD as a seperate charge from the meeting they were having (place withheld). I didn't hear a timetable (these things take quite a while, national role out), but they are going to be issuing set top boxes to ALL their customers (and I think I heard 1 free one, like the cable of old). I didn't exactly get friendly with them (I do see them a fair bit), since THEY are my Bit torrent problem (I USE and DOWNLOAD LINUX). It has MUCH improved since they got busted, and the FCC started looking at them.

Last time I asked my cable co. what the plan was (for going away from Analog), they had no idea. Of course they sold out (Time warner) to Comcast so I have no idea what Comcast is thinking.

Becasue their signal is over a cable, they don't have to share the spectrum on the cable with anybody except themselves (for more TV channels or internet), they don't really have any bandwidth worries that would make them shift away from analog all that urgently. I'm sure eventually they will want to go all digital but as long as they have a sizeable base of analog users...