DTV Converter Box Coupons

At midnight on February 17, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to 100% digital broadcasting. Digital broadcasting promises to provide a clearer picture and more programming options and will free up airwaves for use by emergency responders.

To help consumers with the DTV transition, the government established the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a part of the Department of Commerce, administers this program. Every U.S. household is eligible to receive up to two coupons, worth $40 each, toward the purchase of eligible digital-to-analog converter boxes. The coupons may only be used for eligible converter boxes sold at participating consumer electronics retailers, and the coupons must be used at the time of purchase. Manufacturers estimate that digital-to-analog converter boxes will sell from $50 to $70 each. This is a one-time cost.

For more information on the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program, visit the NTIA's website at www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon, or call 1-888-388-2009 (voice) or 1-877-530-2634 (TTY).

What do I need to do to be ready for the end of analog TV broadcasting?

If you have one or more televisions that receive free over-the-air television programming with a roof-top antenna or "rabbit ears" on the TV, the type of TV you own is very important. A digital television (a TV with an internal digital tuner) will allow you to continue to watch free over-the-air programming after February 17, 2009.

However, if you have an analog television without a digital tuner, you will need a digital-to-analog converter box to continue to watch broadcast television on that set.

Cable and satellite TV subscribers with analog TVs hooked up to their cable or satellite service should not be affected by the February 17, 2009 cut-off date.

I bought a new TV recently. How do I know if I it has a digital TV (DTV) tuner?

By law, all new TVs must include digital tuners as of all new TVs March 1, 2007. However, retailers may continue to sell analog-only devices from existing inventory. So if you bought your TV recently, you may need to see if it has a digital tuner.

Many DTVs and digital television equipment will have labels or markings on them, or statements in the informational materials that came with them, to indicate that they contain digital tuners. These labels or markings may contain the words "Integrated Digital Tuner," "Digital Tuner Built-In," "Digital Receiver," or "Digital Tuner," "DTV," "ATSC," or "HDTV" (High Definition television). If your television equipment contains any of these labels or markings, you should be able to view digital over-the-air programming without the need for a digital-to-analog converter box.

Remember, you do not need an HDTV to view free over-the-air digital programming. As long as your television equipment contains a digital tuner, you can view over-the-air digital. An HDTV is only necessary if you want to view High Definition programming in full HD quality. You should also check the manual or any other materials that came with your television equipment in order to determine whether it contains a digital tuner.

If I have an older analog television, will I have to throw it away after February 17, 2009?

No. A digital-to-analog converter box will allow you to continue using your existing analog TV to watch over-the-air digital broadcasts. You do not need to get rid of your existing analog TV. In addition, analog sets should continue to work as before if connected to a subscription service such as cable or satellite TV. Also, analog sets should continue to work with gaming consoles, VCRs, DVD players, and similar products that you use now.

What about my VCR, DVD player, camcorder, and gaming console? Will I be able to use them with a digital television set?

Yes. DTV sets are "backward compatible," meaning existing analog equipment (VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, video games, etc.) will work on digital TV sets. However, their video will only be displayed in the maximum resolution that is available with each analog product. Manufacturers are producing a number of different connectors to hook equipment together and improve picture and sound quality when DTVs are used with existing analog equipment. Check with your retailer to determine the types of connectors that will work with your equipment.

Will cable customers with analog TVs have to buy or rent a set-top box from their cable company? If so, how much will it cost?

The February 17, 2009 deadline for the DTV transition only applies to full-power broadcast stations. Cable companies are not required by the government to transition their systems to digital, and can continue to deliver channels to their customers in analog. Cable companies are actually required by FCC rules to continue offering local broadcast stations to their customers in analog as long as they offer any analog service. This requirement will continue for at least three years until February 17, 2012. This means that customers who receive analog cable service (without a cable set-top box) will be able to continue to do so.

However, for business reasons (among other things, digital is much more efficient than analog), cable companies may be interested in transitioning their systems from analog delivery to digital delivery. If a cable company makes the business decision to go all-digital (meaning it will stop offering any channels to its customers in analog), it must ensure that its analog customers can continue to watch their local broadcast stations. This may require customers with analog televisions to get a set-top box. If the cable company provides the customer with a set-top box, any costs related to it will be determined by the cable company. Therefore, analog cable customers should contact their cable company to ask if a set-top box will be needed, when it will be needed, and if there will be a cost.

Source: FCC

No, HDTV is a digital television broadcasting system with greater resolution than traditional television systems. It is a type of digital TV, but not all DTV is broadcast in high-def resolution.

You will not need to buy an HDTV to prepare for the 2009 DTV transition, but if you're planning to buy a new TV, many of the sets available are now high-def TV.

If you're currently receiving broadcast stations over an antenna on an analog TV set, you will be able to continue watching your TV after Feb. 2009 by purchasing a set-top converter box. But some people may use the transition deadline to change their mode of service.

Satellite and cable TV operators are not required by the government to transition to digital, and the FCC has actually mandated that they continue to provide local broadcast stations in analog as long as they offer analog programming. If you're considering a move to satellite or cable, here are some major providers:

DIRECTV

DISH Network

AT&T