PHOTO: An old analog TV set and the digital TV converter box needed to receive over-the-air television when analog TV broadcasts are turned-off Feb. 17, 2009. (Source: "Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program," National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, accessed Oct. 29, 2007 - 'Preparing for the Digital Television Transition' brochure by National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, accessed Oct. 29, 2007(PDF)
Between Jan. 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009, all U.S. households will be eligible to request up to two coupons, worth $40 each, to be used toward the purchase of up to two, digital-to-analog converter boxes. For more details on the federal regulations, including the budget information, please the DTV Converter Box Coupon Program Rules. (Quoted from "Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program," National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, accessed Oct. 29, 2007)
As of today, there are no low cost digital TV (DTV) converter boxes for old analog TV sets. Radio Shack and Best Buy are supposed to be selling converters and honoring the $40 coupon, but a search of the Radio Shack Web site on Oct. 29, 2007 said, "For more information on converter boxes and the DTV transition in general, please visit our - HDTV FAQs and Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition (CERC). The page also included links to "Discover the HDTV Revolution," Radio Shack accessed Oct. 29, 2007 and the DTV. GOV - Federal Communications Commission site accessed Oct. 29, 2007. The FCC links to this page: "Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005," National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, accessed Oct. 29, 2007.
It will be interesting to see if any converter boxes are available for sale before the $40 coupons expire three months after they are issued. Also, will they be rushed out the door and of poor quality?
There is no excuse for how this transition has been bungled because the law was passed in 1996 with the expectation that the conversion would happen by 2006. Also, it is ridiculous that it was only recently that the government required TV sets to have the digital tuner built-in. I suspect the cable and satellite TV lobbyists loved this because it will make people more dependent on them. Likewise, the TV set manufacturers were able to save a few dollars and make more profit by delaying putting digital tuners into TV sets. It is obviously in their best interest to encourage people to buy new HDTV sets instead of buying converter boxes.
The following interesting quotes are from "The Sunday Oregonian" front page article by Charles Pope, "Digital TV: Plot thickens Feb. 17, 2009," posted Oct. 28, 2007, print edition "Do you need a new TV?" The Sunday Oregonian, Oct. 28, 2007, p. A1, A15:
. . . Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., who sits on the Aging Committee, which has already held hearings, says congressional oversight is needed "to keep the heat on" the federal agencies responsible for a successful transition.
But so far, the examinations in Congress have only enhanced worries. One of the biggest concerns is a disjointed effort among officials of the Federal Communications Commission and the Commerce Department, the two federal agencies principally responsible for the switch. . .
Both Adelstein and Goldstein warned that education campaigns might be ineffective and confusing. The $1.5 billion coupon program could run out of money or fail to get coupons to consumers fast enough, and it relies on the voluntary cooperation of retailers and manufacturers to work. "In terms of actually helping at-risk consumers adapt to the new technology, we have not even begun to plan properly for the scope of the issues we will confront," Adelstein told the Senate Commerce Committee. . . .
Much of the concern is directed at the coupon program, which officials say is critical to a successful transition. The program is operated by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, an arm of the Commerce Department.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2008, the NTIA will begin accepting applications for $40 coupons that can be used to defray the cost of conversion boxes. The coupon program is not based on ability to pay, officials said, only the need for a converter. Each household can claim up to two coupons, and the subsidy must be used to buy boxes. The converters are expected to be on the market next year and cost between $50 and $70. According to the NTIA, however, coupons must be redeemed within three months of receipt and cannot be combined to purchase a single converter box.
In August, the agency awarded a $119 million contract to IBM to administer the program. The government also collected promises from Radio Shack and Best Buy to sell converters and honor the coupons. . .
A study conducted by the Association for Public Television Stations determined that 61 percent of over-the-air households have "no idea" the DTV transition is taking place. Those same people are also less likely to be computer users, meaning they won't have access to Web sites explaining the change. . .
Since March, TV manufacturers have been required to equip all new sets with digital tuners, and retailers are required to attach "customer alerts" to unsold analog TVs. The FCC has sent hundreds of warning letters to retailers that failed to display the disclosures clearly, including Toys R Us and Video Only stores in Portland. . .
. . . Broadcasters are launching a $697 million effort that includes public service announcements, a speakers bureau, bus tours and billboards. The cable industry, which is the broadcasters' fiercest rival, promises to spend $200 million in a separate campaign. Some ads are already running, but consumer advocates say the ads encourage people to buy cable or new products and don't always explain the full range of options. . .
Just picking the switch-over date was controversial. In the original House bill, the analog signal was to expire Dec. 30, 2008. Then the Senate set the deadline for April 7, 2009, to carry viewers through the NCAA basketball tournament. In merging the two bills, football won and basketball lost. The date was set for Feb. 17, 2009, well past the Super Bowl but before March Madness. . .
(See previous post FCC CableCARD rules, TiVo vs Comcast DVR (10/4/07))
