$40 DTV converter box from Dish is finally available

[Aug. 26, 2008 UPDATE: We've added 24 new models to our Ratings of DTV converter boxes. See our latest update to our guide to DTV converter boxes for more information. Both are free on ConsumerReports.org. —Ed.]

The much-awaited $40 DTV converter from Dish Networks—which is essentially free, except for shipping charges and taxes, after a government-issued $40 coupon is applied—is now available directly from the company, although supplies are limited, according to Dish's website.

The TR-40 has been an item of significant interest ever since Dish announced earlier this year that it would offer a feature-laden box—including analog pass-through and VCR control—that would essentially be free to consumers after a government-issued DTV coupon was applied. The box is now available at the Dish website, via phone at 1-888-638-9912 or through participating DISH Network retailers. There's a $9 charge for shipping and handling, and taxes will vary by location.

[Note: We're in the process of updating our free Ratings of DTV converter boxes. But the TR-40 came too late to be included in our most recent testing. We'll be doing our best to get our hands on one and see how it performs compared to the other DTV converter boxes we've tested. In the meantime, check our free "Guide to DTV converter boxes" for help in finding converter boxes. — Ed.]

The TR-40 is the first converter we've seen priced at $40, the amount of the coupon. The box has many of the same features as the company's DTVPal we've tested, including analog pass-through, an auto-tune timer for programming VCR recording, a seven-day electronic program guide, and a set-up wizard. (The TR-40 even appears outwardly similar to the DTVPal, seen above.) There's also a pop-up signal-strength screen that can be used to troubleshoot reception. The DTVPal is priced $20 higher.

There's no word how many of these boxes will be available.

—James K. Willcox

Free TV—on your cell phone?

Here's an interesting story from the Associated Press this morning regarding television on cell phones.

U.S. TV broadcasters are working on a new standard (called ATSC-M/H) that will allow cell phones (and other mobile devices) to receive and display over-the-air digital TV signals, which nearly all stations will be using by February 2009 as part of the transition to DTV.

TV on your cell phone isn't entirely new. U.S. cell phone service providers have been offering—for extra monthly fees—TV "channels" (such as ESPN and CNN) on certain model phones, like the Samsung SCH-u620 (Verizon), the LG Vu (AT&T) and the Samsung Instinct (Sprint Nextel). In fact, "live" TV is one of the Instinct's jazzy features that make it a much more entertaining touch-screen phone than the iPhone. (See our "head-to-head" match-up, "iPhone 3G vs. Instinct," and video for more information.)

But such services aren't beamed directly to the phones, but carried via the carrier's cellphone network. By potentially cutting out the carrier as middleman, ATSC-M/H would potentially allow next-generation mobile devices to receive free digital TV. (Like current "off-the-air" analog broadcasts, the new "free TV" service could be supported by advertisers.)

2008 Summer Olympics: Other ways to catch the Games?

With its exclusive U.S. broadcasting rights, NBC will televise a whopping 1,400 hours of the 2008 Summer Olympics Games from Beijing to American homes. HDTV owners will see some stunning moments—from tonight's opening ceremonies to the closing ceremonies 17 days later—in crystal clarity on their TVs. (To ensure that you enjoy world class viewing, see our recent post, "HDTV: Adjust the picture for best quality.")

But there are only so many hours in the day, so who can watch it all? And even NBC's thousands of hours of broadcasts won't capture every minute of the 28 Olympic events spread over 31 separate venues in China.

My recourse? Turn to technology. Specifically:

"Hancock" coming to Sony Bravia TVs before Blu-ray, DVD, or cable

In what could be a glimpse of the future, Sony announced last week that it would offer its hoped-for summer blockbuster, Hancock, as an Internet download to Web-enabled Sony Bravia TVs before distributing it on cable, satellite, DVD, or Blu-ray discs.

The company hasn't revealed some important details, such as whether the download will be high-definition or even DVD-quality. Nor has it disclosed whether Hancock will be a rental with a limited viewing time, like a pay-per-view movie, or a purchase that viewers can record and keep.

One factor that greatly limits the impact of this announcement, and the potential audience, is the fact that Sony TVs don't offer built-in Web access, but require consumers to shell out an additional $300 for the Sony Bravia Internet Video Link add-on. Most of the other major TV brands with Web-enabled TVs—including Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, and LG Electronics—don’t require any additional gear to download Web content. However, while TVs from these rivals can access news, sports, and entertainment content from a variety of providers, none yet have access to full-length feature-film downloads.

Sony Electronics has the unusual luxury of having a major Hollywood studio, Sony Pictures, as a sister company, giving it access to blockbuster movies. But it's still too early to see whether any other movie studios will support such a service, or even if Sony Pictures is willing to upset its traditional video-distribution partners—and the hefty revenue streams they provide—on an ongoing basis, especially since delivering more HD video-on-demand content is a key cable and satellite strategy.

Share your telecom "bundling" experiences

These days it seems like everyone wants to provide you with Internet, telephone and cable TV service. Double- and triple-play packages that offer some or all of these services are being heavily promoted offered by cable and telephone  companies, as well as by satellite service providers such as DIRECTV and DISH Network. Verizon's high-profile entry into the market with its much-publicized FiOS fiber-based service has created yet one more choice for consumers to ponder.

Adding to the complexity is that individual providers frequently offer a variety of bundles, allowing you to increase your Internet surfing speeds, for example, or the number of channels included with the TV portion of your service, all, of course, at a higher price. Promotional pricing that ends in anywhere from 3 to 12 months can make difficult to find the amount you’ll ultimately pay.

Given all this, we’d like to find out whether you’ve ventured into the jungle of bundled choices. If so, how was the experience?

Among the questions we’re curious about:

• How easy (or difficult) was it to compare bundles within a provider and also to compare among providers?


• Did you try negotiating with the providers to see whether they’d sweeten their offers or extend promotional prices?


• Did you end up opting for a bundle or buying your services a la carte from different companies, and how satisfied are you with your choice?

Have you reviewed the choice you made, perhaps some months after the fact? If so, some additional questions:

• If you went with a bundle, are you saving money compared to the amount you were paying for individual services, even after the end of the promotional pricing?


• Were there any nagging gimmicks or gotchas that you didn’t discover until after you signed up?


• What do you like best about your provider, and what bothers you the most?


• Finally, do you have any horror stories or tips for other consumers?

Your input will help us create upcoming content on so-called telecom bundles.

Thanks.

Broadband termination fees: Check before you sign up

A new survey from our colleagues at Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, highlights the importance of checking for termination fees for broadband service, especially if you're signing up for DSL broadband from a phone company.

Published on HearUsNow.org, CU's website devoted to telecommunications issues and advice, the survey showed that most DSL services still come with termination fees of $70 and up. For the most part, cable broadband still involves no contracts or termination fees, a continuing plus. But CU's efforts showed that it's still worth checking the fineprint, since that's where researchers turned up termination fees with Comcast triple-play service in some locations. A portent of penalties to come in other triple-play cable offerings?

-- Paul Reynolds

The digital-TV transition: Consumer assistance is broadened

When analog television meets its mandated demise, a little less than two years from now, every analog TV used with an antenna will need a set-top box that converts over-the-air digital signals to a format the old TV can receive. As we previously reported Congress has approved funding to provide consumers with $40 coupons to cover (or at least offset) the cost of those boxes. But until this week, the government proposed giving coupons only to homes that receive all their TV via antenna.

Now the National Telecommunications & Information Administration has broadened that eligibility to include any home with an analog TV that's still hooked up to an antenna, even if some sets in the home are connected to cable or satellite. Analog sets connected to a cable or satellite box shouldn't require a converter. But older, so-called cable-ready TV sets (in which the cable plugs directly into the set) may need a converter box unless, as some expect, the cable company converts digital signals to analog for their analog-cable subscribers. 

The shift has been applauded by consumer advocates, including Consumer Union, publisher of Consumer Reports. But CU finds little else to applaud in the coupon program, which senior policy analyst Jeannine Kenney describes as "under-funded" and "intentionally difficult for consumers to use. Unless Congress revisits the structure and funding of the coupon program, the digital transition will be not just an annoyance to consumers, it will be a financial burden as well, undermining the likelihood that the 2009 transition deadline will be met.”

CU's telecommunications advocacy website, hearusnow.org, has CU's news release on the program change, along with more on regulatory issues in telecommunications and CU's position on them.

— Paul Reynolds