DTV converter-box coupons: Act now, program ends July 31, 2009

The digital converter box coupon program will end July 31.

If you received over-the-air TV broadcasts on an analog TV and would still like to apply for a coupon to offset the cost of getting a DTV converter, the deadline for requesting one—July 31, 2009— is fast approaching. A DTV converter will enable you to continue receiving TV broadcasts, now sent as digital signals, on an analog TV.

You can apply for a converter-box coupon on the Web, by mail at PO Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208-2000, or by calling the coupon program's toll-free 24-hour automated system at 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009). You can also fax a coupon application to 1-877-388-4632. Applications can be downloaded via the DTV coupon website. (Note that those living in a licensed nursing home, intermediate care facility or assisted living facility, must mail in the Application Form for Nursing Home Residents).

As part of the DTV transition, all eligible U.S. households can request two $40 coupons, which can be used to buy eligible converter boxes at participating consumer electronics retailers. Applications will be accepted until midnight, July 31, and coupons must then be used within 90 days of being mailed.

If you need more information about the converter-box program, you can visit an online FAQ, or call the toll-free hotline: 1-888-388-2009 (voice) or 1-877-530-2634 (TTY). And if you recently applied for a coupon and would like to check the status of your request and the expected mailing date, visit the NTIA's converter-box status Web site. There's also a troubleshooting Web site for handling problems.

We suggest not waiting until the last minute, as it's possible that supplies of digital converter boxes at retail could be more limited the closer we get to the coupon deadline. So apply for a coupon today! —James K. Willcox

DTV countdown: The antenna dilemma

On June 12, 2009, television broadcasts in the U.S. will switch from analog signals to digital. Ensuring that your television set will receive those digital broadcasts may require some adjustments to your television's antenna.
[ stock photo courtesy of: Agata Urbaniak ]

The DTV transition that culminates this Friday, June 12, is putting antennas back in the spotlight. But getting good reception with digital broadcasts can be a tricky business, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution. It depends on your location, the topography around your home, and the distance to the TV station's transmitting towers.

Getting the right antenna for your situation is the first step. (See our previous post, DTV Tips: Choosing and using an antenna for our advice and read the tips and comments from other readers.)

You'll also find very useful info at:

• The FCC web site about antennas: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/dtvantennas.html
• The CEA and NAB web site: AntennaWeb (http://www.antennaweb.org)
• HDTV Antenna Labs (http://www.HDTVAntennaLabs.com)
• Antennas Direct (http://www.AntennasDirect.com)

A set-top antenna is the simplest and cheapest solution and should be your first try.

If you're lucky, an indoor antenna will get you all the channels available in your area, with a clear, continuous picture and sound. But it's possible you'll encounter some glitches, because the UHF band is more directional than VHF and more sensitive to obstacles that lie between your antenna and the broadcast tower. About 20 percent of DTV adopters we surveyed said they had trouble with reception.

Here's a recap of our advice on adjusting your antenna.

Cable users confused about DTV transition

[Image: Sigurd Decroos]

Some cable subscribers are under the impression that they need to buy a digital TV converter box or they'll lose certain channels they now get in analog—all because of the DTV transition.

That's not the case, but an incident related by our friends at the Consumerist shows there's a lot of confusion here. Folks worried about losing analog cable channels need a digital cable TV box, not a DTV converter box, and the reason they need one is because their cable company has decided to drop some analog channels for business reasons—not because the government told them to do that. (Lest every cable subscriber reading this blog panic, let me reassure you that most cable users don't have to do anything to keep getting the stations they now get.)

The changes in a cable company's channel lineup have nothing to do with the DTV transition, though some cable TV companies' ads might seem to suggest that. A DTV converter box works only with an antenna to pull in free over-the-air TV programming, the major networks and a few other channels. You need a converter for any TV (or VCR) that doesn't have a built-in digital ATSC tuner. You have to buy one from a store such as Radio Shack or an online retailer.

This Old House explains DTV

Learn more about preparing for the DTV transition from a rather unlikely source, PBS's This Old House. Switching from their usual focus, Norm and Kevin, two series regulars, visit several households in the Boston area to give them a helping hand with antennas, DTV converter boxes, and more.

The informative online video walks the homeowners through setup, including connections and scanning for channels. The presentation is folksy and easy to follow, with helpful visuals and step-by-step instructions—well worth a look if you’re still getting your DTV setup in order.

There's lots more useful DTV information on the PBS web site as well.

DTV tips from the ultimate TV Mom

Just in time for Mother's Day: Florence Henderson, who lives on in reruns as The Brady Bunch's perpetually perky Mom, has teamed up with the Consumer Electronics Association to promote DTV awareness with a campaign called, “Convert Your Mom.” (Click on the image to download the PDF "Flo's Digital Tips.")

Light-hearted as the approach may be, it makes a serious point: “Florence wants you to help your elderly parents, relatives, and neighbors get ready for the transition to digital television.” Even technically savvy folks can find it challenging to perfect their DTV setup, and those less familiar with inputs and outputs may be hard-pressed to do it on their own.

The online guide offers basic facts and easy-to-follow advice in a colorful, friendly fashion, with videos, set-up diagrams, and links to numerous sites. It's part of a larger, more comprehensive site, Digital Tips, also sponsored by the CEA.

In a related area, the CEA has launched an interactive Connections Guide designed to simplify the sometimes daunting process of connecting all things digital, including not only home-theater devices but computers, cameras, and portable audio/video gear. It’s worth checking out.

(The CEA is an industry trade group representing firms in the consumer electronics business.)

LG launches English, Spanish "how-to" DTV converter box websites

LG Electronics, which sells Zenith-brand DTV converter boxes, has launched English- and Spanish-language websites to help consumers hook up their DTV converters, according to a report in the trade publication CE Daily. The sites contain photos and instructions for connecting a converter using either standard RF coaxial or A/V connections, and it includes advice about using a VCR. There’s also a link to AntennaWeb for help choosing the right antenna.

The company was prompted to create the two websites—Connect Your Box and Connecte Su Convertidor—after its customer-service reps received thousands of calls from consumers who were confused about the connection process.

For more information about DTV converters, check out our video above, see Consumer Report's free Ratings, and read our How to Choose buying advice. —James K. Willcox

Four-score more: 84 stations go all-digital

As we reported last month, many TV stations will be discontinuing analog broadcasts before the final cutoff date of June 12. Well, another 84 stations just did so. Many are PBS and independent broadcasters, but some network affiliates are among those that pulled the switch early.

Most stations that still offer analog signals are already broadcasting in digital as well, so you can (and should!) start receiving digital TV now if you haven't already done so. You might run into some problems, so it would be smart to find out sooner rather than later. This way, you'll have time to iron out the wrinkles before digital is the only game in town.

Don't freak out if you can't get the digital version of a station you've always received in analog. Some stations that now transmit both analog and digital signals will be upping the strength of their digital broadcasts when they stop the analog feed. So it's entirely possible you'll get more stations, or stronger reception, at that time. Some broadcasters may also be switching frequencies.

The bottom line: Be sure to rescan for channels on June 12. It wouldn't hurt to do so now, either, since some of your local stations may have made such changes already.

Visit our DTV hub for free Ratings of converter boxes and help with setup.

DIY antennas: Build your own DTV antenna!

If you're committed to getting free over-the-air TV broadcasts after June 12th, you'll need either a TV (or DVD recorder or TiVo) with a built-in digital tuner, or you'll need a DTV converter.

What you may also be hearing (but not from us) is that you'll need a new fancypants digital TV antenna to pull in these new signals. Thankfully, that's simply not the case. In fact, the truth is that with a few simple household items from your closet or basement, you can build your own DTV antenna in less than a half-hour, often for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought model.

We spent just a few minutes on the web looking for some basic antenna designs that almost anyone can construct. One of the best—and first—we came across was by the editors at Make magazine, which basically consists of a wooden plank and a fistful of coat hangers. Check out their how-to video (above) to see how it's done. As a bonus, they throw in instructions for building a low-cost video steadicam.

DTV converter coupons are flowing again

If you're one of the millions of people who’ve been placed on a waiting list to receive DTV converter-box coupons, there’s some good news: According to the NTIA, you should have your coupons by the end of next week at the latest.

And for those who either never applied for coupons but wish to do so, or who have coupons that have since expired, there's still time to act. Just visit the DTV coupon website at http://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx, or call the 24-hour toll-free hotline at 1-888-388-2009 (1-888-DTV-2009), to reapply. As in the past, each eligible household can receive up to two $40 coupons. The National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA), the agency spearheading the DTV coupon program, says with the waiting-list backlog now cleared, it should take on average about nine days to receive a coupon after you apply.

The coupon program has been restarted thanks to the recently passed stimulus package, which allocated some $650 million to the DTV coupon program. In addition to funding more coupons, the NTIA says the money is being used to streamline the applications process to reduce waiting, and to help the agency reach "the most vulnerable populations" via local outreach efforts. The renewed funding of the coupon program follows a decision by Congress to delay the analog cutoff for over-the-air broadcasts until June 12, 2009. One of the main reasons was that the government ran out of money to fund the DTV converter-box coupons, leaving some 4 million people on a coupon waiting list. These coupons can be used to help offset the cost of buying one of these boxes, which make over-the-air digital signals usable on older TVs that won’t work after June 12.

Most TV stations to offer analog signals through June 12

The vast majority of full-power television stations that have not yet converted to all-digital broadcasting plan to keep their traditional analog signals on the air until June 12.

Of the 1,058 stations that now offer analog broadcasts, 927 say they will keep sending out analog signals until June 12, the final cutoff date recently set by Congress. (The Federal Communications Commission lists those remaining analog TV stations here: http://www.fcc.gov/DA-09-589A3.xls. Please note that you'll need Microsoft Office or other Excel-compatible software to view the file.) That buys consumers who have not yet gotten DTV converter boxes or digital TVs time to get ready.

The other 131 stations will switch off analog broadcasts sooner, most on April 16, an interim deadline set by the FCC. Some two dozen PBS stations that would suffer financial hardship by waiting until then will be allowed to go all-digital between March 30 and April 16.