What happens to your TELEVISION on February 17, 2009?

Congress mandated that the last day for full-power television stations to broadcast in analog would be February 17, 2009, over-the-air TV broadcasts will be in digital only after that date. Apply for yours here!

What does that mean? 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, you will need a digital-to-analog converter box to continue to watch broadcast television on that set. This converter box will also enable you to see any additional multicast programming that your local stations are offering..

Read full story from www.dtv.gov

[DrivinForce]

So all the freqs will be used by the gov't? So, if the national deficit is really going to be paid down by leasing the usage to all these other broadcasters, etc, what benefit does the public really get out of it? For myself I think I'm going to keep around a few analog sets just to listen in.

[jennifer rose]

just another way the goverment and big buisness is taking control

[Jo Citizen]

In the 30's the government allowed a conspiracy between Mobil Oil, GM, and a tire company to buy the light rail systems around the country and forced them out of buisness thereby forcing consumers to buy automobiles(look where we are today!) An antitrust suit was brought and settled FINALLY in the 80's.

Fast-forward to today...the government is FORCING consumers to buy HDTV's and making obsolete analog equipment that untold millions of us have in our homes.

Let's cut to the chase...instead of waiting decades for another cluster to be straightened out due to this waste, why don't they just give us the money right now to "buy into" this mess instead of masking big buisness/government bed-sharing and packaging it as tech advancement? We're about to get sc....wed!!!!

[J Davis]

Yes, we will be getting sc....wed by this action. It's the government. Does anyone expect them to get it right? Every time they stick their noses into free enterprise the people get sc....wed. No-one in the government knows a thing about free enterprise or how a business should be run. Witness the Postal System. So many people are using e-mail that the USPS cannot make enough money to pay their top managers multi-million dollar annual bonuses. What do the do? Raise their prices!!!! How long would a real business last attempting that? No, they would have a sale to attract customers.

[Dismayed]

Jo Citizen wrote:

In the 30's the government allowed a conspiracy between Mobil Oil, GM, and a tire company to buy the light rail systems around the country and forced them out of buisness thereby forcing consumers to buy automobiles(look where we are today!) An antitrust suit was brought and settled FINALLY in the 80's.
Fast-forward to today...the government is FORCING consumers to buy HDTV's and making obsolete analog equipment that untold millions of us have in our homes.
Let's cut to the chase...instead of waiting decades for another cluster to be straightened out due to this waste, why don't they just give us the money right now to "buy into" this mess instead of masking big buisness/government bed-sharing and packaging it as tech advancement? We're about to get sc....wed!!!!

Most of us have cable or satellite anyway and we can continue to use our analog TVs for many years according to the article.

"Analog TVs will continue to work with cable, satellite, VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, video games consoles and other devices for many years."

[Earth2Imbeciles]

Read it again.. and then actually go to the site to find out whether or not you need a converter. As Homer says, duh!

[johnsein]

why r they doing this hdtv's are a lot of money

[DTV is NOT HDTV]

Read closely; digital TV does NOT mean HDTV! All TVs currently in existence can continue to be used.

If you have an old analog TV, you need a converter box, that's all.

Even better, the government will be giving out vouchers to buy those converter boxes.

So, if you already own a TV of any kind, upgrading to the ability to receive digital over-the-air broadcasts will be....

...$0!

[t citizen]

what do I have to do to my tv if I am using a cable company?

[js mom]

My mother can't afford cable! The TV she owns I bought her! She doesn't even have a DVD player. We never had cable growing up. This will cause her to just not have a TV.

[Rogers]

js mom wrote:

My mother can't afford cable! The TV she owns I bought her! She doesn't even have a DVD player. We never had cable growing up. This will cause her to just not have a TV.

No, that is not true. She can still use her TV, but she has to install a converter box. The box converts the signal (digital) to a signal (analog) her TV understands.

If your mother is receiving free-to-air (FTA) TV through rabbit ears or a roof mounted antennae, after February 17, 2009, she will not be able to use her old TV as is. However, the Federal government will give your mother up to two $40 vouchers so that she can buy the converter box(es) she will need in order to use her old TV after that date.

The Feds sent me two $40 vouchers, and I bought two converter boxes at Walmart for $49 each. I paid the extra $9, plus tax, for each box. There is a Walmart in Rancho Cucamonga, CA selling the boxes for $40 each.

I found all the information I needed to request the vouchers by doing a Google search for "Converter box vouchers," or some other related language.

Good luck!

[Cue]

t citizen wrote:

what do I have to do to my tv if I am using a cable company?

NOTHING

Something people do need to understand in areas with a weak analog signal to begin with even with the box may have difficulty picking up the channels. The signal will be weaker than before as a result of the conversion process. That should not affect many but if you live in a rural area it could be a problem. They already realize this as an issue but have chosen not to mention it. Just typical selective information to provide the correct spin on the issue.
Just when you thought politics was over too :)

[oy vey]

js mom wrote:

My mother can't afford cable! The TV she owns I bought her! She doesn't even have a DVD player. We never had cable growing up. This will cause her to just not have a TV.

I believe you can get a converter box at no charge (I think) ask around and see...

[Oy Vey]

js mom wrote:

My mother can't afford cable! The TV she owns I bought her! She doesn't even have a DVD player. We never had cable growing up. This will cause her to just not have a TV.

https://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx
hope this helps

[Cue]

oy vey wrote:

<quoted text>
I believe you can get a converter box at no charge (I think) ask around and see...

Not anymore they are out of money.

[educatetheyself]

Check out the Silent Sound Spread Spectrum

http://www.wariscrime.com/2008/12/15/news/dig...

[educatetheyself]

I have a sneaky feeling that analog reception is still gonna work after Feb 17. But the govt is counting on the mass peoples to not think this.

Have you asked yourselves why the govt would care enough about OUR television quality to spend 8 billion dollars to ensure we are all "hooked up"?

I'm hanging on to my analog..... I want to see if it still works after Feb 17. Call me skeptical but can't fathom the govt caring how the quality of my reception is.