Leave a Comment

Boston TV Stations to Hold DTV Transition Readiness Test
I4U News — ... to ensure a smooth transition, I have been conducting extensive oversight of federal DTV transition efforts, and now I am pleased to join with the leadership of Boston's television media to better inform our local community through this unique 'DTV Day,'" said Congressman Markey. "Our local stations are showing an impressive dedication to serving their viewers by cooperating on this DTV outreach effort. I am proud that the Boston market can be an example across the country." Via DTV.gov Posted on Wed, 3 Dec 2008 12:00:00 CST | by Shane McGlaun ...

Surviving The Switch To Digital TV
Forbes.com: Technology News — ... ), as well as online retailers. Digital converter boxes cost between $40 and $70 on average, but since the digital switchover is being forced upon consumers, Congress has stepped up and created the "TV Converter Box Coupon Program." Under this initiative, each American household is entitled to two $40 gift cards that can only be used to purchase a digital converter box. Individuals can apply at the official Web site for the DTV switch. You can apply for coupons until Mar. 31, 2009; they expire 90 days after they are issued. You might want to apply for them sooner rather than ...

Dozens of states set for analog TV shutoff test Wednesday
Yahoo! Tech Advisors — ... for good and go all-digital. If you have a newer digital TV, or if you're an analog TV owner who subscribes to cable or satellite, you won't notice anything unusual during Wednesday's test. But if you have and analog TV and you get your TV signals over the air, you'll get a rude surprise when the drill hits: static, along with a crawl with information on how to get a DTV converter box. (Hint: Try DTV2009.gov , where you can find retailers who sell the $50-$60 boxes, as well as applications for ...

In Move to Digital TV, Confusion Is in the Air
NYT > Technology — ... a signal. Some people may also need a new antenna. A person can also subscribe to a cable or satellite service or buy a new digital TV. The fear is that those Americans least likely to understand or afford the transition — such as the poor, the elderly and the non-English speaking — will be most affected. To help reduce the expense of acquiring the converter boxes, which cost about $50 for basic models, consumers can get two government rebate vouchers worth $40 a box. (Available at www.dtv2009.gov or 888-388-2009.) About 40 million coupons have been requested, but to date ...

After The Digital TV Switch You Do Not Need Cable Or Satellite
The Blade by Ron Schenone, MVP — ... If you use an antenna to watch TV, and would like a coupon to help offset the cost of the converter box: Go to www.dtv2009.gov or call 888-388-2009. ...

DTV Delay?
dailywireless.org — A top aide to President-elect Barack Obama sent a letter to key members of Congress this week urging a delay on the DTV switchover, reports the Washington Post. The Obama administration is saying there is “insufficient support” for the problems consumers will experience during the shut-off of analog signals. An estimated 7.7 million households nationwide may find their screens going dark on Feb. 18th. Federal officials said this week that the billion-dollar program to distribute $40 coupons to defray the cost of the boxes has run out of money and that the 1.1 ...

DTV Coupon Money still weeks out - sorry procrastinators
CrunchGear — ... your coupon in time so you couldn’t purchase a DTV converter box partly on Obama’s dime. The stimulus package will provide $650 million in funding, but it will take some time to get that cash in the appropriate account and into the hands of the some four million waiting. According to the NTIA, it will take two to three weeks which will put the scheduled mailing time sometime in mid-March. This time around though, don’t procrastinate. Click here to get your coupon before this round of financing runs out.

Google Looks Toward Mobile TV
Internet Evolution: — ... who are watching the same show, view local weather reports, etc.  Even if all cellular operating systems could effortlessly multitask -- which they can't -- mobile TV still would have to be configured for the large number of operating systems, such as Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile, BREW, BlackBerry, and OS X. In addition, different handsets have different screen sizes and resolutions, processor speeds, and graphics capabilities that drive mobile TV developers nuts.  The analog-to-digital broadcast TV transition is a piece of cake compared to what faces the mobile TV ...

Gadgetwise: DTV Coupons Are Back
NYT > Technology — ... to an NTIA spokesman, the no-replacement-after-expiration rule was not of their own doing, but rather an interpretation of the original bill passed by Congress, which stipulated that no more than two coupons should be sent to any one household. The recent act that changed the analog cutoff date from February to June changed the wording to read that no more than two coupons per household could be redeemed . All of this is spelled out on the NTIA’s digital converter box coupon program website . The only problem, according to the NTIA, is that most people who need coupons ...

NTIA Claims DTV Coupon List is Now Clear, Thanks to Economic Stimulus Package
Wired: Gadget Lab — A month ago, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) revealed that 1.8 million households were still waiting to receive up to 3.3 million coupons needed to buy TV converters for the national DTV transition. This week, the NTIA is saying the coupons have been shipped, the waiting list is clear and that it's accepting new applications. I'm wondering if maybe this isn't completely correct, as I asked for two coupons and have yet to receive them. Maybe they just cleared the slate clean without finishing the shipping and they're building a new, ...

Converter Box Coupon Deadline Is July 31
Gearlog — ... To apply for a coupon, households must call 1-888-DTV-2009 or visit www.DTV2009.gov before the program ends. The coupons are valid for 90 days after they are issued. They are also transferrable, so you can give them to others. ...

Last chance for TV digital converter discount
L.A. Times Tech Blog — ... But next week could be your last chance to get in on the discount program. The Commerce Department says it will accept applications for coupons through July 31. Applications are taken online, and each household can receive a maximum of two coupons. ...