What If You Cannot Afford Digital Cable?
Most people know that as of February 17, 2009 all television stations n the United States that have been broadcasting over the air using an analog signal must convert over to a digital signal. That means that if your television has been picking up stations over the air using rooftop antennas and rabbit ears, you will probably cease to be able to see anything after that date.
A solution that does not involve subscribing to an expensive cable company is to simply buy a digital converter to receive programming. The converter box plugs into your television and you can find them at stores like RadioShack, Best Buy and Circuit City for about $50 to $80.
However, there are households where even an expenditure of $50 is a burden. Some of my readers might laugh at that notion, but a friend of mine from my daughter’s preschool is in just such a situation. That is why the U.S. government developed the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program.
Any U.S. household is eligible for two coupons, worth $40 each. You can use it to purchase up to two digital-to-analog converter boxes. You can apply for your coupon online, but make sure you use it as soon as you get it, since the coupons expire in 90 days.
Some boxes have more features than others, like an “analog pass-through” which allows reception for low-power stations, like some of the local stations that broadcast religious shows or public service programs. Also, if your television is older, you may find that the digital signal is still lacking. That can be remedies by purchasing a television with HDTV, or the less expensive EDTV or SDTV.
However, if you bought your TV after March 1, 2007, you’re probably OK, since U.S. law dictated that all television reception devices made in or imported into the country after that date had to have a digital tuner. But, you’ll still need the converter box.
wow, i never knew this… really? so by February of next year , we will all have to switch to cable … interesting