TechnoBabble

Starting January 1st 2008 and running through March 31, 2009, the United States government will be issuing coupons (up to 2 per household) valued at $40 each to help defray the cost of the digital to analog converter boxes (until the coupons run out) that will allow older analog only TV sets and VCRs to continue to function after TV stations switch to all digital transmission on February 17, 2009. The only analog only TV sets and VCRs that will need the converter boxes are those sets that receive TV signals through the air with rabbit ears or an antenna on the roof. Analog only TV sets and VCRs connected to cable or satellite do not need the converter boxes because the conversion will be done by your cable or satellite provider.

The reason this is being done is for several reasons. First off, the government is requiring all TV stations to do this. The picture is better, the sound is better, you will have more programming choices because each station can transmit multiple programming channels off of one transmitter and the digital transmission is a more efficient way of using the frequency spectrum. We now have 68 TV channels (2-69). After the analog shutdown next year, there will only be 50 TV channels (2-51) but there will be more room for more TV stations. Channels 52-69 are being auctioned now for new technologies and for new frequencies for police and fire.

If you need the coupons you can go to http://www.dtv2009.gov or you can call 1-888-DTV-2009.