[Grovenet] Here's a little more on the DTV (Not to be confusedwith HDTV ! ! ! ! )

Tue Apr 1 09:31:20 PDT 2008

You do not need a converter if you have cable because the cable  
company converts the signal back to analog for you.
I'm assuming the same is true for satellite since they have a box as  
well.

And you are right. If you have a digital TV you are all set.

You need a converter box if your TV is analog and you use an antenna  
to get your signal. This holds if you only have an antenna for your  
whole house or if you have a secondary TV not hooked up to your  
cable. (ie you have cable for 1 TV but don't want to pay for two  
cable boxes so your second tv just uses the antenna. you need the  
converter box for the second tv-unless it is digital.)

Katie
PS One commentator says that cable companies are worried that people  
who have just basic cable service and a second digital tv hooked up  
to an antenna are going to find that their signal is just as good or  
better on the antenna and they will have a lot of folks drop the  
cable service. That is why all the advertising is hyping the premium  
channels so heavily.

On Mar 31, 2008, at 6:52 PM, Ed Davie wrote:

> Did I miss something here? I thought you needed
> the converter if your TV wasn't digital. It
> wouldn't help to have cable or satellite! And, if
> your TV is digital you don't need the converter
> anyway.
> Ed
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Vickie Madeoneup
>   To: Forest Grove local interests list
>   Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 6:35 PM
>   Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Here's a little more on
> the DTV (Not to be confusedwith HDTV ! ! ! ! )
>
>
>   would it be so terrible for people to have to
> buy their own converter?
>
>   I'm really not certain why the government is
> forking out the money for these boxes anyway,
> we've known this is going to happen for a long
> time, plus it is almost a year before it happens,
> someone can't save $40 by then?
>
>   also, I agree, many people will buy them and
> then find out they don't need them because they
> won't have realized that if they have cable or
> satellite they don't need them, that will cause a
> flood of them in Freecycle hopefully.
>
>   Vickie
>
>   Bob Browning <rab at jurislex.com> wrote:
> Crave
>     A Blog from CNET
>
>          Mar 31 2008
>     Don't sign up for your $40 DTV converter box
> coupon--yet
>       Matthew Moskovciak
>
>
>
>
>      The DTV transition is less than a year away
> and as of January 1, 2008, Americans have been
> eligible to sign up for a $40 coupon to help
> purchase DTV converter boxes needed to receive new
> digital TV signals. While your instincts may tell
> you to sign up as quickly as possible, there's a
> strong argument to be made to hold off for a
> little while. Here's why:
>    1. The coupon expires in three months
>    If you carefully read you the FAQ on the
> government's Web site, the program clearly states
> that the $40 coupons expire three months after
> they're shipped. That's unfortunate because we're
> guessing many people don't think much of it, and
> are just trying to sign up before they forget. Now
> you're forced into getting whatever DTV boxes that
> are currently on the market, even though...
>    2. Better, cheaper boxes are coming
>    None of the DTV converter boxes we've seen so
> far are available for $40 yet, which means you'll
> need to kick in some real American dollars in
> addition to your coupon. Echostar is planning on
> releasing a $40 converter box, the TR-40, but it
> won't come out until this summer--so if you
> already have your coupon, you probably won't be
> able to get it. That wouldn't be so bad, except
> that the Echostar TR-40 looks like it's going to
> be substantially better than current models,
> offering a full EPG and program search
> functionality. Even if the Echostar device isn't
> everything it's cracked up to be...
>    3. Current models will get cheaper
>    This is just an educated guess, but don't be
> surprised if all of the current DTV converter
> boxes currently going for $50 to $60 suddenly drop
> to $40 once the Echostar TR-40 comes out. It will
> be near impossible for the other boxes to compete
> with free, so they'll be forced to sell for $40,
> which means it essentially free to consumers with
> a coupon.
>    The main counterargument against waiting is
> that if you wait too long, it's possible that the
> government's coupon program will run out of money.
> That's definitely something to consider, as there
> are only 22.25 million coupons available. After
> those are used up, an additional 11.25 million
> coupons will become available, but only to
> households that solely use analog over-the-air TV
> (no cable, satellite, Fios, and so on). So if
> you're worried that you're not going to get a
> coupon at all, you can play it safe and sign up
> now. But it's probably a pretty safe bet that the
> current coupon program won't run dry during the
> next couple months, and you'll get more out of
> that $40 coupon.
>    DTV transition resources
>    CNET's Quick Guide to the DTV transition
>    DTV Coupon Program
>    FAQ: What the digital switch actually means
>    Antenna Web: Find what digital signals you can
> receive
>
>
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>    by xaxain March 31, 2008 8:40 AM
>   I was at walmart this weekend and they had 2
> units both of them were $40. One was an RCA unit
> and I can't remember what the other unit was but,
> I have seen then for $40.   by Improviz March 31,
> 2008 2:57 PM
>      Every discussion or story about the DTV
> conversion should state, in bold letters right at
> the beginning: IF YOU HAVE CABLE OR SATELLITE THIS
> DOES NOT CONCERN YOU. YOU WILL NOT NEED A
> CONVERTER. This ONLY applies to people who get
> their TV over the air from an antenna. I don't
> know anyone who doesn't have at least basic cable.
> I realize there are parts of the country, like the
> 9th Ward in New Orleans, that are maybe not wired
> for cable. And maybe economically disadvantaged
> people do not have cable. But really, responsible
> journalism demands that you try to stop a huge
> wave of people running out and buying these who
> don't need them and can't use them if they do buy
> them.
>
>
>
>
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