All major big retailers including Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart are selling converter boxes, or you can order one online. Send for your $40 rebate and find Coupon Eligible Converter Boxes here.
Fix Reception Problems
Small adjustments to your antenna can make a big difference in the number of digital channels you can receive. If you have an indoor antenna, try elevating it and moving it closer to an exterior wall of your home. After adjusting your antenna, perform another channel scan to see if your reception is improved.......
... moreDTV | DTV Converter Box | Digital Television Transition
DO YOU NEED A CONVERTER ?
The DTV converter box is the key piece of equiptment required to make the transition to digital television with your analog tv. The easy-to-install electronic device hooks up to your analog television set and over-the-air antenna, converts the digital television signal into analog making it viewable on your analog set.
TV stations serving all markets in the United States are airing digital television programming . Full-power TV stations have stopped broadcasting on their current analog channels, and the spectrum they use for analog broadcasting has be reclaimed and put to other uses.
With the growing number of HD programs, plunging prices on big-screens, flat-panel LCD and plasma sets, shopping for new televisions is very tempting but if you’re happy with your current TV, a DTV converter box can extend its life. You will be able to enjoy several of the benefits of digital television, while keeping the cost to a minimum.
DTV or digital television represent the way a signal is transmitted, the quality of that signal falls into several categories:
Digital television Quality Levels
There are many quality levels of digital television programming. The most common are:
- Standard Definition TV (SDTV) - SDTV is the basic level of quality display and resolution for both analog and digital. Transmission of SDTV may be in either the traditional (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) format.
- Enhanced Definition TV (EDTV) - EDTV is a step up from Analog Television. EDTV comes in 480p widescreen (16:9) or traditional (4:3) format and provides better picture quality than SDTV, but not as high as HDTV.
- High Definition TV (HDTV) - HDTV in widescreen format (16:9) provides the highest resolution and picture quality of all digital broadcast formats. Combined with digitally enhanced sound technology, HDTV sets new standards for sound and picture quality in television. (Note: HDTV and digital TV are not the same thing -- HDTV is one format of digital TV.)
The Government DTV Coupon Program
The DTV converter box coupon program can help you update your old analog TV to receive digital over-the-air signals and save you up to $80.
The government coupon program is now accepting applications from consumers whose coupons expired without being redeemed.
For more information on the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program, visit www.dtv2009.gov
, or call 1-888-388-2009 (voice) or 1-877-530-2634 (TTY).
DTV Overview & Converter Installation
Digital cable or digital satellite does not mean a program is in high-definition. - Digital pictures will be free from the "ghosts" and "snow" that can affect analog transmissions. - Multicasting is available. - HDTV is available. - Data streaming is available.
By law, on March 1, 2007, all television reception devices (including TVs, VCRs, DVRs, etc.) imported into the U.S. or shipped in interstate commerce must contain a digital tuner. Retailers may continue to sell analog-only devices from existing inventory, but must prominently display on or near the analog-only device a Consumer Alert label.
