February 18th, 2009 is the day all TV broadcasting will be digital. How does this effect your rabbit ears?

If you currently use antenna based TV reception either on the outside of your TV:




 or house


 and DO NOT receive any type of cable or satellite TV service


you will either have to upgrade to digital tv with an internal tuner to receive free local broadcasting in your area, add a digital service such as cable or DirectTV to your TV set or buy a digital-to-analog converter box to continue watching free broadcast TV on that TV set from your local area. If you have a cable or satellite service, you don't have to do anything.

COST

Households will be able to get up to two coupons valued at $40 each, for the purchase of converter boxes. Requests for the coupons will be accepted in January of 2008. Coupons may only be used at the time of purchase on eligible converter boxes sold at participating retailers. Digital-to-analog converter boxes should be selling from $50 to $70 each.

This is a one-time cost. For more info on the Converter Box Coupon Program, visit the NTIA’s website below or call 1-888-388-2009 (voice) or 1-877-530-2634 (TTY).

This is NOT just a high definition TV HDTV problem. Nor are all TVs going to turn HDTV nor do you have to buy a HDTV.

You will NOT have to throw out your old TV set.

Cable / satellite TV users with analog TVs hooked up to their cable or satellite service should not be affected by the February 17, 2009 cut-off date for full-power analog broadcasting.

To learn more; here is the place to go!


www dot dtv dot gov/consumercorner dot html

If you found this helpful, please click! Thanks!