|
| Tuesday, January 01, 2008 |
| Happy New Year - now what's this about my TV? |
 Happy New Year everyone! I managed to fall asleep with the TV on (see what happens when you stay up until the wee hours of the morning?) and woke sometime later to some half-heard ad about government coupons for my TV. Now that I am up and eating my Wheaties (OK, Captain Crunch - don't criticise the Crunch it is a HOLIDAY and this is medicinal) I read this in today's Globe: Coupons available for digital TV switch.
Now that we are hours into 2008 I guess it is already time to start worrying about Feb. 18, 2009 - the day those still watching TV with rabbit ears will see their sets go dark unless they purchase a digital TV converter box. Non-TV Luddites* like me who have cable don't need to worry about this.
Since the government fears what could happen if 14.3 million households suddenly awoke from their TV stupor they are issuing coupons to off-set the cost of the new converter boxes. Each household can request up to two coupons. Once the 33.5 million coupons run out that is it - no discounted converter box for you! However, before you rush to sign-up for these coupons note that once issued they expire after 90 days. So I would wait until your area stores start stocking these converter boxes before you request a coupon.
TV Converter Box Coupon Program website
* Can you own a TV and still be considered a Luddite? I would consider someone who owns a TV while still getting an over-the-air signal a Luddite since they are refusing the technology advance of cable. Or perhaps the Crunch is interfering with my reasoning... |
| posted by Boston Gal @ 10:58 AM *
* Subscribe to Boston Gal's Open Wallet |
Links to this post:
|
| 5 Comments: |
-
The coupons do expire after 90 days, but the govt. isn't going to send the coupons until Feb. or March, when the converter boxes will be available. I registered for a couple of coupons this morning and that's what the website said. So fear not!
-
If someone could post a link to the actual application page, my rabbit ears and I would appreciate it.
-
-
"they are refusing the technology advance of cable"
FYI, I consider cable to be the reason that it has taken so long for HDTV to be adopted in this country. Over the air HD has been available since ~2001 in most areas of the country, yet most cable systems didn't start to roll out HD until 2005. Also, if you think cable provides the best picture think again. An over the air ATSC signal is capable of higher picture quality than a QAM encoded feed coming from you cable system. Before you knock "rabbit ears" I suggest you try them with one of these digital converters, you'll be amazed at the quality. From my apartment in Chelmsford (22 miles from the towers), I get 7 full HD channels and 14 digital SD channels all using a $10 antenna in a window.
-
Hi Jon,
I was not trying to say cable was better than rabbit ears - I was just trying to figure out if using the world Luddite along with technology was possible (since by strict definition a Luddite would not own a TV - let alone rabbit ears, cable, or satellite).
I was a rabbit ears user for five years when I lived in my condo. Back then I was to poor to pay for cable. I thought the picture quality was great. But once I moved from my condo and rented for a spell and had roommates cable TV was introduced back into my life and I became enamored of the broader span of channel options.
If I could get BBC America, or BRAVO, or USA, History Channel, Discovery Times, Comedy Central, or TNT with rabbit ears I would drop my cable TV and go back to rabbit ears.
|
| |
| << Home |
| |
|
|
|
|
The coupons do expire after 90 days, but the govt. isn't going to send the coupons until Feb. or March, when the converter boxes will be available. I registered for a couple of coupons this morning and that's what the website said. So fear not!