Switching to Digital - What you need to know before you buy.

Cable and Satellite providers are trying to sell their expensive plans
with contracts. Here is what you need to know when they switch from
analog to digital on February 17th 2009.

You can buy a UHF antenna with a converter box for all under $50. You
can buy this converter box Lasonic LTA-260 ATSC Digital to Analog TV
Converter Box for $9.99 with the $40 coupon below and this antenna RCA
ANT1500 Large Multi-Directional Digital Flat Passive Antenna (White) for
$36.49. This antenna has slightly better specs than the terk for $49.99.
If you are far away from where they broadcast you may want to invest in
an outdoor antenna. The Winegard antennas are very good. Heck they make
satellite dishes so they know what they are doing. If you go with the
outdoor antenna this antenna from winegard Winegard SS-2000
Squareshooter UHF-Only Amplified Antenna had great reviews and ratings.
This will bring in a signal from up to 40 miles away.

I strongly suggest going the outdoor route so you can buy 1 antenna and
filter to all tv's in your house. Plus they will have a better range.
Remember for each TV you will need a digital converter box however you
only need 1 outdoor antenna to feed every box.

If you already have an HDTV then all you need is the antenna.

Below are the details on how to get the $40 coupon for the receiver.

Save $40 on This TV Converter Box
On February 17, 2009, U.S. broadcast television is switching from analog
to digital signals. Analog televisions using an antenna will require a
converter box to receive broadcast TV after that date. Every U.S.
household can get up to two coupons--each with a code good for $40 off
the cost of eligible converter boxes. If you have a code, redeem it via
our online form here. You must enter your coupon code via the online
form. You can not enter your coupon code as a promotional code during
checkout. If you need a code, you can apply for one at
http://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx (this link will take you to an
external website).

source: http://www.dealfrogger.com
Check out dealfrogger for other great blogs.
--
Kevin
check out my new deals site for Great Savings http://www.dealfrogger.com
http://www.tdso.net is another great saving site too.

On Jan 25, 11:07*pm, kevin wrote:
Cable and Satellite providers are trying to sell their expensive
plans
with contracts. Here is what you need to know when they switch from
analog to digital on February 17th 2009.

You can buy a UHF antenna with a converter box for all under $50.
You
can buy this converter box Lasonic LTA-260 ATSC Digital to Analog
TV
Converter Box for $9.99 with the $40 coupon below and this antenna
RCA
ANT1500 Large Multi-Directional Digital Flat Passive Antenna
(White) for
$36.49. This antenna has slightly better specs than the terk for
$49.99.
If you are far away from where they broadcast you may want to
invest in
an outdoor antenna. The Winegard antennas are very good. Heck they
make
satellite dishes so they know what they are doing. If you go with
the
outdoor antenna this antenna from winegard Winegard SS-2000
Squareshooter UHF-Only Amplified Antenna had great reviews and
ratings.
This will bring in a signal from up to 40 miles away.

I strongly suggest going the outdoor route so you can buy 1 antenna
and
filter to all tv's in your house. Plus they will have a better
range.
Remember for each TV you will need a digital converter box however
you
only need 1 outdoor antenna to feed every box.

If you already have an HDTV then all you need is the antenna.

Below are the details on how to get the $40 coupon for the
receiver.

Save $40 on This TV Converter Box
On February 17, 2009, U.S. broadcast television is switching from
analog
to digital signals. Analog televisions using an antenna will
require a
converter box to receive broadcast TV after that date. Every U.S.
household can get up to two coupons--each with a code good for $40
off
the cost of eligible converter boxes. If you have a code, redeem it
via
our online form here. You must enter your coupon code via the
online
form. You can not enter your coupon code as a promotional code
during
checkout. If you need a code, you can apply for one
athttp://www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx(this link will take you to
an
external website).

source:http://www.dealfrogger.com
Check out dealfrogger for other great blogs.
--
Kevin
check out my new deals site for Great Savingshttp://www.dealfrogger.comhttp://www.tdso.netis
another great saving site too.

Wow! Nobody here had _any_ idea. Thanks for the heads up.

G²

They keep offering coupons, but the Government has run out of money for the
coupons. I figure after Feb 17th, convertor will drop to thier realistic
price of about $20. It probably cost $2-4 to make in some chinese factory.

On a side note, What is the best converter box to buy? If one had to buy one
to keep using thier analog TV.

Rastamon said this on 1/26/2009 3:24 AM:
They keep offering coupons, but the Government has run out of money for the
coupons. I figure after Feb 17th, convertor will drop to thier realistic
price of about $20. It probably cost $2-4 to make in some chinese factory.

On a side note, What is the best converter box to buy? If one had to buy one
to keep using thier analog TV.


I'd tell you view stores on line and a good number of them have reviews
by other owners. I've seen some at big box stores but when you read
the reviews, people complain they only got 5 stations and then bought
another brand and now they get great pictures on 12 stations. Things
like that.
If you haven't shopped, these boxes come with features like other
electronics. Better channel display, better setup menu, pass thru
analog, previous channel button. I've seen complaints that some have
next to no features at all.
I've bought one since I got it with the coupon for $7. I just could
not pass it up thinking I might try it one day, but I have cable and
don't need it (now). And here again it had great reviews, if that can
be used as a guide.

"Rastamon" wrote:
They keep offering coupons, but the Government has run out of money for
the coupons. I figure after Feb 17th, convertor will drop to thier
realistic price of about $20. It probably cost $2-4 to make in some
chinese factory.

On a side note, What is the best converter box to buy? If one had to buy
one to keep using thier analog TV.

Zenith DTT901.

Chip

--
-------------------- http://NewsReader.Com/ --------------------
Usenet Newsgroup Service $9.95/Month 30GB

wrote:
"Rastamon" wrote:

They keep offering coupons, but the Government has run out of money for
the coupons. I figure after Feb 17th, convertor will drop to thier
realistic price of about $20. It probably cost $2-4 to make in some
chinese factory.

On a side note, What is the best converter box to buy? If one had to buy
one to keep using thier analog TV.


Zenith DTT901.

Chip

The DTT901 is very good, but lacks one feature that may be important
to you if you have an analog VCR (or other recorder). The feature is
event timing, which is only available in the DtvPal (
http://www.dtvpal.com/ ). The DtvPal's event timers let you program
times and channels to view, so it can be directly connected to your
VCR just like the antenna is now. Then program the VCR to record on
ch3/4 (your choice) at the times of interest.

With the DTT901 and an analog recorder you will have to change the
channels on the converter manually, which means that unattended
recording only possible if the channel doesn't need to be changed.

If you don't need this feature, then the DTT901 is a great choice.
The DtvPal is available in most Sears, or online. Hope this helps.

Dave,

kevin wrote:
Cable and Satellite providers are trying to sell their expensive plans
with contracts. Here is what you need to know when they switch from
analog to digital on February 17th 2009.

You can buy a UHF antenna with a converter box for all under $50.

But how well will a UHF only antenna work in markets where one or more
stations are on upper VHF? The top 19 DMAs all will have at least one
digital station broadcasting on upper VHF. Philadelphia will have
WPVI-DT ABC 6 broadcasting on VHF low 6.

Many larger UHF antennas have some gain for upper VHF, so they might
work. But for low VHF? Not likely.

The current breakdown of the post-transition physical RF channel
assignments - whenever the transition is finally done - is 42 low VHF
(2-6), 446 upper VHF (7-13), and 1333 UHF (14-51) full power stations. I
say current, because a number of stations still have channel change
petitions pending before the FCC so a few may move from UHF to VHF or
VHF to UHF later on.

Alan F

On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:28:40 -0500, Alan F wrote:
You can buy a UHF antenna with a converter box for all under $50.

But how well will a UHF only antenna work in markets where one or more
stations are on upper VHF? The top 19 DMAs all will have at least one
digital station broadcasting on upper VHF. Philadelphia will have
WPVI-DT ABC 6 broadcasting on VHF low 6.

I work for the only station in the market running a digital signal on VHF
right now - we are having a fair amount of trouble with people buying UHF-
only antennas. I've told more than a few viewers to try hooking their
*old* antennas to their new converter box/DTV, and most of the time that
results in success.

Of course, if you follow the links Kevin is trying to sell something
too.........

The current breakdown of the post-transition physical RF channel
assignments - whenever the transition is finally done - is 42 low VHF
(2-6), 446 upper VHF (7-13), and 1333 UHF (14-51) full power stations. I
say current, because a number of stations still have channel change
petitions pending before the FCC so a few may move from UHF to VHF or
VHF to UHF later on.

I don't think there's going to be more than a literal handful of further
VHF/UHF swaps in the post-transition assignments.

However, as you suggest there will be quite a few VHF/UHF swaps when
stations go from their interim assignments to their permanent post-
transition channels. This is going to be a sleeper issue -- people who
bought UHF-only antennas that are working fine now, when all of their
major-network affiliates are UHF, but will lose one or more of their
favorite channels when they move to VHF-high.
--
/home/w9wi/.sig

Rastamon wrote:

On a side note, What is the best converter box to buy? If one had to buy one
to keep using thier analog TV.

Best at what? Best IPG? Best at tuning weak channels? Best firmware? Best
remote control? Best ergonomics? Best what?

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1029256

you're probably right buy Chinese clones of boxes suck too. They don't
do electronic too well from my readings.

Kevin
check out my new deals site for Great Savings http://www.dealfrogger.com
http://www.tdso.net is another great saving site too.

Rastamon wrote:
They keep offering coupons, but the Government has run out of money for the
coupons. I figure after Feb 17th, convertor will drop to thier realistic
price of about $20. It probably cost $2-4 to make in some chinese factory.

On a side note, What is the best converter box to buy? If one had to buy one
to keep using thier analog TV.