Will Joe the Plumber reach that $250,000 threshold with some endorsement money instead of his own plumbing business?

Joe Wurzelbacher, an Ohio plumber immortalized as "Joe the Plumber" during the 2008 presidential debates, has been hired by velocitystore.com to promote the DTV converter boxes being sold on its Web site.

Wurzelbacher will appear in a series of instructional videos that detail how consumers can order and set up their digital TV converter boxes in advance of next year's DTV transition.

TV stations are required to switch their signals from analog to digital by February 17, 2009, and those with traditional over-the-air TVs will be required to purchase a converter box if they want to continue receiving a signal. The government will provide each American with two $40 coupons for the purchase of these boxes.

"This isn't about politics, this is about doing the right thing," Wurzelbacher says in the first video posted to the site. "I partnered with velocitystore.com because they are the only online retailer providing converters and information in English, Spanish, and in Chinese, with other languages to be added in the near future."

What can Joe do?

Wurzelbacher promises to provide details on: Why the transition is taking place and the public safety benefits it provides; your options; where and how to apply for coupons; where you can purchase TV converter boxes; how to connect them; and how to help America go digital.

Velocitystore.com currently has five converter boxes on sale from Zentech, Tivax, Sansonic, Channel Master, and Philco.

Hopefully Joe's advice will cost less than the average visit from a plumber.

Check out audio analyst Tim Gideon's wrap-up of converter box options on pcmag.com.