I worked for quite some time @ RadioShack and DTV is not that difficult, however i was a little rusty behind the Television Set. All i can say is you have to feel sorry for the Grandfathers/Grandmothers out there that have no clue or even understand the need for Transition. I hope they will be able to afford the Cable/Direct Satelite Services or somehow get hands on coupons, than actually use them, (I never use coupons),go down to the store and purchase the Box if any are left on shelves Feb.17, 2009.

Congress does not need to push DTV to June 12th for 6.5 million people who has not made the change. What will happen if these people do not make the change by June 12. Will congress push the deadline to August or September. Bottom line these people will not make change if congress keeps changing the deadline. Congress needs to leave it at February 17 then these people will have to change. If they do not like it then they can turn their TVs off.

WHO IS IN CONTROL OF THE SAEILITES IN THE SKY? What is the big deal about changing over? I can't even see my tv when there is bad weather.

There has been plenty of notice that the change is taking place. After Feb. 17 any one who hasn't made the change for what ever reason, will be forced to take action. The alternative is simple : Don't watch TV

I've been ready for quite some time, both with a HDTV and a converter box for the old set. The thing I can't get an answer for is, will my VCR with standard hookups work after the change over? It will program my local SD channels (8,10,13,28,44) but how do I program to record (8.1,10.1,28.1,44.1)? Will my VCR be junk?

Everyone has had plenty of time to make the changes, and the DTV change and available coupons has been well advertised by the Television Channels. Also, as a current news item explained, the 6.5 million includes people who are already digital-ready and/or who have already purchased digital converters or digital TVs. It is not necessary to make change for the sake of change. Everything the Bush Administration did was not wrong, bad, or inadequate!

This nation has been run by a bunch of cry babies. My wife and I are real alive dinazours. I am 72 this year, she will be 67.I sent off for the coupons just like the government man said on tv.Its just like driving. You don't wait on any one to get your licence.People that don't want to go through the trouble don't get to drive.Don't change a thing. the date is set,Feb 17,2009. So be it!

I can't seem to find anyone that really knows how the changeover is going to affect the fringe and deep fringe receivers that use antennas. What few "experts" I have discussed this with believe that on changeover day, a lot of folks in those particular areas will be in the dark. They aren't even sure that antenna upgrades are going to help those that are 50-70 miles from a transmitter. A local retailer told me that during a station's recent test that they received over 800 phone calls in a two hour period. The complaint, "I have a converter box installed, but I have no picture." It may be dark times ahead for the folks that choose to pick up their local stations off the air.

Well, I'm ready - I'm lucky enough to have cable, and frankly, I think the majority of the advertising has been done thanks to cable and satellite companies and aimed at customers who dont need to do anything anyway.

In any event, I was kind of strident about not needing to rush this, but after listening to commentary on this week's PCMag Radio, I think I'll fall back a bit. I agree that TV's no human right or anything, but I worry about the precedent it sets for the government not to make hard decisions, but also the precedent it sets when the government makes a commitment and doesn't live up to it because it's not convenient for others.

That being said, if 5 percent of American households, which is however million people, is small enough for everyone else to ignore, I'll ignore it too. It's unfortunate that the prevailing attitude is "I got mine, sucks to be you," but I agree that the cutoff has to be sometime and you'll never get to 0% of anything. It's just a shame I don't think we bothered to really try, and when we did, we set ourselves up to fail.

Then again, I'm one of those crazy kids that gets their TV on the Web and only keeps cable because internet access is cheaper when I buy a package. :)

I dont think that the gov has done all that they could have . saying that in the out lying areas that have limited reception/ fringe areas. that people still think that they can still receive tv signal with rabit ears?? as the signal strenght will decrease with this transition from analog to digital.
that more empesses should be on who where and how some people can receive digital tv signals. now what about the elderly who can"t afford cable or sattlight systems they are going to be without tv??
I work in a retail outlet that sells the converter box. and people/elderly are asking how will this affect my getting local tv stations?? and looking at the map that i found on the web in my area the elderly are going to have a had time getting the local stations because they will have to purcahse and outside antenna wich can cost for the whole system to get not let alone a vendor to enstall the out side antenna cost could be well into EST $300.00 +. so the elderly who cant afford this will be with out tv !!!!! the date of this change has been out there for some six months but it is now that the media is pushing about the change date comming soon??
i think this should have been done sooner and at the same pace they are now??!!!
but as always the media is only looking at the cost factor of the news they spread out into the airways?????
and by the way i am 74 and my wife is 69 we maybe better off than most in our age bracket??

i think the date should be extended to June or July 09

I am in the "deep fringe" area according to antennaweb.org. I'm about 80 miles from any of the transmitters. I've been watching DTV for about 18 months with very few problems. 100% of the time I get at least 3 of the 4 networks. Only during strong windstorms do I lose a station, so maybe 95% of the time I have perfect reception. When I lose the digital signal of a station, I check the analog, and it's so snowy it's unwatchable.

There's no reason to extend the date. Newsflash: You don't need a "coupon" to get the box to solve your problems. If you've been unable to either get the coupon, or scrape together $45 over the last 2+ YEARS, then the gov't can't save you from yourself anyway.

I think the big switch should take place as stated. Please.The goverment can help the other as time allows.It should be simple to help those who is without. Beside want this create job for the unemplored. Please let it happen. Cable and satellite useser should be ok. I have two antenner hook up two my tv and converter box. I love the picture when i get a good signal. The advertisment is getting old.

Don't delay it any further.... geez. Are our US representatives so out of the loop as to not know that the poorest people in America will be able to fork over whatever it takes to get their big screen TVs on line so they can watch their daytime soaps and Oprah..... Maybe the extra four months will allow the poor to save enough to cover the extra costs? Yep. An extra four months should be enough.

Did I just change my mind?

hey i got mines in octcber of last year i got my box in noveber of the same year it very easy. people are very laszy they wait until the last minute than they cry whenthe shit hit the fan first time and last time i'm going to agree with the fcc on this feb17 is the deadlineyou erither buy a new tv paid for cableor satlite. there been ad on tv since twoyears ago when the goverment .started the program for the cupons they are doind a blitz right now the ad s are appearing more often if you want their web site : its www.fcc.gov/dtv.plusi hook mines up it very simpleeven amonkey can do it. you got kid make them do it for free its agreat learning tool to

hey i only paid ten for the boxso the goverment help me cover the cost the poor cn get help they are just to lazy to ask.somebody for helpits a pride thing they raghter steal it than ask so whats the problem this time i back the fcc to enforce the feb 17 deadline

The time is NOW! There will always be some people that don't get it (whatever it is).

No do not change the deadline, make more money available for Grandma and Grandpa now. Quit stalling and quit making this change more confusing.

I have "gone digital" at two locations, and reception at both is intermittent.

At Location One I have a digital set and a tower mounted outdoor antenna. Usually I can get about eight analog signals reliably. On digital I get one channel which is only about 90% reliable, and two which come-and-go, depending on weather and antenna direction.

At Location Two, I have a converter box and "rabbit ears." I get one channel some of the time, and I loose signal when a truck goes by.

I wonder how much change will be made in power and broadcast antennas "after the change-over."

I'm probably going to read more because cable isn't available at either, and a hill makes me think satellite will not work at our primary residence.

We live in the hills 50 miles North of San Antonio. No cable nor DSL here. We have an old Radio Shack antenna 20 feet up on a rotor (with an RF amplifier). My two year old Vizio DTV has never picked up anything digital. I did get a box for the kitchen TV and one night it did pick up 42.1 in Austin, but not since. Does anyone know how to hold digital channels while inputting new ones to these boxes/sets after the initial channel sweep?

I used to get really great pictures here, but for several years; the quality has steadily deteriorated. Now the picture goes blue on at least one station every night. I will probably end up buying a new deep fringe antenna (which one, where???) RF Amplifier, splitter and RG-6 low loss cable. Will I be angry if nothing works? Guess!

I was really happy with a good analog signal 5 years ago. I hope there is a congressional investigation about the whole idea of involuntary change to DTV. The whole idea of capitalism is having the market decide.

I already have to get internet by overpriced and under performing satalite because most sites overuse graphics which clog up bandwidth. I don't relish getting another satalite lemon.

Arguments for postponing the transition date, possibly by several months,have been sparked by an announcement from NTIA on January 5, 2009 that the funding ceiling for converter box coupons had been reached, that all new requests would be put on a waiting list, and that growing numbers of households will likely not receive their coupons in time for the February 17 transition. As of January 14, 2009, 2.146 million requested coupons were on the waiting list.
The problem everyone here fails to realize is not a case of laziness by people it is a case of underfunding. It is speculated that part of the current rush on coupons could be from people who were planning to opt for cable or satellite options but who due to the economic downturn are unable to afford that option. Also, until late October nursing home residents could not apply for coupons because they do not have a unique USPS mailing address.
Additionally, according to the Congressional Research Service the actual % of households either completely or partially unprepared for the transition in Dec. 2008 was 16.8%.
Further, the converter box coupon program is not funded from a traditional appropriation out of taxpayer revenues as it was being funded from a percentage of the spectrum auction receipts. That results in a finite budget, being strained by the current economic concerns.
I am happy everyone here has managed to get themselves taken care of, but this group isn't exactly the problem needing to be addressed. While I agree that delays would cause additional confusion, the problem becomes balancing confusion with meeting the needs of our most at risk populations. I would not be so quick to dismiss anything out of hand.

Given the probably,1,000times I've seen an announcment about the change over, I can't believe anyone hasn't heard about it. I have to assume the uninformed may be either in some sort of denial or are dirt poor & couldn't afford the box etc. even if they were free. It's been harped on for at least a year & I'm tired of it. I say let the Feb. change over stand & the stragglers will just have to play catch-up. They could extend the deadline for a year & there would still be those who hadn't taken care of it. I'm 78 years old & there's only the cat & I left. We watch a lot of TV, so have an HDTV & cable. The image is so beautiful, I'd never go back to analog. We live on Soc. Sec. so if I could fit a new 19 inch TV in the budget, I'd think most anyone could. I admit this is our sole entertainment but I suspect that's true of many many seniors. I guess, as they say, it'll all come out in the wash eventually.

I ordered my coupons last year and no one had the boxes by the time the boxes were available my coupons were expired! I hope they fix that part!

If 4 years wasn't long enough, what makes the White House think that another 6 months will help. For the overwelming minority of over the air users, nothing will make them get off their couches except when the screen goes dark.

Think about it. If you're reading this blog, you're much more tech savvy than 95% of the public and there remains MUCH confusion among the general populace. Trust me, the last job you want in America on February 18th is working the front desk at a broadcast TV station.
And as a person who works in broadcast television, the last thing we want these days are fewer people watching over-the air television. On February 18th, there will be fewer people watching over-the-air television. That concerns me.

I set up my mother-in-law's converter box, but every time we visit she's back to watching the old way and I turn it back on for her. It's the having to use the converter's remote that throws her. Mine went flawlessly; enjoyed the extras. We both have tower-mounted antennas.
For Christmas our son and his wife bought us a new 42" LCD. I was wondering what I was going to do to record my favorites since I do that on another TV.
My coupons expired before I could locate any converters in my rural area. I sent for two more in my mother-in-law's name and got lucky with them.
There never should have been an expiration date on them. I don't know what I'm going to do at work since commercial enterprises can not obtain the coupons. I only work 15 hours per week; took a major hit to keep my job. Making less than I was thirty years ago, money is not available for extravagances.
Instead, maybe the government should take over the cell phone business and straighten out that mess............

Yes...I've been ready for a year.Anyone who is not ready by now is probably too stupid to be near a television let alone a converter box.

It seems that for the broadcasters' benefit, it should wait. There are two issues that will kill their revenues if it is not. The older audience that is finding it hard to figure all this out will be lost to advertisers. The other reality is the antenna issue. Most antennas that are going to be needed to receive digital are out of stock according to most suppliers. The retail "rabbit" ears simply do not work for most. So over the air viewers will be out of luck too.
Of course if you are greedy cable or phone IP access sellers, this is going to be a total windfall if nothing changes.

I think that the people I am trying to get coupons for will appreciate the extra time before they are cut off from the world. I wonder how many of the intolerant techies on this site ignored the existence of their elderly relatives and poverty level folks who struggle to survive who needed guidance.

Sit in your ivory tower, or get out there and help!

Many of those people have been scammed by this movement to purchase a TV or digital service that they didn't need.

Right now the government is doing pretty good, but the haves are going to have and the have nots are going to be cut off without help from their friends, neighbors, relatives or community action of some kind!

I sincerely hope they don't push the transition date back to June. I am so sick of hearing about the DTV transition I could barf. If you haven't heard enough about it by now, then you haven't been watching enough TV to make it worth while to buy a converter. If you still don't understand what this transition means to you in terms of whether you'll be able to get a picture on your TV or not, please understand that you are simply too stupid to own a TV. I'm a grandfather who doesn't understand the technical difference between digital and analog, but I DON'T need to know any of that blather to understand that NONE of the ancient TVs I own are going to get an over-air signal after 2/17/2009. And I've been told what to DO about it. I've been told and told ad nauseum, and DON'T want to hear about it for six more months!

The longer they push the transition off, the longer people will delay getting the box, coupon or no coupon. They could put it off until NEXT February and still there will be 6.5 million (or whatever the current guesstimate is) people not prepared for the transition. Get it over with and let's move on to something else.

No, O am not ready. I am unemployed and nearly broke. Uncle Sam has/will make millions on reselling the bandwidth. Why didnt they issue coupons that pay the entire price of the boxes, for as many boxes that you require? Uncle Sam & the TV industry stand to gain much by the transition. And I am forced to buy converter boxes and or a new TV.

I had my converter box and have been enjoying digital tv with an antenna since April last year (2008). I had to get a new antenna to pick up some of the more distant channels, but am getting multiple shows on some of the channels, and getting some channels I didn't get before.
As was stated previously if they extend the date, then people will wait for the new date, and then the next new date, and then the next new date.
Just make the switch to all digital and make them make the change. Some peeople aren't going to until they have to.

This is a STUPID measure Congress is trying to pass. It's as simple as this: IF YOU'RE NOT READY FOR THE TRANSITION YET - THEN YOU DON'T DESERVE TO WATCH TV. There's been MORE THAN ENOUGH time for everyone to take advantage of the government coupon, moreless be aware of the transition. You should have got the box already! I don't want to hear any excuses. YOU'RE LAZY, you lose! Simple.

Christopher Duma,

Your VCR will need it's own converter box (VCRCB) with a tuner timer to set it to the correct channel at the time you want to record. You will then need to set your VCR to record the output channel on it's converter box (VCRCB set to turn on @ 08:00 channel 52 - VCRCB output on channel 4 - VCR record @ 08:00 channel 4). The difficulty is if you want to watch annother channel when the VCR is recording, this will require an A-B Switch and annother converter box or some creative wiring (there are several ways which differ depending upon the type of AV equipment you have).

There will always be some who don't get on board with new tech. stuff. T.V. Is not necessary for life so what is the problem.

The feds have gone way into overkill wasting our taxes to get the word out. Do it now! Those who have yet not gotten the word will then 'get it'.

@Van: You mean the networks have wasted money. The ads were not paid for by taxpayer dollars.

There's a striking amount of misinformation about how much taxpayer money was spent and where it went - people seem to believe that their money was used or wasted here and that's not the truth.

The FCC, in cooperation with local broadcasters, service providers, retailers, schools and even the military, has been spreading the news about his change for almost two years! Anyone that says they were unaware of it must be living under a rock or in a cave... In which case, they don't need TV reception and this won't effect them. Furthermore, this is an estimate of TV's that might loose their signal - how many of you have more than one TV?! Other than going house to house and physically hand holding, I can't think of anymore the Government could've done.

I've been using for a DTV converter for almost 5 months. The set up was easy. The picture is great. There should be no delay in making the final switch on Feb 17. There should be no delay. Just do it, already.

I guess I'm OK with Congress pushing back the date, but I think it is pointless. Those who can't figure it out now won't be more ready later.

I have 1 HDTV, 1 HD tuner hooked to my PC monitor, and 1 conv. box. All were easy to get set up. A VCR should just connect to either the analog antenna or AV output of a converter box, etc.

What people are really going to freak out about is how unbelievably touchy the digital signal is. Good luck all.

I live in semi-rural area, in trees but on a hilltop, about 25-30 miles from nearest broadcast towers.

Have been getting fair reception for non-digital local stations using mid-range VHF/UHF antenna (in attic) ... so figured I'd probably get passable digital with better antenna.

So got converter boxes and tried adding extra UHV only antenna (long range DB8 still in attic).

Net result: Lots of pixelating, stations 'dropping of cliff', and manually going into attic to re-point antenna from Station-A's tower to Station-B's tower depending on which football/basketball game I wanted to watch in digital.

Obviously: Need to get antennas out of attic, mounted higher, and an electric 'rotor' to hope to get usable digital signals.

Winter weather preventing me from going on roof & lack of funding preventing me from buying 'rotor', etc., until Christmas bills paid.

So far:
1. 4 TVs/converters (extra coupons from friends) = $60-70.
2. New UHF antenna = $40-50.
3. Chimmney mount hardware, Mast, extra wiring, signal booster = $40-60.
4. Rotor = unknown but I estimate $75-125 to buy & wire up.

Total = $200 easily and I still will not know if I will get acceptable signals until I've spent it all and scrambled around on roof, etc.

So don't everybody talk like it is 'no big thing' to convert and that everybody should be ready by now.

Lots of folks will be unprepared and disappointed (ie: those in an "urban canyon") by the 'directionalness' of digital signals!

I am happy for John, who on Jan.29th (9:25 AM if you want to go back and read him), at 74 MUST be leading a really active life since he is apparently AWAY from his TV a lot. He said that even though the date was set 6 months ago, why did they just start pushing the fact that the deadline is now looming. The fact is, JOHN, they've been pushing it far longer than even the 6 months. Feb the 17th is about the third time the date has been chaged already !!!!! Where have you been? Well, you've been one of those 6.5 million who weren't listening!!! You know now. It's not Feb 17th yet. What's the problem? Buy the box! The wolrd doesn't end on the 17th. If you don't have it then, get it on the 18th, or the 20th. Or in June. Or next year!

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