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Digital converters - will we have them in the U.S. or not?

I

ixnay

The thread entitled "FCC citing stores for not disclosing analog TV cutoff" got me thinking...

I haven't read or heard anything about the availability of digital converters for those who cannot afford going out and burning bucks on whole digital sets?

Has that concept fallen by the wayside? Will we have to go out and buy digital sets? ???

ixnay
 
ixnay said:
The thread entitled "FCC citing stores for not disclosing analog TV cutoff" got me thinking...

I haven't read or heard anything about the availability of digital converters for those who cannot afford going out and burning bucks on whole digital sets?

Has that concept fallen by the wayside? Will we have to go out and buy digital sets? ???
Click to expand...

If you have cable, you have some time to think about it. Cable will be required to downconvert to analog until 2012. (if you have *digital* cable then you're all set: the cable operator is doing the downconversion for you, and will continue to do so for as long as you're paying for *their* converter box...)

If you have satellite, the satellite receiver is your converter. I suppose someday they'll stop offering receivers with analog outputs but I think that'll be a long time in coming.

Converters for OTA reception do exist, but they're a bit hard to find right now. Scott Fybush makes the point on another thread (can't remember which board!) that it will make little sense to publicize them right now because the federal subsidy plan hasn't been finalized yet. He suggests we'll hear more after the first of the year.
 
w9wi said:
Converters for OTA reception do exist, but they're a bit hard to find right now.
Click to expand...

And expensive, if you do find them. This past summer, the only store in my area that sold converetors was a Circuit City (and not all of them carry them) -- they had two models, the lowest-price being about $279. These days, no other store has gotten on the bandwagon yet.
 
Thanks, guys, you were helpful.

I should clarify my OP... I meant to say that I hadn't heard or read anything *lately* as to converter availability.

ixnay
 
If all goes as planned, the next-generation boxes will be in stores when the coupons become available early next year. As I said in that other thread, there's no reason they should be out there now - why get people angry if they buy the boxes now and THEN get the $40 off coupon in January?

And in the meantime, manufacturers have pretty much stopped making the expensive early-generation boxes. The tuner chips are going right into TV sets and DVRs now, where they belong for the moment.
 
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