Supposedly, starting today (1/1/08) you could sign up for the $40 DTV converter box coupons at www.dtv2009.gov but when you try to submit your name and address, you repeatedly get an error message. I'm hearing that others are having the same problem. Not a good start.
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DTV converter box site...not working!
- Thread starter Mediafrog+
- Start date
O
OhReally?
Guest
I just tried it and it worked for me. Got a confirmation number and everything.
One thing to note BEFORE you sign up: once the coupons are issued, they MUST be redeemed within 90 days. And the converter boxes themselves are not expected to be available until late-Feb/early March & they will not be issued until then.
So, if you're not in a big hurry to purchase one -- given the 90-day window to use them -- you might want to wait. I do not know if you can "re-apply" if you do not use them in the 90-day window (and only 2 coupons are allowed per address).
One thing to note BEFORE you sign up: once the coupons are issued, they MUST be redeemed within 90 days. And the converter boxes themselves are not expected to be available until late-Feb/early March & they will not be issued until then.
So, if you're not in a big hurry to purchase one -- given the 90-day window to use them -- you might want to wait. I do not know if you can "re-apply" if you do not use them in the 90-day window (and only 2 coupons are allowed per address).
F
FreddyE1977
Guest
I will make some predictions....
This converter box coupon program will go down in history as one of the most corrupt, abused and mis-managed government programs in US History. It's main effect will be to keep the retail price of boxes artificially high and produce a huge black market in stolen and counterfeit coupons.
There will be shortages of boxes throughout 2008 as it dawns on everyone in the great un-washed public
that they need one for each of the current televisions they own. Manufacturers and importers will struggle to keep up with the demand.
As February 17, 2009 creeps up on us, it will become apparent that there are not enough boxes, too many consumers who still don't understand the game, and too little time to fix it all.
Faced with an angry, seething constituency and bushel loads of consumer lawsuits (Sony Watchman Owners v. Mukasey), Congress will go jelly-spined and back down once again from the "firm" digital conversion date.
You can pick the American people's pockets thru the tax system, take away their individual freedoms and foist various petty harrassments upon them.....but heaven help you if you mess with TV!
As evidence I submit the British conversion from 405 line black-and-white VHF to 625 line color UHF.
Deadline set by Parlaiment in 1962 for late 1969 switch-off. The last 405 line transmitter shut down on
January 3, 1985.
This converter box coupon program will go down in history as one of the most corrupt, abused and mis-managed government programs in US History. It's main effect will be to keep the retail price of boxes artificially high and produce a huge black market in stolen and counterfeit coupons.
There will be shortages of boxes throughout 2008 as it dawns on everyone in the great un-washed public
that they need one for each of the current televisions they own. Manufacturers and importers will struggle to keep up with the demand.
As February 17, 2009 creeps up on us, it will become apparent that there are not enough boxes, too many consumers who still don't understand the game, and too little time to fix it all.
Faced with an angry, seething constituency and bushel loads of consumer lawsuits (Sony Watchman Owners v. Mukasey), Congress will go jelly-spined and back down once again from the "firm" digital conversion date.
You can pick the American people's pockets thru the tax system, take away their individual freedoms and foist various petty harrassments upon them.....but heaven help you if you mess with TV!
As evidence I submit the British conversion from 405 line black-and-white VHF to 625 line color UHF.
Deadline set by Parlaiment in 1962 for late 1969 switch-off. The last 405 line transmitter shut down on
January 3, 1985.
One prediction you missed:
Millions of people whose TVs are all either hooked up to cable or satellite will rush out to buy converter boxes, even though they really don't need them. Millions more who have digital TVs will also rush out to buy the converter boxes, even though they don't need them, either.
Millions of people whose TVs are all either hooked up to cable or satellite will rush out to buy converter boxes, even though they really don't need them. Millions more who have digital TVs will also rush out to buy the converter boxes, even though they don't need them, either.
FreddyE1977 said:
Of course, ITV didn't begin color broadcasts until 1969, and it wasn't until 1976 when the entire network broadcasted in color (when Channel Television began colorcasts). The last 405 line transmitter should be "transmitters" -- the IBA, which operated the transmitters for ITV, didn't receive government clearance to close then down until 1985. By then, almost all viewers had access to a 625-line set (though some preferred B&W, due to lower licensing fees for B&W).
I signed up yesterday for mine (I still have a PERFECTLY good 32" Sony analog) that has served my wife and I well in the bedroom since we upgraded the living room TV to HD 3 years ago. Plus the TV in our kids room is also analog so we got a coupon for them too. I see no point in throwing out good TVs and causing more environmental havoc than we already have.
Now this coupon system is interesting. It's nice for the common American to get a COOL freebie from the government for a change. But I still believe regardless, the transistion date will very likely be pushed back another year at least. A lot of people STILL don't know what is going to happen on February 17, 2009 and the media has done very little to inform them so far. It's a much more massive change than the industry and government can even begin to realize and they should have started preparing the public from the day the transition date was set.
Like the posters who talked about the UK TV transmitters, it's a similar scenario. I don't think analog will ever go away. Vinyl LPs never really went away - you can still find some newer titles on Amazon.com. It's all in the preference of the person. A niche market overall, but it's there. And as long as the technology exists, it will be used in one form or the other. Did you know 8-tracks are STILL used in the railroad industry?:
http://www.8trackheaven.com/datapack.html
Or there's a guy recording concerts on wax cylinders?:
http://members.tripod.com/~Edison_1/id19.html
These may be some extremes, but the fact is if nothing else, that analog is an old reliable standby and it's just not a good idea to write it off entirely. When everything is run by computers and as long as computers are prone to all kinds of havoc, it's always good to know you still have a mostly fail-safe backup. Digital is not always perfect and sometimes analog is just as good and in some (God forbid) circumstances where digital fails, even better. Or at least better than nothing at all. It's kinda like the movie "Independence Day" where Morse Code by shortwave was used to transmit tactical information to other countries against the alien invaders.
Just because it's old doesn't always mean it's entirely obsolete....
Now this coupon system is interesting. It's nice for the common American to get a COOL freebie from the government for a change. But I still believe regardless, the transistion date will very likely be pushed back another year at least. A lot of people STILL don't know what is going to happen on February 17, 2009 and the media has done very little to inform them so far. It's a much more massive change than the industry and government can even begin to realize and they should have started preparing the public from the day the transition date was set.
Like the posters who talked about the UK TV transmitters, it's a similar scenario. I don't think analog will ever go away. Vinyl LPs never really went away - you can still find some newer titles on Amazon.com. It's all in the preference of the person. A niche market overall, but it's there. And as long as the technology exists, it will be used in one form or the other. Did you know 8-tracks are STILL used in the railroad industry?:
http://www.8trackheaven.com/datapack.html
Or there's a guy recording concerts on wax cylinders?:
http://members.tripod.com/~Edison_1/id19.html
These may be some extremes, but the fact is if nothing else, that analog is an old reliable standby and it's just not a good idea to write it off entirely. When everything is run by computers and as long as computers are prone to all kinds of havoc, it's always good to know you still have a mostly fail-safe backup. Digital is not always perfect and sometimes analog is just as good and in some (God forbid) circumstances where digital fails, even better. Or at least better than nothing at all. It's kinda like the movie "Independence Day" where Morse Code by shortwave was used to transmit tactical information to other countries against the alien invaders.
Just because it's old doesn't always mean it's entirely obsolete....
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