Get your Digital TV tuner coupon!

mikea · Feb 7, 2008

Apply for your coupons yoward the purchase of a digital TV tuner. You'll need one of those if you want any TV, older than a year or so old, you have on an antenna, to work after next February.

https://www.dtv2009.gov/

The coupon expires in 90 days after you get it.
There are no boxes for sale yet.
You pays yer tax money and ya takes yer chances.

wsuffa · Feb 8, 2008

I applied weeks ago. Still no coupons. That's fine because I'd have 90 days and (as you note) there are no boxes available yet.

mikea · Feb 8, 2008

wsuffa said:
I applied weeks ago. Still no coupons. That's fine because I'd have 90 days and (as you note) there are no boxes available yet.

I figger per normal, the box that's the consensus hot setup will ship about 10 days after everybody's coupons expire.

Lawreston · Feb 8, 2008

I received my 2 on January 02, having applied online and printed them out.

HR

EDIT: but now I'll apply for 2 at my other house's address, since the house hasn't sold, yet.

mikea · Feb 8, 2008

Lawreston said:
I received my 2 on January 02, having applied online and printed them out.

Did they really send a printable coupon? It looks like they have cards now.

In any case they have serial numbers they can track, and anti-spam measures on the site, because you know the coupons will show up on eBay in 3,2,1...

in spite of the "I swear this is true is correct" button you press.

Lawreston · Feb 8, 2008

mikea said:
Did they really send a printable coupon? It looks like they have cards now.

In any case they have serial numbers they can track, and anti-spam measures on the site, because you know the coupons will show up on eBay in 3,2,1...

in spite of the "I swear this is true is correct" button you press.

Thanks for causing me to check. What I was able to print are confirmations of my application(s), each with its own reference #. Hence, I'm with the crowd awaiting actual delivery of the "coupons".

HR

mikea · Feb 8, 2008

Looks like this is gonna be another heckuva job:
http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/02/governments-dtv.html

wsuffa · Feb 8, 2008

"We did that because that's the date the government is going to start mailing out the coupons," Lucas said.

So, Worst Buy won't stock before the coupons come out. Bet the (cost to them) is on the order of $15, so they make a big profit from the taxpayer.

No surprise there.

mikea · Feb 8, 2008

wsuffa said:
So, Worst Buy won't stock before the coupons come out. Bet the (cost to them) is on the order of $15, so they make a big profit from the taxpayer.

No surprise there.

ANDDDDD...Gee, sorry, We're out of the tuners...No, we don't know when we'll get more. Sayyyyy,....have you looked at the NEW TVs with digital tuners built in? THEY'RE ON SALE! How about if we give you the $50 coupon off of the price?

RJM62 · Feb 10, 2008

Just go to Main Street in Flushing. They'll have knock-offs on sale before the real ones hit the shelves.

Rich

ScottM · Feb 11, 2008

What my 1966 B&W portable is not going to work next year? How did this happen? Why wasn't I told. How will I watch the Price is Right? Something must be done to prevent this from happening!!!

[/sarcasm]

wsuffa · Feb 11, 2008

smigaldi said:
What my 1966 B&W portable is not going to work next year? How did this happen? Why wasn't I told. How will I watch the Price is Right? Something must be done to prevent this from happening!!!

Would that be one of those Zenith Space Command units that you can change channels with a dog whistle? :yes:

SCCutler · Feb 11, 2008

wsuffa said:
Would that be one of those Zenith Space Command units that you can change channels with a dog whistle?

Bill, you could often change the channels on these with a jingling length of chain, as well; the remotes used a hammer and a hunk of steel at a tuned length. I remember hearing the sound from across the hallway in my parents' room- "Thunk! Ker-chunk ker-chunk ker-chunk ker-chunk ker-chunk." Lots of "ker-chunks" at night when only one or two stations was still on the air.

Ah, memories.

I am so OLD!

mikea · Feb 11, 2008

smigaldi said:
What my 1966 B&W portable is not going to work next year? How did this happen? Why wasn't I told. How will I watch the Price is Right? Something must be done to prevent this from happening!!!

[/sarcasm]

I'm tellin' ya, this will be the exact cry that will come around, oh, November, no, January 2009. The next president will have to deal with the screaming at the inauguration.

Congress! DID YOU KNOW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?

IT'S A TAX ON POOR PEOPLE! How can they pay for theTV/box/subscription on a fixed income? I say they'll order thr FCC to postpone the cut date again.

What I keep seeing in my mind, besides old folks with 13" TVs at home, is TVs in work sites like newsstands and hot dog stands. They aren't going be hanging satellite dishes on those.

gprellwitz · Feb 11, 2008

mikea said:
What I keep seeing in my mind, besides old folks with 13" TVs at home, is TVs in work sites like newsstands and hot dog stands. They aren't going be hanging satellite dishes on those.

Market opportunity! 13" HDTV! :rofl:

wsuffa · Feb 11, 2008

mikea said:
I'm tellin' ya, this will be the exact cry that will come around, oh, November, no, January 2009. The next president will have to deal with the screaming at the inauguration.

Congress! DID YOU KNOW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?

IT'S A TAX ON POOR PEOPLE! How can they pay for theTV/box/subscription on a fixed income? I say they'll order thr FCC to postpone the cut date again.

What I keep seeing in my mind, besides old folks with 13" TVs at home, is TVs in work sites like newsstands and hot dog stands. They aren't going be hanging satellite dishes on those.

Especially since the DTV signal (on UHF) tends to be somewhat more fragile than analog. I've got a DTV tuner (about 4 years old), periodic dropouts even with a fringe rooftop antenna. I'm about 15 miles from the transmit towers.

SCCutler · Feb 11, 2008

wsuffa said:
Especially since the DTV signal (on UHF) tends to be somewhat more fragile than analog. I've got a DTV tuner (about 4 years old), periodic dropouts even with a fringe rooftop antenna. I'm about 15 miles from the transmit towers.

Bill:

I have to believe that there is either some unusual interference, or there is an unexpected loss somewhere in the antenna cable and connectors. I had a serious dropout / weak signal issue in my DTV over the air, and went through the antenna "system," cleaning and tightening all connectors; the difference was dramatic.

wsuffa · Feb 11, 2008

SCCutler said:
Bill:

I have to believe that there is either some unusual interference, or there is an unexpected loss somewhere in the antenna cable and connectors. I had a serious dropout / weak signal issue in my DTV over the air, and went through the antenna "system," cleaning and tightening all connectors; the difference was dramatic.

Spike, it's all new. New antenna, new cable, new connectors, etc. A preamp doesn't help, it's full fade. No fresnel clearance between home and tower.

Home is in a heavily treed area - it's not really a problem unless the wind blows. UHF absorbtion by leaves and branches is significant. Pine trees (long-needle variety) are worst, depending on the channel.

It MAY be the receiver, I'll need to get another TV or tuner to be sure.....

SCCutler · Feb 11, 2008

wsuffa said:
Spike, it's all new. New antenna, new cable, new connectors, etc. A preamp doesn't help, it's full fade. No fresnel clearance between home and tower.

Home is in a heavily treed area - it's not really a problem unless the wind blows. UHF absorbtion by leaves and branches is significant. Pine trees (long-needle variety) are worst, depending on the channel.

It MAY be the receiver, I'll need to get another TV or tuner to be sure.....

(Sigh).

Your original observation stands unchallenged- UHF signals are less robust than the VHF they are replacing.

It is vitally important to get the bandwidth freed-up so it can be sold. Right.

I still don't understand why it is the responsibility of gummint to buy digital receivers for folks.

KennyFlys · Feb 11, 2008

smigaldi said:
What my 1966 B&W portable is not going to work next year? How did this happen? Why wasn't I told. How will I watch the Price is Right? Something must be done to prevent this from happening!!!

I think we should find all those who establish such standards. Then, we should take them out back and kick their butts.

mikea · Feb 11, 2008

SCCutler said:
(Sigh).

Your original observation stands unchallenged- UHF signals are less robust than the VHF they are replacing.

It is vitally important to get the bandwidth freed-up so it can be sold. Right.

I still don't understand why it is the responsibility of gummint to buy digital receivers for folks.

The gummit is going to make $BBs selling the spectrum that is freed up. The coupon money is so the proles will be more compliant, and lessen the screaming above. Can you think of another case of this kind of thing happening recently?

gkainz · Feb 11, 2008

they're probably the same bunch that mandated the POL valves for all our back yard bbq propane bottles ... somebody's brother-in-law had an invention that wasn't selling, so let's mandate its use and sell a bunch of them.

mikea · Feb 11, 2008

gkainz said:
they're probably the same bunch that mandated the POL valves for all our back yard bbq propane bottles ... somebody's brother-in-law had an invention that wasn't selling, so let's mandate its use and sell a bunch of them.

There's that the electronics industry was in the doldrums because TV sales were flat, because most people had a enough big enough TVs that had been working fine for years. That had to end.

wsuffa · Feb 12, 2008

SCCutler said:
(Sigh).

Your original observation stands unchallenged- UHF signals are less robust than the VHF they are replacing.

It is vitally important to get the bandwidth freed-up so it can be sold. Right.

I still don't understand why it is the responsibility of gummint to buy digital receivers for folks.

I can make the government argument two ways:

1) I'd agree with you that it's not the responsibility...

and

2) Since the government is mandating the obselescence of our old TV equipment (so they can reap money, effectively a tax), the least they can do is offer a portion of that money back to the sheep that have to buy new gear

#2, then, represents a reduction in the net tax we have to pay (the buyers of the spectrum have to pay a "tax" in the auction, and the consumer has to pay a "tax" in that we're mandated to buy new equipment), ergo I can make the case that the responsible thing for government to do is provide a cost reduction for the equipment.

What I want to know is how and why the government gets to claim ownership of the spectrum in the first place, and thereby gets to sell the right to use the spectrum and reap rewards. It would be much like saying that any user of water or air (or land, for that matter) has to buy the right to use same from the Government....

I'm done ranting now...

fgcason · Feb 12, 2008

SCCutler said:
Bill, you could often change the channels on these with a jingling length of chain, as well; the remotes used a hammer and a hunk of steel at a tuned length. I remember hearing the sound from across the hallway in my parents' room- "Thunk! Ker-chunk ker-chunk ker-chunk ker-chunk ker-chunk." Lots of "ker-chunks" at night when only one or two stations was still on the air.

My dad had his own TV repair business until he retired. I bet with a little searching next time I visit, I could find a bunch of those old Zenith Space Command remotes laying around.

I remember making windchimes out of the little metal rods. It drove the TV crazy every time the wind blew. The dog could also hit a particular note occasionally while barking and the TV would turn off..or on.

gkainz · Feb 12, 2008

mikea said:
There's that the electronics industry was in the doldrums because TV sales were flat, because most people had a enough big enough TVs that had been working fine for years. That had to end.

Yeah, and I'll wager not 1 single TV set is manufactured in the US today, so what economy are we revitalizing?

Ghery · Feb 15, 2008

mikea said:
The gummit is going to make $BBs selling the spectrum that is freed up. The coupon money is so the proles will be more compliant, and lessen the screaming above. Can you think of another case of this kind of thing happening recently?

What spectrum is that? Looking at Part 73.623(d)(2) of the FCC Rules (Title 47, CFR) the table showing spacing between stations on the same or adjacent channels still goes down to channel 2. VHF isn't going away, it's just the analog transmitters go dark a year from now. Channels will be re-assigned, but the only spectrum that's changing from TV to other radio services is channels 60-69 (or there abouts). No sense keeping spectrum allocated for TV broadcasting when it isn't being used. Heck, UHF TV used to go to channel 83. 70-83 went away a long time ago (think - cell phones). This re-farming hasn't got anything to do with the switch to DTV, and everything to do with a scarce resource - radio spectrum. Now, this isn't to say that the feds won't make a buck or two off the process. After all, it is government of the government, by the government and for the government. And that doesn't depend on who occupies the White House or either house of Congress.

mikea · Nov 15, 2008

No worries. You have 4 months left.

Here are the easy instructions:

mikea · Mar 24, 2009

DTV coupons available, 2nd chance for expired

If you didn't get your digital tuner coupon, or got a coupons but they expired you can apply now. They have a new bunch with the stimulus money.

NTIA: Viewers May Reapply for Coupons

NEW YORK (AP) — People who got digital TV converter box coupons but let them expire can now apply for new ones.

The recent stimulus package put more money into the coupon program, letting the National Telecommunications and Information Administration give households with expired coupons a second chance.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2009/03/24/daily.9/

https://www.dtv2009.gov/

gismo · Mar 24, 2009