As most of us know by now, there are no more coupons left. At this point, all one can do is get on a waiting list with more than 1 million people ahead of you. Unless Congress decides to provide additional funding (not likely), most people on the waiting list will be waiting forever. I think it’s safe to say at this point that anyone needing a DTV converter box is on their own. Unless you already have an un-expired coupon already, you are most likely out of luck.

The good news is, as the current supply of non digital televisions slowly work their way to the junk piles to be replaced by HDTV ready TV sets, you will eventually see the existing converter boxes make their way to yard sales, flea markets and (of course) eBay. Being the transitional technology it is, DTV converter boxes will eventually end-up becoming an obsolete piece of equipment that almost no one will need to own. So, if you don’t mind waiting awhile, you will eventually be able to buy these things for next to nothing.

For those of you who would like some “face time” with a representative of the FCC, there will be a digital conversion workshop at the offices of the Area 1 Agency on Aging in Eureka, CA, on Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 11 a.m. The A1AA is located at 434 Seventh Street.

“He’s basically a living legend,” said Don Smullin, general manager of Eureka Television Group. Smith was the owner of a media empire that spanned from Bakersfield to Oregon and that included the local Fox, Univision, CW, My Network and CBS stations.

While Smullin said he didn’t yet know who would take over as owner of Eureka’s five stations, he assumed it would be someone in Smith’s family, but added, “I’m not privy to that information.” Until a replacement is named, Smullin said he has no worries for the television group’s future. “A lot of the blessings we have is that Chester left the company in very strong financial shape,” he said. “We have no debt.”

We have been looking for a source of these DTV converter boxes locally for awhile now. The hard part wasn’t so much finding a store that stocked the boxes, but finding a model that included the analog pass-through feature that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Without this feature, we would lose access to about half of the channels that will be available locally after February 2009. This includes all local LPTV (Low Power Television) stations and translators. We’ve written plenty of articles on this feature in the past, so be sure to check our archives for more information.

So, what did we find, and where did we find it? Surprisingly, the store that finally came through for us was Target. The Target store in Eureka, California stocks three different models of DTV converter boxes. The first two are pretty much a waste of money, since they do not have analog pass-through. They always seem to have plenty of these boxes in stock, strangely enough. However, after making repeated trips to the store last week we finally found the model in stock that we wanted. It’s the Venturer STB7766G1.

Obviously, Venturer is not exactly a household name, but we have not seen a great deal of difference in quality between manufacturers when it comes to DTV converter boxes, so we’re not too worried as to the quality. The main thing we are interested in here are the features and the price, which is the lowest we have seen any DTV converter box sell for.

Assuming that you happen to arrive at a time when these boxes are in stock, the sticker price is $49.95. Of course, that’s the price before applying the discount from your $40 government coupon. Once you toss-in the sales tax of 7.25% (that’s what it is here), your final purchase price will be a little over $13. Of course, the state sales tax is calculated on the original sticker price of $49.95.

Be sure to have your government coupon handy with you when you go to the store, and be sure to pay attention to the total price when checking out. As we could have guessed, the Target employee at the check-out counter was totally clueless as to how to apply the coupon, and originally charged us full-price for the unit, even after having scanned the coupon! So, make sure that they actually apply the $40 discount while you are there, unless you plan on making a return trip to get your money back for being overcharged.

Interestingly, while checking out, I was also asked to sign some sort of piece of paper that was spat out along with my receipt. It basically stated (I didn’t get to keep a copy of the document, unfortunately) that I agreed that I had just used-up one of my government coupons, and that I was not going to get the entire purchase price back if I returned the item. I wasn’t really expecting to have to sign anything when paying for an item with cash, but whatever…

The unit is very basic, but does everything that you should need it to do, including allowing you to watch channels that continue to broadcast in analog after February 2009. I’ll have a full product review for you later this week. For the moment though, we suggest that you snatch one up with one of your government coupons while you can. At $49.95, you aren’t going to find a cheaper model anywhere else, and most certainly not one that includes analog pass-through. We’ll have more detailed information on it later this week. Stay tuned!

The below list was compiled from the U.S. Department of Commerce (NTIA), and is current as of January 2008. We’ve added an *asterisk in front of stations licensed in Humboldt, Trinity, Del Norte and Southern Mendocino Counties in Northern California. Keep in mind, these stations all transmit using very little power, so picking up any of them is rather tricky. As far as I know, this is the most comprehensive list of translators available for the area, and the only one that lists network affiliations and the names of the stations that operate invividual translators.

One fact that I find particularly interesting is that we have more LPTV stations and translators in rural Northern California than you will find in any major metropolitan area, such as Los Angeles or San Francisco. In fact, San Francisco seems to only have a single LPTV broadcaster. Also, the localities given do not always seem to reflect the actual location of the translators in all cases. Broadcasters are not required to disclose the “exact” location of their transmitting facilities, which can make it extremely difficult to determine which direction to point you antenna in for the best reception. This is especially true at UHF frequencies (channels 14 and up), where you likely won’t see any signal at all if you don’t aim an antenna in precisely the right direction.

Another interesting factoid is the large number of low-power television stations that have been licensed in the Eureka area. Despite having been granted construction permits, none of the channels currently assigned to “MS Communications” have ever broadcast a signal, to the best of our knowledge. Apparently, MS Communications holds the licenses for literally hundreds of LPTV stations across the country, none of which seem to be operational. It is doubtful that there will ever be any television programming on these stations.

We’ve added comments where appropriate, including network affiliations.

Community Served Station Call Letters Channel ALTADENA KTAV-LP 69 ALTURAS K20DE 20 ALTURAS, ETC. K47EH 47 ALTURAS, ETC. K60AR 60 ANDERSON/CENTRL VAL. K38FQ 38 ARROYO GRANDE KSSY-LP 20 ATASCADERO KASC-CA 7 BAKERSFIELD KTFB-CA 4 BAKERSFIELD K08MM 8 BAKERSFIELD KKEY-LP 11 BAKERSFIELD K18HD 18 BAKERSFIELD K21FP 21 BAKERSFIELD K24GS 24 BAKERSFIELD KBTF-CA 31 BAKERSFIELD KVPT-LP 34 BAKERSFIELD KBFK-LP 36 BAKERSFIELD KNXT-LP 38 BAKERSFIELD KZKC-LP 42 BAKERSFIELD K46II 46 BAKERSFIELD KEBK-LP 47 BAKERSFIELD KABE-LP 52 BAKERSFIELD KBFX-CA 58 BARSTOW KCIO-LP 6 BARSTOW K16GE 16 BARSTOW K28IE 28 * BENBOW, ETC. K12JJ 12 (KAEF Translator) BIEBER, ETC. K06GS 6 BIG BEAR LAKE K06MU 6 BIG BEAR LAKE KPCD-LP 40 BIG BEND, ETC. K04EZ 4 * BLUE LAKE K36BT 36 (KAEF Translator) BLYTHE K24FA 24 BLYTHE K26FS 26 BLYTHE K29EC 29 BLYTHE K31FE 31 BLYTHE K33FD 33 BOONVILLE, ETC. K57CT 57 BOONVILLE, ETC. K59CH 59 BOONVILLE, ETC. K61CH 61 BOONVILLE, ETC. K63CE 63 BOONVILLE, ETC. K67CC 67 BOONVILLE, ETC. K69CU 69 BRIDGEPORT, ETC. K02JX 2 BRIDGEPORT, ETC. K07QM 7 BRIDGEPORT, ETC. K11HS 11 BRIDGEPORT, ETC. K13EX 13 BURNEY, ETC. K05DQ 5 * BURNT RANCH, ETC. K12JL 12 (KIEM Translator) CALEXICO K36FO 36 CATHEDRAL CITY KDPX-LP 45 CATHEDRAL CITY-PALM KPSP-LP 58 CEDARVILLE K71AF 71 CHALFANT VALLEY, ETC K64CY 64 CHALFANT VALLEY,ETC. K55FD 55 CHALFANT VALLEY,ETC. K61EJ 61 CHICO K02OA 2 CHICO KEFM-LP 6 CHICO KXVU-LP 17 CHICO K19FY 19 CHICO KZVU-LP 22 CHICO KUCO-LP 27 CHICO KKPM-CA 28 CHICO KKTF-LP 35 CHICO KBIT-LD 51 CHICO KSGO-LP 59 CHINA LAKE, ETC. K14AT 14 CLARKS CROSSING KDAS-LP 48 * CRESCENT CITY K09VQ 9 (KEET Translator) * CRESCENT CITY, ETC. K22DS 22 (KOBI Translator) * CRESCENT CITY, ETC. K39EO 39 (Daystar Television Network) CROWLEY LAKE-LONG VA K15DP 15 CROWLEY LAKE-LONG VA K17DF 17 CROWLEY LAKE-LONG VA K19DI 19 CROWLEY LAKE-LONG VA K25EB 25 CROWLEY LAKE-LONG VA K27DV 27 CROWLEY LAKE-LONG VA K58BN 58 DAGGETT K15BZ 15 DAGGETT K19BS 19 DAGGETT K41CY 41 DAGGETT K48IP 48 DAGGETT K50HV 50 DAGGETT, ETC. KTSK-LP 17 DAGGETT, ETC. K23BP 23 DAGGETT, ETC. K35BQ 35 DAGGETT, ETC. K39DW 39 DAGGETT, ETC. K46HT 46 DUNSMUIR, ETC. K02CN 2 DUNSMUIR, ETC. K05BR 5 EAGLEVILLE K13IU 13 EAST WEED K33DI 33 EL CENTRO-HOLTVILLE K56GC 56 ETNA-FORT JONES K02HC 2 * EUREKA KUVU-LP 9 (CW Network) * EUREKA ** K27FX 27 * EUREKA KEUV-LP 31 (Univision) * EUREKA KEMY-LP 33 (MyNetwork) * EUREKA ** K41FD 41 * EUREKA ** K48GP 48 * EUREKA ** K50EQ 50 * EUREKA ** K52FK 52 * EUREKA ** K57HB 57 * EUREKA ** K59FW 59 * EUREKA ** K63GK 63 * EUREKA **** K67GU 67 (KKTF-LP Translator) * EUREKA ** K69IE 69 FALL RIVER MILLS,ETC K11JM 11 FALL RIVER MILLS-MCA K28DB 28 FORT BIDWELL K04GB 4 FORT DICK K36HM 36 FORT JONES, ETC. K04EQ 4 FORT JONES, ETC. K06KA 6 FORT JONES, ETC. K13HU 13 * FORTUNA K14MN 14 (KBVU/KTVU Translator) * FORTUNA/RIO DELL K20CN 20 (KAEF Translator) * FRESHWATER, ETC. K45DS 45 (KAEF Translator) FRESNO K03HK 3 FRESNO KVHF-LP 4 FRESNO K12OZ 12 FRESNO K15ET 15 FRESNO KHSC-LP 16 FRESNO KZMM-CA 22 FRESNO KJKZ-LP 27 FRESNO KBID-LP 31 FRESNO KJEO-LP 32 FRESNO KSDI-LP 33 FRESNO KMSG-LP 39 FRESNO KTFF-LP 41 FRESNO K56DZ 56 * GARBERVILLE K10HX 10 (KVIQ Translator) * GARBERVILLE, ETC. K04NX 4 (KIEM Translator) GONZALES KOTR-LP 2 GRASS VALLEY K16CX 16 * GREEN POINT, ETC. K05EQ 5 (KRCR Translator) HAPPY CAMP K07IX 7 HAPPY CAMP, ETC. K09PI 9 HAPPY CAMP, ETC. K11GO 11 HAPPY CAMP, ETC. K13GL 13 * HAYFORK K05CR 5 (KIXE Translator) * HOOPA K07GJ 7 (KIEM Translator) * HOOPA K11NE 11 (KVIQ Translator) HOPLAND K06FA 6 HOPLAND K10FZ 10 HOPLAND K11TD 11 HOPLAND K13ID 13 HOPLAND K35DO 35 INDIO KVER-CA 4 INDIO KEVC-CA 5 INDIO K06MB 6 INDIO KVPS-LP 8 INDIO KUNA-LP 15 INDIO K19DH 19 INDIO K25GW 25 INDIO/PALM SPRINGS KDFX-CA 33 INLAND EMPIRE KHTV-LP 48 INYOKERN K19CL 19 INYOKERN, ETC. K47AE 47 JOSHUA TREE K25GK 25 JOSHUA TREE, ETC. K14JT 14 * KLAMATH K25CI 25 (KAEF Translator) LA JOLLA K35DG 35 LA JOLLA K59AL 59 LA JOLLA K67AM 67 LAKE CITY, ETC. K06FF 6 LAKE SHASTINA K27BH 27 LAKEHEAD K02FF 2 LAKEHEAD K14HX 14 LAKEPORT K15FJ 15 LAKEPORT K26GK 26 LAKEPORT K33CH 33 LAKEPORT K46DR 46 LAKEPORT K54CY 54 LAKEPORT K56AW 56 LAKEPORT K58AW 58 LAKEPORT K64AZ 64 LAKEPORT K68AL 68 LAKEPORT, ETC. K52AJ 52 LAKESHORE, ETC. K04FL 4 LANCASTER K26GN 26 LANCASTER KEDD-LP 50 * LEWISTON K06EX 6 (KHSL Translator) * LEWISTON K28CY 28 (KIXE Translator) * LEWISTON, ETC. K03CT 3 (KRCR Translator) LIKELY K05ET 5 LIKELY K11LD 11 LITCHFIELD K13RZ 13 LITCHFIELD K46HL 46 LITCHFIELD K48DI 48 LITCHFIELD K50HJ 50 LOMPOC K10OG 10 LOMPOC KLDF-CA 17 LOMPOC K23CL 23 LONG VALLEY K05FR 5 LONG VALLEY K49EA 49 LONG VALLEY K56BS 56 LONG VALLEY REGION K60BR 60 LOS ANGELES KVTU-LP 3 LOS ANGELES KNET-LP 25 LOS ANGELES KSMV-LP 33 LOS ANGELES KNLA-LP 68 LUCERNE VALLEY K15CA 15 LUCERNE VALLEY K19BT 19 LUCERNE VALLEY K33DK 33 LUCERNE VALLEY K41CB 41 LUCERNE VALLEY K43EE 43 LUCERNE VALLEY K48AD 48 LUCERNE VALLEY K50EW 50 LUCERNE VALLEY K54AD 54 MAMMOTH LAKES, ETC. KSRW-LP 33 MARIPOSA K27GZ 27 MARTINEZ K49HV 49 MINERAL K05JK 5 * MIRANDA K08LD 8 (KVIQ Translator) * MIRANDA K10NU 10 (KIEM Translator) MODESTO KAZV-LP 14 MODESTO KEXT-CA 27 MODESTO K49EO 49 MODESTO KACA-LP 61 MONTEREY KMUV-LP 23 MONTEREY KYMB-LP 27 MONTEREY KMCE-LP 43 MONTEREY, ETC. K29AB 29 MORENO VALLEY KRMV-LP 45 MORONGO VALLEY KHIR-LP 3 MORONGO VALLEY K13WJ 13 MORONGO VALLEY K14AB 14 MORONGO VALLEY K16AA 16 MORONGO VALLEY KJHP-LP 18 MORONGO VALLEY K21GI 21 MORONGO VALLEY K30GU 30 MORONGO VALLEY K32EM 32 MORONGO VALLEY K34EU 34 MORONGO VALLEY K36GO 36 MORONGO VALLEY K40HX 40 MORONGO VALLEY K48EM 48 MORRO BAY K09UF 9 MORRO BAY K22EE 22 MOUNTAIN GATE, ETC. K03FU 3 NATIONAL CITY K61GH 61 NEEDLES K30BQ 30 NEEDLES, ETC. K17BN 17 NEEDLES, ETC. K31HY 31 NEWBERRY SPRINGS K03EK 3 NEWBERRY SPRINGS K06IQ 6 NEWBERRY SPRINGS K08IA 8 NEWBERRY SPRINGS K10IX 10 NEWBERRY SPRINGS K12JI 12 NEWELL, TULELAKE K13IV 13 * ORLEANS K08HJ 8 (KVIQ Translator) * ORLEANS K11IQ 11 (KIEM Translator) OROVILLE K08NH 8 OROVILLE K15CX 15 OROVILLE K42HL 42 OXNARD KSKP-CA 25 PALERMO K04QC 4 PALM DESERT KDUO-LP 43 PALM DESERT, ETC. K09XW 9 PALM SPRINGS KCWQ-LP 2 PALM SPRINGS KYAV-LP 12 PALM SPRINGS KODG-LP 17 PALM SPRINGS K20HZ 20 PALM SPRINGS KVES-LP 28 PALM SPRINGS K40ID 40 PALM SPRINGS KPSE-LP 50 PALM SPRINGS DK77AV 77 PALM SPRINGS/INDIO K21DO 21 PALMDALE KPAL-LP 38 PALMDALE K67AO 67 PARADISE K05EM 5 PARADISE K49CT 49 PASO ROBLES K17GD 17 PASO ROBLES KPAO-CA 22 PASO ROBLES K23ED 23 PASO ROBLES KJCN-LP 36 PASO ROBLES K44DN 44 PORTERVILLE K15CO 15 PORTERVILLE KVVG-LP 54 POTTER VALLEY K06DK 6 POTTER VALLEY K08EE 8 POTTER VALLEY K10EQ 10 POTTER VALLEY K12DV 12 POTTER VALLEY K66DQ 66 POTTER VALLEY K69DI 69 POWAY, ETC. KUAN-LP 48 REDDING KMCA-LP 2 REDDING KVFR-LP 4 REDDING KRDN-LP 5 REDDING KFMD-LP 6 REDDING KRVU-LP 21 REDDING KGEC-LP 26 REDDING KMSX-LP 29 REDDING K33HH 33 REDDING K40HE 40 REDDING K46HI 46 REDDING KRDT-CA 47 REDDING K50GP 50 REDDING KRHT-LP 58 REDLANDS KLAU-LP 66 REEDLEY KCWB-LP 13 RIDGECREST K41GO 41 RIDGECREST K43AG 43 RIDGECREST K45GQ 45 RIDGECREST, ETC. K02HY 2 RIDGECREST, ETC. K04HX 4 RIDGECREST, ETC. K05FO 5 RIDGECREST, ETC. K07NH 7 RIDGECREST, ETC. K09MG 9 RIDGECREST, ETC. K11ML 11 RIDGECREST, ETC. K13NF 13 RIDGECREST, ETC. K49AA 49 RIDGECREST, ETC. K51DD 51 RIDGECREST, ETC. K53AB 53 RIDGECREST, ETC. K55AB 55 RIDGECREST, ETC. K57AK 57 RIDGECREST, ETC. K59AO 59 * RIO DELL K04NY 4 (KIEM Translator) * RIO DELL, SCOTIA K10FS 10 (KVIQ Translator) RIVERSIDE KZSW-LP 27 SACRAMENTO KBTV-CA 8 SACRAMENTO KMMK-LP 14 SACRAMENTO KMUM-CA 15 SACRAMENTO K22FR 22 SACRAMENTO KEZT-CA 23 SACRAMENTO K27EU 27 SACRAMENTO KSTV-LP 32 SACRAMENTO KCSO-LP 33 SACRAMENTO K45HC 45 SACRAMENTO KRJR-LP 47 SACRAMENTO KSAO-LP 49 SALINAS KMMD-CA 3 SALINAS K15CU 15 SALINAS KLFB-LP 21 SALINAS K38JP 38 SALINAS/MONTEREY,ETC KDJT-CA 33 SAN BERNARDINO KSGA-LP 64 SAN DIEGO KBNT-CA 17 SAN DIEGO KDTF-LP 36 SAN DIEGO KZSD-LP 41 SAN DIEGO KBOP-CA 43 SAN DIEGO KTCD-LP 46 SAN DIEGO K63EN 63 SAN FERNANDO VALLEY KSFV-LP 26 SAN FRANCISCO KMMC-LP 40 SAN FRANCISCO, ETC. KFTL-CA 28 SAN LUIS OBISPO K16FC 16 SAN LUIS OBISPO KMMA-CA 18 SAN LUIS OBISPO KKFX-CA 24 SAN LUIS OBISPO K28FK 28 SAN LUIS OBISPO KSBO-CA 42 SAN LUIS OBISPO KFUL-LP 44 SAN LUIS OBISPO K47GD 47 SAN LUIS OBISPO KCCE-LP 50 SAN LUIS OBISPO KPXA-LP 60 SAN LUIS OBISPO,ETC. K57BC 57 SAN MARCOS KSKT-CA 43 SANTA BARBARA KZDF-LP 8 SANTA BARBARA KSBB-LP 17 SANTA BARBARA KWHY-LP 22 SANTA BARBARA K26FT 26 SANTA BARBARA KVMM-CA 41 SANTA BARBARA KTSB-LP 43 SANTA BARBARA KBAB-LP 51 SANTA BARBARA K59CD 59 SANTA BARBARA, ETC. K28GY 28 SANTA CLARA-SAN JOSE KAXT-CA 22 SANTA MARIA K07TA 7 SANTA MARIA KKDJ-LP 8 SANTA MARIA KQMM-CA 14 SANTA MARIA KLFA-LP 25 SANTA MARIA KDFS-CA 30 SANTA MARIA K35ER 35 SANTA MARIA KWSM-LP 40 SANTA MARIA K46GF 46 SANTA MARIA K51GB 51 SANTA ROSA K25HI 25 SANTA ROSA KDTV-CA 28 SANTA ROSA KTVJ-LP 36 SANTA ROSA KQRM-LP 40 SEIAD VALLEY K04NU 4 SEIAD VALLEY K08EQ 8 SEIAD VALLEY K12JD 12 * SHELTER COVE K02OD 2 (KIEM Translator) * SHELTER COVE K10KY 10 KVIQ Translator) * SHELTER COVE K12OV 12 (KEET Translator) * SOUTH EUREKA/LOLETA K51EG 51 (KAEF Translator) SOUTH LAKE TAHOE K12PP 12 SOUTH LAKE TAHOE K33CN 33 SOUTH YREKA K47DV 47 STATELINE, ETC. K43DB 43 STOCKTON KMMW-LP 47 STOCKTON KDTS-LP 52 SUSANVILLE KREN-LP 29 SUSANVILLE, ETC. K36HH 36 SUSANVILLE, ETC. K42GV 42 SUSANVILLE, ETC. K61EN 61 SUSANVILLE, ETC. K63CM 63 SUSANVILLE, ETC. K69FS 69 SUSANVILLE-HERLONG K59ET 59 SWAUGER CREEK K51CP 51 SWAUGER CREEK K54CX 54 TAHOE CITY K23DT 23 TAHOE CITY K56BW 56 TEMECULA K12PO 12 * TRINITY CENTER K39DG 39 (KIXE Translator) TWENTYNINE PALMS K18FH 18 TWENTYNINE PALMS K38EE 38 TWENTYNINE PALMS, ET K51DU 51 TWENTYNINE PALMS,ETC K16FI 16 TWENTYNINE PALMS,ETC K29GK 29 TWENTYNINE PALMS,ETC K47IB 47 TWENTYNINE PALMS,ETC K49DC 49 UKIAH K17CG 17 UKIAH K21CD 21 UKIAH K27EE 27 UKIAH K29DF 29 UKIAH K31GK 31 UKIAH K39AG 39 UKIAH K41AF 41 UKIAH K43AF 43 UKIAH KTJH-LP 44 UKIAH K45AH 45 UKIAH K47AL 47 UKIAH K51AQ 51 UKIAH K55GX 55 UKIAH K69DF 69 VAN NUYS KWJD-LP 25 VAN NUYS KSKJ-CA 38 VAN NUYS K55KD 55 VENTURA KIMG-LP 23 VENTURA K45DU 45 VICTORVILLE K39GY 39 VICTORVILLE K47CC 47 VICTORVILLE, ETC. K21AC 21 VICTORVILLE, ETC. K25AD 25 VICTORVILLE, ETC. K27AE 27 VICTORVILLE, ETC. K31AD 31 VICTORVILLE, ETC. K51AN 51 VICTORVILLE, ETC. K55CW 55 VISALIA KFAZ-CA 8 VISALIA KMCF-LP 35 VISTA K26FA 26 VISTA KHAX-LP 49 * WEAVERVILLE, ETC. K02EE 2 (KIXE Translator) * WEAVERVILLE, ETC. K04DD 4 (KHSL Translator) * WEAVERVILLE, ETC. K05CF 5 (KRCR Translator) WESTWOOD, ETC. K54EE 54 * WILLOW CREEK K08GR 8 (KIEM Translator) * WILLOW CREEK K10EN 10 (KVIQ Translator) * WILLOW CREEK K34BW 34 (KRCR Translator) YREKA K06GP 6 YREKA K41JB 41 YREKA K53DY 53 YREKA, ETC. K04HE 4 YREKA, ETC. K13LO 13 YREKA, ETC. K17BA 17 YREKA, ETC. K35DE 35 YUCCA VALLEY K27DS 27 Source: Stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, January 23, 2008
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** Also listed, but unable to confirm:

K13MD Channel 13 Hyampom (KIEM Translator?)

k09PM Channel 9 Covelo (KEET Translator?)

K09MS Channel 9 Hoopa (KEET Translator?)

K04EM Channel 4 Hayfork (KRCR Translator?)

K05FZ Channel 5 Trinity Center (KRCR Translator?)

K05EX Channel 5 Burnt Ranch (KRCR Translator?)

*** Construction permit applied for by MS Communications, Inc. No word on what, if anything, will eventually be on these channels. Channels currently vacant.

**** Supposedly belongs to KKTF-LP, a Spanish language broadcaster in Chico, which plans to offer Telefutura. Currently vacant.

Whether you are shopping locally, or online, the story seems to be the same. Even online retailers who have attempted to carry every single converter model manufactured today have a harder time keeping these things in stock than Ticketmaster does holding on to tickets for a Hannah Montana concert.

The few converters that linger on the shelevs of electronics retailers seem to fall into one of two categories. The first category consists of DTV converters that are wildly overpriced compared to the competition. Since there are few differences between a top-of-the-line DTV converter box and a generic, no frills unit, consumers seem hesitatnt to shell out twice as much money for a product that is no better than cheaper units that are constantly out of stock. Can you really blame them?

The second category of DTV converters still available are ones that we will label as “functionally obsolete”. Even though they are priced the same as more capable units, these DTV converters lack the basic functionality needed to continue watching existing television stations in most U.S. markets after February 2009, or even today. In particular, their lack of ability to pass-through analog TV signals makes them only slightly more useful than a paperweight in communities like Humboldt County, where close to half of all stations will continue broadcasting in analog long after February 2009 has passed.

So, why are so many of these “duds” left in stock, while the “functional” models are in short supply? You can bet that it all has to do with money. It costs slightly less to manufacture the cheaper converters with fewer features. Because these units sell for about the same retail price as their superior quality counterparts, retailers make much more money on the cheaper units. Most retailer pre-orders have been for the the low-end units, and the industry has accordingly followed suit, leaving consumers with few decent models to choose from. The small number of consumers actually buying these units today are informed enough to snatch-up the good models while they are stock, leaving the shelves littered with converters that no one would ever purposefully want to buy. This has led to quite a bit of “bait and switch” selling by retailers, who either believe that the public is too stupid to know what features to look for or have sales associates that are too dumb to know themselves just how worthless these products will be to their new owners.

We had hoped to bring you a product review this week on a very decent, low-priced DTV converter box that was advertised at a national chain store this past week. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, they were all gone. Assuming that they will ever be back in stock, we will attempt to do a full product review and provide you with information on where to get the best possible deal on them. Stay tuned!

There are actually quite a number of requirements you must meet in order to use the new service, which offers movies, news clips, documentaries and other content that is recorded directly to a customer’s DVR.

First off, DirecTV customers must lease a combination DirecTV receiver and DVR and subscribe to programming with DVR service. Downloading of any HD content requires the lease of a DirecTV HD-DVR, along with a subscription to their DVR service and HDTV programming option. DirecTV charges its customers an extra $9.95 per month in order to have access to any HDTV programming. This is in addition to normal programming subscription fees. The customer obviously must also have an HDTV capable television or converter box in order to view any HDTV content. Next, you will need access to a broadband Internet connection, as all Video On Demand content is actually downloaded via the Internet, rather than being received via satellite.

The service claims to currently have up to 4,000 titles available for download. This may sound like a lot, but actually looks pretty paltry when compared to the thousands of hours of programming available to DirecTV subscribers, who can already use their DVRs to schedule recordings months ahead of time. DirecTV was also the first programming provider to make its DVR features available to control via the Internet or cellphone, allowing customers to choose what they want to record from almost anywhere. DirecTV is offering this as a “free” addition to their regular programming, so it doesn’t cost anything extra to those who already have the above mentioned services.

Installation

Setup for the service is very straightforward if you already have normal DirecTV service up-and-running. An Ethernet port built into the back of most late model DirecTV receivers plugs directly into your broadband router. It will work using DHCP detection or can be programmed to use a static IP address. I was able to have the service activated and working in less than 5 minutes. It will likely take you longer if you don’t already have an Ethernet port available near your TV set. It is also possible to use a wireless broadband router in order to provide your receiver/DVR with Internet access. However, I would not recommend it due to the high transfer speeds and associated bandwidth bottleneck it would create on your network.

Once activated, you simply use your remote control to surf to channel 1000. From there, you are taken into a sub-menu, where you can browse programming by content type, genre or by individual channels. A number of networks such as The History Channel, HBO and Comedy Central have their own sub-sub-menus, which allows you to view all available VOD programming available from their respective networks.

The Bad News

Up until this point, I was pretty impressed with what I saw. It was only after I started taking a close look at what programming was available that I began to wonder whether this new service was really worth the effort. The most disappointing aspect of the service, by far, is the large number of movie titles that are only available via pay-per-view. From an economic perspective, this certainly makes sense. DirecTV isn’t making any “extra” money on this, unless you pay extra, so they have to have some type of “value added” programming. Still, the breadth and width of movies and TV programs that are classified as pay-per-view is rather staggering. Some of the movies on PPV are 20 or even 30 years old, and have been shown on network television for free on many occasions. Some network programmers, such as NBC, have also started charging for content that you can normally view for free. Personally, I find it rather insulting being asked to pay $1.99 just to watch a re-run of a network TV show. That’s just me though.

Another let down was the fact that there is no ability to sort through programming based upon what channels you already subscribe to. For example, almost all movies that do not fall into the PPV category are on premium movie channels like STARZ, HBO, Showtime, TMC, Cinemax, etc. Those listings will appear, even if you don’t subscribe to them. So, anyone browsing through the “movies” category that does not subscribe to DirecTV’s most expensive programming packages (which can easily run you well over $100 per month) will find very little that is available to them without paying extra.

Another disappointment is the lack of HDTV programming available to subscribers. Only a small percentage of DirecTV’s overall HDTV content is available via its VOD service. This is likely due to the high cost of bandwidth for transmitting HDTV content across the Internet. Even at broadband speeds, HDTV programs seem to take forever to download. It’s standard definition programming does not transfer all that quickly either. Even with the full bandwidth of a commercial T1 connection, waiting for features to complete downloading can be like watching a teapot and waiting for the water to boil. This is quite obviously not a real-time type of service. It’s nice for scheduling things to download well ahead of when you want to watch them, but not if you want to watch them immediately.

The Good News

The reason that titles take so long to download using this service can easily be justified by watching the final product. Since you are actually downloading an MPEG4 file, which is the same type of compression method used to transmit their programming via satellite, the quality of picture you will receive from their Video On Demand service is literally indistinguishable from DirecTV’s regular programming. In fact, other than the “VOD” label that shows-up next to each title, there is almost no way of telling the difference between programming you have recorded via satellite and VOD titles that you have downloaded over the Internet. They all appear right together when viewing a list of your recorded content.

One benefit of using DirecTV’s VOD service to download titles, rather than recording them to your DVR the traditional way, is that most titles currently have few, if any, commercial interruptions. So, DVR users who are used to hitting the fast-forward button to skip through commercials on recorded content can finally give their fingers a rest. Most shows have been re-edited to include a limited number of commercials, most of them being “teaser” ads for other network shows. It actually makes some network programming tolerable to sit through.

There is also a slew of exclusive content available to DirecTV VOD subscribers. Most of the titles we ran across were compiled by sources such as CNN. They have quite a number of interviews and short segments available that never quite made it on to their regular broadcasts. The presentation style seems to be much more laid-back than you would expect from some of these programmers. You are just as likely to see interviewers wearing a T-Shirt as a tie. I’m guessing that a large number of these shows will never see the light of day on regular television. The same can be said for many of the short clips you will find for reality shows and documentaries on other channels. There are a large number of outtakes, bloopers and other material that normally would never have gone any further than the cutting room floor. Enjoy it while you can. Once the mass public starts watching these services, we doubt that this type of programming will show-up anyplace other than YouTube.

Programming Pros and Cons

The programming you will find available from different programmers might not exactly be what one would expect. While some channels provide a wide array of programming that substantially duplicates what is available on their regular video channels, others provide only a small glimpse of what is available. For instance, while you will find a very good assortment of commercial-free movies available to you from HBO and Showtime (if you also subscribe to their premium movie services), you will find that others such as American Movie Classics don’t make ANY movies available for download. As for sports programming, you won’t find any. None of the national or regional sports channels have video on demand programming. Period. You will need to rely upon traditional DVR recording to catch any sporting events, unless they happen to be on pay-per-view.

Another programming oddity lies in the ability to download clips from some shows, but being unable to download the entire show. For example, while a number of clips from Comedy Central’s “Roast” series are often available for VOD download, you won’t be able to find entire shows from the series for download.

Probably the most frustrating thing for me is the inability to distinguish which programming is available to me as as a subscriber, and which isn’t. You won’t be able to download any programming from HBO’s Video On Demand service unless you subscribe to HBO, which makes sense. However, there are quite a few Video On Demand channels in the menu that I don’t even recognize. Some of these include The Smithsonian Channel, The Anime Network, Eurocinema, Film Festival, MGM, SONY, Warner Brothers, WWE, etc. New ones seem to be added all of the time. How do you know if you will be allowed to download programs on these channels or not? You won’t. You are seemingly allowed to schedule recordings on every channel that appears. If you are “eligible” to receive programming on these channels, the program will be downloaded for you. If you are not, the program will simply never appear. Seriously! There are no error messages or other menu help to clue you in on what you are allowed to download. Other than that, and perhaps your own memory (who can remember an exact list of the 200+ available channels that they subscribe to?), there is seemingly no way to tell which programs you are allowed to record, and which you aren’t.

The Bottom Line

Despite a number of programming “quirks”, if you already have DVR service with DirecTV and a broadband connection, this one really is a no-brainer. There is no extra cost involved and it takes only minutes to get up-and-running. The number of titles is limited at the moment, but everything we have read would tend to indicate that much, much more programming is on the way. While the service is definitely not something that would make me want to rush out and subscribe to DirecTV if I didn’t already have it, the superior programming, picture quality and customer service you will get as compared to cable is more than enough reason to make the switch.

DirecTV’s VOD service is a win-win situation for DirecTV, the programmers and consumers. If you don’t already have DirecTV, this is just another reason to make the switch from cable. I’ve been subscribing to DirecTV for well over 10 years now, and you couldn’t pay me to go back to cable. For those of you who have to have “everything” when it comes to television, this is about as close as you can get to TV Nirvana at the moment. If you can’t find something worth viewing with DirecTV HDTV service and video on demand, there truly is nothing to watch!

Update: This is just a brief update to the original article that I wrote above in 2008. Since I originally started viewing DirecTV’s Video On Demand (VOD) service, some additional technical issues have come to light. For starters, it seems that the original HR-22 HD-DVR receiver I started out with was a true lemon. It suffered from numerous “technical difficulties” during the few months that I owned it and finally had to be returned to the factory for replacement. I was sent a slightly updated version of the HR-22, which seems to have undergone some slight cosmetic as well as internal changes.

The cause of the old HR-22 having to be replaced was fairly obvious to me… a crashed hard drive. Unfortunately, I lost all of the pre-recoded content I had saved, including a number of pay-per-view events. The big loss here is due to the fact that DirecTV no longer allows you to save these events as long as you want on your DVR. They automatically “expire” after a certain amount of time, just as all DirecTV Video On Demand content eventually does.

As a side note, I had to pay a $20 shipping and handling charge to get the receiver replaced, even though it is technically a rented product. I have never understood DirecTV’s rental scheme. First, I had to pay $200 to (I thought) BUY the receiver. I didn’t sign any agreement saying that I agreed to “rent” the thing. After that, I have to pay an extra $5 per month to “rent” the HD-DVR FOREVER! To add insult to injury, activating the receiver that I paid $200 for puts me on the hook for the next TWO YEARS to pay an extra $10 a month for access to HD programming, whether you are able to view it or not. Strangely, DirecTV also gives you the option to pay another $6.95 per month for “insurance”, just in case you need help with a defective product of theirs. This seems more like the kind of scam that the cable companies or DISH Network would think of. It’s one of the few things about DirecTV that I really find myself insulted by, as a consumer.

On to more technical matters… I have found that not all video quality is created equal, when it comes to DirecTV’s Video On Demand service. Some “channels” on the VOD system seem of much higher quality than others. In particular, STARZ offers a huge selection of movies for download to those who purchase their service on DirecTV. Far more than any of the other premium movie channels. There’s just one problem… the video quality of their titles in standard resolution can be nearly unwatchable. I downloaded quite a number of STARZ movies on VOD that I had to quit watching after a few minutes, due to their awful video quality (or lack thereof). The problem was always the same. Video contained washed-out colors and blurry images. The blurriness was bad enough that it was difficult, if not impossible, to read any text that appeared in movie scenes. The quality difference was clearly visible when comparing it to the video on any standard resolution DirecTV channel.

Generally, poor video quality like this is usually the result of over-compression. That is, STARZ and/or DirecTV is likely trying to save money on bandwidth by purposefully reducing the picture quality in order to achieve faster download times. There really is no technical way to quantify the difference, due to the proprietary nature of DirecTV’s encoding system. However, the results are quite obvious to anyone that does not have severely impaired vision.

Another small “quirk” of DirecTV’s Video On Demand Service relates to volume control. For some reason, the audio levels of all programming downloaded via video on demand is significantly lower than that of DirecTV’s live, satellite programming. Unless you adjust the volume when switching from live satellite to video on demand, you will have a very difficult time hearing anything. Conversely, switching from video on demand titles to the live satellite feed will likely result in sound levels being so high as to severely annoy your next door neighbors. If you are unlucky enough to switch from a video on demand title to a live DirecTV channel during a commercial, you could be in for a very rude awakening, indeed. DirecTV raises audio levels during certain commercials so high as to make me worry about permanent hearing loss. The Federal Communications Commission bans this type of practice by over-the-air broadcasters, but it seems that DirecTV is immune from these regulations.

Speaking of which, I must admit that I no longer watch ANY DirecTV programming (that has commercials) in real-time, with the sole exception of news and some sports programming. Their blatant disregard for public safety by jacking up audio levels during their own commercials has finally pushed me to the point where I refuse to sit through ANY commercials on their service. Unless it’s a live event, I simply pre-record programs to my HD-DVR, then watch them later. I skip through ALL commercials using the fast forward button. It’s obvious that DirecTV itself is the one behind this, since the problem is worst during their own in-house ads. Some of these spots are promos for DirecTV, while others are simply those that they sell to other advertisers during time slots made available to them by the basic cable channels that they carry. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to know when or where these ads will appear, so I am simply forced to stop watching all ads that appear anywhere on DirecTV, or order to avoid the pain and suffering that results from the outrageously high volume levels of DirecTV’s ads.

So, a note to those companies that advertise on any of the networks carried by DirecTV. I DO NOT WATCH YOUR COMMERCIALS. EVER. IF YOU ARE PAYING DIRECTV FOR “ADVERTISING”, YOU WARE WASTING YOUR MONEY. As long as DirecTV continues their current eardrum torturing scheme, I will continue “boycotting” their advertisers. Not that DirecTV is the only company guilty of this. Most cable systems do the same thing. It doesn’t mean that I have to put up with it though.

Much to their credit, the paper made a point to mention the sorry state of affairs when it comes to trying to find DTV converters in local stores, and how retailers seem to never have them in stock for very long. The Eureka Reporter gets double bonus points for going out of their way to point out how important buying a DTV converter with analog pass-through is. For once, someone in the media seems to “get it”, when it comes to understanding what a big problem this is for small communities such as ours. I just wish that more of the mainstream media would start picking-up on this story, and start warning people away from the vast majority of digital converters out there that will result in loss of TV service availability to their users.

For those of you who haven’t read the article yet, we highly recommend that you read last week’s story Don’t Buy These Converter Boxes. It points out what features your box will need to have in order to be able to watch ALL local channels on your TV set after February 2009.

In the next couple of days we will be publishing a first look at DirecTV’s new Video On Demand (VOD) service, which uses your high-speed Internet connection to automatically record your choice of thousands of programs directly to your DVR (digital video recorder). All movies, news clips, documentaries, etc. are available exclusively to DirecTV customers who subscribe to the company’s HDTV service. It’s quite likely an even better advancement in TV viewing than HDTV service itself, and probably the neatest TV innovation since TiVo. Stay tuned!

The website seems to have a fairly large selection of DTV converters, as well as a handful of HDTV-ready antennas. Shipping looks to be a flat $9.95 per order. The cheapest converter they currently have available is $52.95. When you add-in shipping charges, that would make the cheapest digital television converter you can buy from them come out to about $23 after using your coupon. Depending upon where you live, the $9.95 price for shipping can be balanced against the fact that they do not charge sales taxes in most states. In high tax states like California, ordering two converters at a time from them would be only slightly more expensive than if you had bought the units (at the same price) locally and had to pay the sales taxes.

One potential problem that you might have ordering from this site is one that pretty much all retailers have in common these days. Many of the models listed are out of stock, and quantities are limited. Also limited are the number of DTV converters that provide analog pass-through capabilities. As we have stated in previous articles, this is a key feature that most DTV converters are currently missing. Not having this feature will leave you unable to view channels that are still broadcasting in analog. Quite a number of translators and LPTV stations in the local area are currently in analog and will STAY in analog for some time to come. These stations are exempt from FCC rules mandating the switch to digital television. Almost half of the TV stations in Humboldt County are classified as LPTV, or low-power television. The percentage is much higher if you count the numerous low power translators scattered throughout Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino and Del Norte Counties in Northern California.

Needless to say, we would recommend holding off on ordering a CECB converter box until you can get one with analog pass-through capabilities. You may have to check websites and retailers regularly to find any in stock, but it is definitely worth the wait in areas like Humboldt County, where there are so many stations continuing to broadcast in analog.

Another good place to look online for DTV converters is SolidSignal.Com. We have always had excellent service when ordering from this company and we highly recommend them. In addition to selling the CECB digital to analog converters, they also sell a large selection of DTV-ready antennas, cabling and accessories. You can also find gear for DirecTV, Dish Network and other satellite TV equipment as well. SolidSignal.Com is able to process government coupons for DTV converters now, so you should be able to order these products online and still get your $40 discount without any hassles.

As always, if you haven’t applied for your free government coupons yet, be sure to do so. You can apply directly online through the government’s website at DTV2009.GOV .

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The key feature I am talking about is something called analog pass-through, and it is not available on the majority of DTV converters that initially hit the market this year. Exactly what does this feature do? It allows those who install their DTV converters to continue watching analog broadcasts in addition to DTV signals.

You may have been mistakenly led to believe that all TV stations in the U.S. will go completely digital after February 2009. That isn’t the case. In fact, in many areas of the country a large number of stations will NEVER go digital. These channels are referred to as Low Power Television, or LPTV, stations. In essence, LPTV stations broadcast analog signals at power levels below that of larger “full power” broadcasters. In urban areas, many of these channels are occupied by religious broadcasters, shopping networks and a variety of independent stations. In rural areas such as Humboldt County though, these stations can be network affiliates and others who want to avoid the expense of going digital.

Without the analog pass-through feature on your converter box, you will not only immediately lose reception of local TV stations that are still in analog, but you will permanently lose access to all LPTV stations, unless they decide to go digital themselves one day.

Humboldt County currently has a number of LPTV stations, which are in addition to low-power analog translators that serve the most rural areas. Local LPTV stations currently consist of The Trinity Broadcast Network on UHF channel 47, KUVU (The CW) on channel 35, Univision on channel 31 and KEMY (MyTV network affiliate) on channel 33. Without the analog pass-through feature on your DTV converter, you will lose all access to these channels. The only way to watch them over-the-air would be to use some type of antenna selector switch, install two separate TV antennas or by manually swapping cables each time you want to choose between digital and analog stations.

So, when can we expect these LPTV broadcasters to switch to DTV or even HDTV? I’m tempted to say never, but never is a long time. Perhaps not during my lifetime though, since there is little to no incentive for these broadcasters to do so. As the vast majority of those in Humboldt County tune-in these channels via cable television, it simply is not cost effective at present for them to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on digital broadcasting equipment to reach a relative handful of additional viewers. In fact, one could make the argument that it would actually be cheaper for those stations to pay for your subscription to cable TV than it would be to buy new transmitters for each station.

The Federal Communications Commission, which is the brainchild behind DTV and HDTV regulation, currently has no plans to force LPTV broadcasters to switch to DTV. Therefore, after February 29th, 2009, almost half of TV stations in Humboldt County will actually continue to broadcast in standard analog with no announced plans to switch to digital at all. In fact, Humboldt County will likely be one of the few communities in the United States with nearly as many local channels broadcasting in analog as digital after 2008.

With the majority of those who watch television in Humboldt County either subscribing to cable or satellite television, it would seem that the transition to DTV will have less of an impact in Humboldt County than possibly any other location in the U.S. When you take into consideration the fact that NO local channels have announced plans to broadcast in HDTV, it would seem that little change will be noticed in our area come February 2009.

First of all, filling out the online form is easy. There are a minimal number of questions. You can fill out the entire form online at http://www.DTV209.gov . It takes only a few minutes. You can also call their toll-free number at 1-888-DTV-2009. You will be walked through the application status over the telephone. Either way, the application process asks pretty much the same questions, and you will get your coupons just as fast one way as the other.

There are some “catches” with the application process. Considering the fact that this program is administered by the federal government, the whole system runs fairly smoothly though. The biggest “catch” is the fact that if you want to get the coupons in the first place, YOU HAVE TO APPLY FOR THEM! You won’t get them automatically if you fail to apply. There are only a limited number of coupons that are being produced, although the feds won’t tell us the exact number. Either way, availability is on a first-come, first-served basis. Once they are gone, they’re gone.

The second “catch” can be a bit of a pain for many rural Americans. This is rather ironic, since those in rural areas are the ones most directly affected by over the air signal reception of DTV signals. In a nutshell, you will have to give the government a physical “street” mailing address in order to get your coupons mailed to you. You can NOT use a PO Box as a mailing address. You can NOT use a business address to send your coupons to. You can NOT use a service such as Mailboxes, Etc., The UPS Store or other private mailbox provider. You can NOT have the coupons shipped to you overseas or to any domestic address that does not match-up with a (very buggy) database of residential addresses maintained by the U.S. Postal Service. This is a rather unforgiving process, unfortunately. You will need to enter your street address information EXACTLY as it appears in the USPS database, otherwise your application will be rejected. So, what do you do if you live in a remote area and you do not have a “street address” that is serviced by the U.S. Postal Service? At this point, insofar as we can tell, you are just out of luck. Sorry.

The same goes for any legitimate street address that the USPS has “mucked-up” in their database. From previous experience, I can tell you that this database is horribly inaccurate in many cases. For example, the business address that I have used for 10 years to receive postal mail, UPS shipments, FedEx deliveries, freight deliveries, my income tax and voting materials, driver’s license, etc. does not exist at all in the USPS database. Funny, I still get mail there every single day though. Go figure! In cases like this, you may want to try calling their toll-free phone number at 1-888-DTV-2009 instead, since you will not get anywhere with the online application system.

So, you’ve called or filled-out the DTV converter box application online. Now, what? Sit. Wait. Check your mailbox again, and be prepared to wait a bit longer. A very informal survey we did recently indicated that it took approximately 20-30 days for consumers to receive their DTV converter box coupons in the mail. You will eventually receive a standard sized #10 envelope with a couple of pages of information and (usually) two “coupons”. They don’t look like your average coupon though. They look more like credit cards. There is a mag stripe on the back of each plastic card, as well as a serial number on the front. The mailing will most likely come from TV Converter Box Coupon Program, PO Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208-2000.

The first page (see above) contains your name and address, the coupon(s) and a list of local retailers where you can supposedly buy a CECB digital TV converter box. These locations are most likely automatically generated from a database that matches your zip code to that of nearby registered CECB converter box retailers. It is far from a complete list though. The one we received (see above) listed eight locations in Humboldt County where the digital television converters are available. They consisted of SEARS, Radio Shack, K-Mart and Target. We do not have a Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart or a number of other participating electronics chain stores in our area, or they most likely would have been listed first.

The second page (see left) contains some general information about the DTV converter box program. This page also has a list of the most recently approved CECB DTV converter box models that are eligible for the program, although we are guessing that the list will probably be less than 100% up-to-date by the time you get it. Lastly, the insert contains a list of about a dozen or so mail order and online retailers that will accept the coupons and who presumably have the decoders in stock. If you want to read the entire list, see the end of this article for a link to download a digital copy of the insert, which you can print out for yourself.

Lastly, and most importantly!!! If you take away only a single fact to remember from this entire article, it should definitely be to take a close look at the expiration date on each coupon. At most, you will only have 90 days in order to use your $40 DTV converter coupons before they expire. Once they expire, they are absolutely worthless. The government will not give you an extension or re-issue you new coupons. In other words, use them, or lose them! You have 90 days to use the coupons from the day the coupons are printed, NOT from the day that you receive them. As with most bulk mailers, this agency quite likely only sends out their mailings once per week in order to get a bulk discount from the U.S. Postal Service. So, you may find that up to two weeks has been shaved off the 90 days you have to spend the coupons by the time you actually receive them. The government has caught quite a bit of flack over the entire 90 day expiration date issue, but it’s too late for them to make any changes to the program at this point. So, buyer (and taxpayer) beware!

Below are links to graphic copies of the materials you will receive once you register to receive your free government Digital Television (DTV) converters, or CECB boxes. They have been “Photoshopped” to remove certain parts of the serial numbers. Needless to say, you can’t just print these pages out on your inkjet printer and try to pass them off as real coupons. Each DTV converter box coupon has it’s own individual serial number and mag stripe. The information on these pages is for reference and display purposes only.

Free DTV Coupon Insert Page1

Free DTV Coupon Insert Page 2

We will soon publish an updated list of online retailers that can actually process the $40 DTV digital converter box coupons via the Internet. Most online retailers have no way to accept these coupons at present, and most likely never will. A handful of companies have stepped forward to fill this gap, and they are the only ones you should consider buying from online, since you will most likely be overcharged (no discount given) if you try ordering from a merchant that hasn’t made special provisions to deal with these specific coupons.

UPDATE: President Obama and the U.S. Congress officially extended the deadline for broadcasters to switch to DTV to June 12, 2009. You can keep applying for coupons via phone or the Internet until that time. Keep in mind that the extension is basically voluntary, meaning that broadcasters can switch their signals to DTV and STOP broadcasting in analog anytime that they want to. There are very few stations that are waiting until June to make the jump to DTV, due to the high cost associated with simulcasting both digital and analog signals. So, chances are that the only analog broadcasts still remaining in your area are most likely that of translators and low-power (LPTV) stations, which are not required to transition to digital, anyway.

Stay tuned!!!

RSS Headlines courtesy of Broadcasting & Cable Magazine, Copyright 2008. This website is in no way affiliated with Broadcasting & Cable, which is solely responsible for its own content.

• 84% of people surveyed know that the transition is happening.
• Almost one-half of those who need to do something to still watch TV on some or all of their sets had inadequate plans or no plans to address that problem.
• While more than one-half of those polled knew about the government’s converter-box-subsidy program, only one-third of those knew how to get the boxes.
• One-third of those who didn’t need the converter boxes or coupons were going to apply for them anyway.
• Some 464,000 ($40 Government) coupons have already expired without being used, or about 58% of the 800,000 that already reached their expiration dates.
• The NTIA’s Bernadette McGuire-Rivera stated that the NTIA has decertified about one-dozen retailers — she called them “bad apples” — that were putting consumers on waiting lists for boxes, getting them to “swipe” their cards so that they could collect the $40 subsidy and then keeping them waiting for boxes that never arrived.

More information on the report is available at Broadcasting and Cable Magazine.