The Digital Television Transition--What is it ?

The DTV transition refers to switch from analog to digital television. Digital technology will provide improved picture quality and sound quality like that experienced at the movies.Congress set the deadline of February 17, 2009 for the DTV transition. This means that on that date all U.S. television stations will stop broadcasting in analog format as they do now, and will transmit only in digital instead.

What Consumers who are Considering the Purchase of a TV Set Should Know

When buying television sets and other equipment such as DVD players, consumers should know whether or not the equipment includes a digital tuner.( TV equipment that includes a digital tuner is sometimes referred to as a "digital receiver." ) Digital tuners are needed to watch local broadcast stations that will be sent in digital format after February 17, 2007 must either purchase a TV set equipped with a digital tuner or purchase a digital-to-analog converter box that will convert those over-the-air digital signals into analog so that they can be displayed on an analog device. Analog -only TVs should continue to work as before with cable and satellite TV services.

Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Coupon Program

Between January 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009, all U.S. households will be eligible to request up to two coupons,worth $ 40 each, to be used towards the purchase of digital -to-analog converter boxes. As described above these converter boxes are designed to make over-the-air digital television signals viewable on analog -only TVs, and thus are not intended analog-only TVs hooked up to cable or satellite service. The National Telecommunications and information Administration ( NTIA) is running the coupon program. For more information, visit the NTIA website at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/

To Mrs. Florence M. Rice of Harlem Consumer Education Council Chair

THE FCC COMES TO HARLEM ---THURSDAY , OCTOBER 4, 2007--6 TO 9 PM

AT THE ADAM CLAYTON POWELL NEW YORK STATE OFFICE BUILDING-

( At 125th Street and Malcolm X Blvd N.Y. City )

The new location of Harlem Drummers in Marcus Garvey Park

TROOP PULLBACK OK, SEZ TOP BRASS

WASHINGTON--Gen. David Petraeus signed off yesterday on a long,slow U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq designed to allow President Bush to claim a measure of success before turning the war over to a successor. Petraeus in a much-anticipated hearing before Congress, recommended that the California-based 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit of about 2,000 leathernecks come out on schedule this month, to be followed by an as yet unspecified Army brigade of 3,500 to 4,000 troops by christmas.Speaking for the more than 170,000 U.S. troops currently in Iraq, Petraeus said: " We all want to come home, but what we want to do is come home the right way." 9-11-07 nydailynews.com

APPLE MAKES NICE OFFERS $100 CREDIT

A day after chopping $200 off of the most advanced model of the iPhone, Apple is trying to appease angry customers who paid full price for the gadget by offering them a $100 store credit.In a letter on the company's Web site, Apple boss Steve Jobs apologized for the misstep and acknowledged he had received hundreds of e-mails from iPhone customers who were upset about the price cut, which came only two months after the eagerly awaited portable device hit store shelves at $599. " Even thought we are making the right decision to lower the price of iPhone, and even thought the technology road is bumpy, we need to do a better job taking care of our early iPhone customers as we aggressively go after new ones with a lower price," Jobs said. Jobs said customers who bought an iPhone --a combination cellphone , music player and Web browser -- and did't receive a rebate would be eligible for a $100 store credit towards the purchese of any product at an Apple retail outlet or at it's online store. nypost -9-6-07----p-47