Digital TV conversion puts customers at risk of glitches, further cost

WASHINGTON — In less than a month, on Feb. 17, all full-power stations plan to shut off analog signals and air digital- only broadcasts. Viewers with older analog TV sets will need to hook up a converter box to receive over-the-air programs. Digital TV sets will automatically receive the new signals. Cable and satellite subscribers should not be affected by the switch.

But many consumers are finding that upgrading to a digital set or adding a converter box may not be enough to get a reliable digital signal. Some will also have to buy more-powerful antennas to install in living rooms or on roofs, adding expense and frustration for the nearly 14 million households who rely on over-the-air signals.
“People are very surprised when they realize they can’t get [the channels],” said Barry Goodstadt, an independent analyst who has been studying digital reception issues. He predicts that 70 percent of households with indoor “rabbit ears” antennas will have to upgrade to more powerful equipment.

Problems with television antennas and reception were the most common issues among residents of Wilmington, N. C., a city that switched to all-digital broadcasting in September as a test case for the Federal Communications Commission.
About 75 percent of consumers who called help lines reported that their converter boxes did not appear to be working, according to a team of student volunteers answering calls. More than half of the callers were advised to change the direction of their antenna and to have their converter boxes scan for channels.

New digital audiences will probably discover the “digital cliff,” the all-or-nothing quality of digital reception. The picture is excellent until the signal weakens or is interrupted, causing the picture to disappear completely.

Digital signals are supposed to travel farther over flat terrain, but they are susceptible to interference from hills, trees, buildings, bad weather or planes flying overhead.

Meanwhile, Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N. Y., is pushing a bill to delay the transition to digital broadcasting until this summer.

Thousands of coupons to help owners of older analog sets buy digital converter boxes have expired, according to Schumer, leaving some households unprepared for the transition.

This would ultimately leave consumers scrambling to purchase newer sets or digital converter boxes with their own money after the switch to digital- only broadcasting.

The proposed bill, also pushed by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W. Va., would delay the transition until June 12, leaving enough time, in Schumer’s and Rockefeller’s opinion, to resolve problems with expired coupons and better prepare households for the transition.
Phillip Lucas of The Buffalo News Washington Bureau contributed to this report.

$650 million more sought for digital TV transition

(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:23am EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the House of Representatives proposed $650 million to continue the coupon program for the transition to digital television, according to a summary of the economic stimulus legislation released by Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday.
Congress mandated the February 17 switch to digital television, which will affect some 20 million consumers who do not already use the technology. Owners of older television sets receiving over-the-air signals must buy converter boxes, replace their TVs with digital models, or subscribe to satellite or digital cable service.
But the government has said it had run out of $40 discount coupons for consumers to help pay for converter boxes needed to keep their sets from going blank, leading to calls for delaying the analog switch-off and for more money in the economic stimulus package for the program.
(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

Waiting list in place for digital TV converter box coupons

Waiting list in place for digital TV converter box coupons
New applicants put on hold until more funds are freed up
Jon Yates What's Your Problem?
January 7, 2009
The picture just got fuzzier for those of you who waited until the last minute to apply for the federal government's $40 TV converter box coupons.With demand skyrocketing, the agency that oversees the program has exhausted the coupons it has on hand, so new applicants are being placed on a waiting list.That means if you apply for a coupon today, it might not arrive before Feb. 17, when TV broadcasters are mandated to switch from analog to digital signals.Without a converter box, analog televisions that are not hooked up to cable or a satellite service will not be able to receive digital signals after the switch.
Todd Sedmak, a spokesman for the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said viewers who have not yet applied for the coupons need to consider alternatives."If you're someone who needs to make the switch and you haven't gotten your coupon yet, you can buy a converter box without a coupon," he said. "You can buy a new TV or subscribe to cable or satellite service."In October, the Problem Solver set up a coupon-sharing program called Converter Boxes For Everyone. Almost 1,000 readers requested coupons from the Problem Solver after having problems with the federal system. More than 800 readers donated coupons.Many of you explained that you cannot afford the boxes, which cost $40 to $80, without the coupons. The latest glitch is a reflection of how the federal program was set up. In creating the program, Congress placed a $1.34 billion cap on the amount the government could promise in coupons at any one time. The cap includes coupons that have been redeemed or have been issued but not yet turned in or expired.The coupons are coded to expire in 90 days. When an unused coupon expires, $40 is put back into the program's budget and a new coupon is issued to the next person on the waiting list.As of Monday, the waiting list was 103,000 coupons, Sedmak said. According to federal statistics, roughly 300,000 unused coupons expire each week, meaning an equal number of new coupons will be printed and distributed. Given those numbers, it is possible applicants will spend only a short time on the waiting list.But even before the waiting list, it took three to four weeks for applicants to receive coupons. With 41 days before the switch, any delay could push the turnaround time past Feb. 17.And a flood of fresh applications is expected as the switch date draws near. In December, the government received 7 million coupon requests; 4.5 million had been anticipated. So far, the government says it has sent coupons to 12.6 million households that rely on televisions with antennas. The Nielsen Co. said in January 2007 that 14.3 million households rely on over-the-air television.So if you need the coupons and you haven't applied, do so immediately.It wouldn't hurt to also prepare a backup plan.yourproblem@tribune.com