Simple guide to the digital TV conversion

Jay — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:38:37 +0000

The National Association of Broadcasters says it donated tens of millions of dollars in free commercial time to get the word out about the pending conversion of television from analog to digital broadcasts. Even as television stations prepare to flip the switch to turn on their very expensive new digital equipment, politicians insist on a delay in the changeover. Despite all the publicity, they say the public just doesn’t get it. Government vouchers to pay for set-top conversion boxes have run out, and lots of TV viewers still haven’t figured out whether they need a box or not.

The problem, I think, is that a good portion of TV viewers simply decided to wait until the last minute (or even until their favorite program turns to snow). Now, with time running out on their old television sets, procrastinating viewers still haven’t figured out whether they need a converter box or not. For those still unclear, let me offer my simple guide to the digital conversion:

Maybe part of the reason the government has run out of vouchers is that people who do not need boxes mistakenly went out and bought them anyway. It would be pretty cynical to think that the 565 digital converter boxes up for sale on ebay today are there because somebody is just trying to turn a fast buck. Or is it?

JayStream » digital converter box

Simple guide to the digital TV conversion