My analogue reception isn't snowy (love this argument for why we had to sale off public airwaves to commercial interests), while their equivalent digital channels are absolute no-shows. Too weak to decode. I hope you're right about the power increase in some areas. Sounds reasonable. However, I called my local broadcast engineers and was told they're already transmitting DTV at legal limit, so I'm not so sure. I'm 15 miles from their tower. I'm also hoping it's a frequency assignment issue, since some stations may move lower in frequency (better propagation) after D day. But I think digital might have a major weakness here. But I can't let my six-year-old watch half of what's on TV anyway, so maybe losing some major channels will be a blessing in disguise. Maybe we'll talk instead of stair at the TV. Thanks.

Most networks are broadcasting analogue signals at higher power than digital. For example, if the local FOX station is broadcasting in analogue at 1000 kW and digital at 10 kW, it makes since that the digital channel won't cover as large an area as the analogue channel. However, once the station shuts off their analogue broadcast, all that power will go toward their digital. I'm willing to bet that once the local networks shut off analogue, you'll be able to receive clear digital stations. All this delay did for prepared viewers in rural areas was extend a snowy picture until June.

Honestly… people are raving about this like TV is a necessity for life! It's not like people's gas or electric is going to stop… just the TV. They can live without a TV for a few days… even a few weeks… while they get a new one or a converter! They will not die from no TV.

Personally, I've not had anything but over-the-air TV since moving out of my parents' house in '98, and I got a new TV and antenna at the end of last year. The only concern I have is whether the stations that are too far away for me to pick up in the new shorter-range digital format. Even with my expensive new antenna I still don't get one or two local stations because I don't live close enough.

We live in a rural area where there is no cable TV, and our current satellite provider does not offer local channels. We've been getting 3 locals (NBC, CBS, PBS) OTA from transmitters 60+ miles away, via a directional antenna on a 25-ft pole in the yard. We applied for coupons as soon as they were available, and we bought 2 different converter boxes. Neither one can bring in any digital signals at all. None. So, once the switchover takes place, we lose all our local TV broadcasts.

Fortunately, we found out that the other major satellite provider does offer locals in our county, so we switched satellite companies for that reason. People living just 2 miles down the road–across the county line–are out of luck, though. Neither satellite company offers locals to homes in that county.

A delay won't help with any of this, because no one is paying any attention to rural homeowners who already have tall antennas and have already installed converter boxes, but still can't get digital signals.

I have no idea whether boxes were availalble in Apr, May or June; but in July, with time running out, I found that the stores wanted $59 for the boxes, leaving me to pay $20. At that point, I pondered the option of replacing the TV altogether, shopping in earnest during the Fourth of July sales. Well, I'll level with you. My early planning and crowd fighting ran amuck. On July 12th, I was left with one expired coupon and no new TV. As with many problems I ponder of late, I believe the time has now come to simply cut my losses regarding this perfectly good TV (and all its accompanying issues) and haul it to the dump –forgetting the whole thing.

I do, however, have some questions:
(1) Why do you suppose my coupon expired so early (7/11/08) when the transition wasn't until Feb '09?

(2) Do you think, perhaps, a lot of EXPIRED coupons like mine are out there rattling around in purses and drawers, never to see the light of day?

(3) And do you think these unredeemed coupons are being tracked (resulting in a credit of $40 on gov't books)? Or do you think, perhaps, they are being counted as $40 spent (exaggerating the program's neediness and expenditure)?

And I have a final question: The very first sentence on the sheet accompanying the coupon reads:
"IMPORTANT UPDATE REGARDING REFUNDS: You will not be able to receive cash or credit for the coupon amount, but you can receive cash or credit for any amount you paid out of pocket, if the store policy permits."

Before retiring, I worked in the legal community. Even so, I'd be hard-pressed to guarantee any interpretation of that sentence. I'll take a stab: The converter box is free at some stores.

Who knew. A $40 coupon might be worth more than $40. Or have I run amuck again?

We'll probably be forced to talk about that soon enough when lobbyists and legislators tell us that we'll all be better off with digital, static-free radio and begin to auction off portions of those airwaves as well.

that line says it all basically.

without TV, how else would you steer views and keep people from talking with their next door neighbors? what's next? sitting on your front porch swing during the summertime evenings again? madness!