Directv for 2009,curious question,

[Clato]

"EARL", can you help with this curious question Plz,

I have a 27" Westinghouse LCD tv ok.?

in 2009 I'am sure we have all heard, that ALL tv signals will change from anilog to Digital..


U.S. households are allowed two coupons starting Feb. 17, a year before TV stations must switch to all-digital signals, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration said Tuesday.

Question
IF we have DTV or (satellite or cable) tv WILL WE still be able to recieve our DTV
or
WILL we all be forced to buy those converter box's also?.

[Clato]

Coupon plan is clearer for digital TV switch
Wal-Mart Stores, Best Buy Co. and more than 100 retailers will accept government-funded $40 coupons on converter boxes that will let viewers keep using older sets after a switch to digital TV in 2009.

U.S. households are allowed two coupons starting Feb. 17, a year before TV stations must switch to all-digital signals, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration said Tuesday.

The agency said it is distributing the coupons to help finance boxes that may cost $60 to $70. Digital TV offers clearer pictures and more programming, and frees spectrum for communications among emergency responders. An analog TV that isn't hooked up to cable or satellite will need a converter to receive a picture after the switch.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said raising consumer awareness on the coupon program is part of its plan to implement the transition. The agency issued a 99-page report Tuesday in response to the Government Accountability Office, which said that the FCC didn't have a comprehensive strategy to measure progress and results of the transition.

Circuit City Stores, Kmart, RadioShack Corp., Sam's Club and Target Corp. were certified to accept the coupons, the agency said.

The 33.5 million coupons will also be available by request online, by mail and over the phone. About two-thirds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, the telecommunications agency said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/tech/news/5370592.html

[Koz]

All the conversion talk only applies to OTA. Directv/cable/etc will have to make some small changes to go along with the elimination of analog OTA broadcasts, but consumers will see little to no change.

So to answer your question, you will not need converter boxes unless you get your programming over an antenna and don't have a built-in digital tuner. You, therefore, will not need the converter box.

[woj027]

no, the direcTV box (or any other providers box) will convert it's signal to analog for you. the Digtal conversion really applies to OTA

[Thaedron]

If you have DirecTV you will not require a converter box. You are already receiving a digital signal from the satellite. If you are not using an over-the-air antenna to tune in local channels, you will not be affected by the broadcast changes taking place in 2009.

[Stuart Sweet]

No converter box will be necessary for DIRECTV subscribers.

[bobnielsen]

While a H20 or HR20 provides the ability to view digital OTA on an older set via the 480i S-video or composite outputs, I doubt that the coupons will be accepted for any DirecTV receiver.

[Kansas Zephyr]

While a H20 or HR20 provides the ability to view digital OTA on an older set via the 480i S-video or composite outputs, I doubt that the coupons will be accepted for any DirecTV receiver.
+1

I'm sure that just over-the-air ONLY digital to analog boxes will qualify for coupon redemption.

[Stuart Sweet]

So, to be clear, you won't need a coupon, and you won't get a coupon. I think that pretty much says that.

[Doug Brott]

So, to be clear, you won't need a coupon, and you won't get a coupon. I think that pretty much says that.

Stuart, that sums it up nicely ..

[Clato]

oh ok, THANK YOU EVERYONE, for the info, and yes am planning to keep DTV around for awhile,

[Jhon69]

Well I still plan to keep DirecTV.But as a taxpayer I want my coupons too!.:rolleyes:

[jdspencer]

Well, you could still get the coupon and then spend the extra cash for a converter box that you don't need. :)

[Jhon69]

Well, you could still get the coupon and then spend the extra cash for a converter box that you don't need. :)


I've learned in my life never say never.;)

[carl6]

Well, you could still get the coupon and then spend the extra cash for a converter box that you don't need. :)

I have four standard definition analog (NTSC) only TV sets in my house as well as an HDTV that only has an NTSC tuner (HD monitor, SD television in effect). Having the external tuner box will allow me to use any of those independent of DirecTV reception. I fully intend to get the coupons.

I have not yet seen any of the converter boxes available though.

Carl

[waynenm]

Those who need an OTA solution for an analog tuner would need the converter box. It's a pretty straightforward concept. If you want to receive Over The Air signals after the analog OTA shut-off, *without* your DirecTV receiver, you'll need an a converter box. This would apply to people who need to get *something* to see when say, their D* reception is down due to bad weather, or maybe an alien attack on our satellite infrastructure..:)

[fineware]

I've not seen this explicitly stated, so, here goes.

As I understand it, the plan eliminates only OTA NTSC (analog) stations in Feb '09. Several NTSC stations are already simulcasting ATSC (digital) stations (some with additional subcarriers) in the UHF band. Once the NTSC channels are "gone" some of the ATSC channels will move back to their VHF counterparts - with the exception of channels 2-6. It almost looks like VHF-Lo (channels 2-6) is losing the allocation for television.

DirecTV boxes fitted for OTA reception already receive and convert the ATSC signals. I've not seen any that receive any NTSC at all. Some of them, like the H(R)10 will allow you to scan and add ATSC channels, but the newer H(R)20 requires the channel to be known before it is added (a feature I don't like to begin with, BTW). So, if a channel moves from say UHF 34 to VHF 9 (which WUSA in the DC area is planning to do), the -10s would be able to receive it right away, but the -20s might have to wait until the pre-configured OTA channel set is then re-configured for that market.

[MIMOTech]

DirecTV could eliminate the Analog TV being provided in their LOL package at some point in order to eliminate channel duplication. This could require customers to switch to the HD LOL package. Or the present LOL channels would receive a modified Digital distribution based on the new digital OTA channels. Just some thoughts. I can think of other ways that DTV could do the switch, but in any case I don't think anyone will loose any OTA via DTV.