James Delahunty
10 Apr 2008 0:29
With the switch to all digital television broadcasts in the United States just over ten months away, about 5.3 million U.S. households have taken advantage of the Government's discount coupons for digital TV converter boxes. For homes in the U.S. that rely on over-the-air analog broadcasts, the DTV switch literally means black-out unless a converter box is used.
According to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), about 10 million coupons have been requested since the program began at the start of the year. Each coupon is worth $40 (on the purchase price of a box, priced around $60), and each household is entitles to a maximum of two coupons.
While demand is certainly outpacing supply, officials are worried that a large amount of people are still completely unaware of the DTV switch approaching. "We're doing a pretty good job so far," Meredith A. Baker, head of the telecommunications agency, said at a Senate hearing. "We have a lot more work to be done."
As of Friday, 280,128 coupons had been redeemed as consumers wait for stocks to hit the large retailers like Wal-Mart and Best Buy. It is estimated that about 20 million homes rely on over-the-air signals, and 70 million televisions could need converter boxes.