DTV converter coupon deadline is July 31, anyone still need one? [EngadgetHD]
What is probably the final chapter in the nation's digital television conversion, the federal government wants you to know that this Friday at midnight is the last opportunity to take advantage of their digital converter box coupon program. The program, which ran out of funds to provide coupons at one point earlier this year, has continued to hand out $40 coupons for DTV boxes to over-the-air television households for the six-week period following the June 12 digital transition.
By Nielsen's estimates, around 1,000,000 homes didn't prepare for the digital transition until after June 12, based on the number of households that got prepared between June 12 and July 12. But, while digital converters will still be available after July 31 for over-the-air viewing of analog televisions, the federal government won't subsidize the cost. If you're one of the very few homes that didn't get prepared or in the more likely case that you have an older, analog television that you would like to get hooked up to cable, give Insight a call.
Kudos to Commissioner Michael Copps, who, during the transition, was the acting chairman of the FCC and to the FCC staff for the rapid recovery from what seemed to be a total failure-in-waiting. When Congress set the date for February, little was done to provide assistance to consumers who were unprepared for the transition. To add to the mess, the coupon program ran out of money. The delay until June allowed the FCC to set up effective call centers and for Congress to allocated more funds for the program.
Case closed.
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