<p>This for the switch to digital signals. </p>
<p>Anyone have one that they like? My coupon expires on the 24th, so I have to get one Real Soon Now.</p>
<p>(Or am I the only person left in the States who doesn’t have cable/satellite/other TV service?)</p>
<p>I have 3 Radio Shack and another brand that was made for subscription broadcast tv. Both work well and have a antenna aiming feature. I would recommend that you get one ASAP. Digital TV for free (“over-the-air”, analog) make you think why did’t you switch earlier. You must have a UHF antenna, approx $50-75, if your home is 30-60miles from the broadcaster. A circular, indoor antenna may work.</p>
<p>We got ours about half a year ago. I searched around for recommendations, and found the most positive about the Zenith. Easy setup. Downside: it was $80 (owlice, you should know that I’m going to cost you money! 
). So I’d check out some reviews.</p>
<p>My in-laws don’t have a converter box yet. They are not tech-savvy, so when I ordered our coupon, I also ordered two for them. Then I called after I got our coupon to check they’d gotten it. Then I kept reminding them to go to Radio Shack and get a converter box before the coupon expired. Now I’ve been reminding them to go buy a converter box before the transition. I am sure that the evening after we go to all-digital, we will get a phone call from them, asking us how come the tv isn’t working. I am seriously thinking it might be easier for them to get a new tv rather than the converter.</p>
<p>They can get cable service for their older television instead of buying a new television. Cable automatically provides a digital picture to your television. I bought my parents the converter boxes and they didn’t work well.</p>
<p>just an fyi (erroneous info in the NY times today says that “anyone” with rabbit ears needs to have a convertor box.) If you have an HD tv, and rabbit ears, you don’t need a convertor box! 
Seems like all the clerks at Best Buy have this wrong, too.</p>
<p>
Not anyone!</p>
<p>michone, considering both learning curve and customer service angst for a converter box, a new tv, or getting cable, I think the new tv might be easiest :)</p>
<p>I have a few tvs that arent on our cable and ordered some that were totally free (no shipping/handling). They are en route as I type, so cant comment on their quality. The ones I ordered for my dad were free, but the s&h was about $17 eack (ripoff).</p>
<p>Oh man, just realized that those coupons have an expiration date and mine expired in NOV! I was able to order another one, but you only get 2 coupons, so I can’t screw up with this one.</p>
<p>Thanks, all!!</p>
<p>ellemenope, I ordered two coupons and gave one to my exH, knowing full well he was very unlikely to order his own. I should have used it to get him a converter instead, because I know he hasn’t gotten a converter yet, hasn’t started his Christmas shopping yet (!!!), and is unlikely, while he is doing that, to pick up a converter box, even if he’s in a Radio Shack or Best Buy or other store that carries them. Dang! I could have given him the box for Christmas; would have cost me nothing!!</p>
<p>SliveyTove, I’m averting my eyes, I’m averting my eyes! :D</p>
<p>I got a Magnovox. Easy hook up, good signal. They cost $49.99 at Walmart, minus the $40.00 Government coupon. Didnt even know there was a variety available. Oh well…</p>
<p>[Hulu</a> - Talkshow with Spike Feresten: Cable PSA](<a href=“http://www.hulu.com/watch/36608/talkshow-with-spike-feresten-cable-psa#s]Hulu”>http://www.hulu.com/watch/36608/talkshow-with-spike-feresten-cable-psa#s)</p>
<p>For the technophobes among us…</p>
<p>I have an ancient tv with rabbit ears. I haven’t even gotten it together to get the coupon yet. I guess I’m hoping that a miracle will happen and Santa will deliver a new LCD tv. Not likely.</p>
<p>1-800-dtv2009 or online <a href=“http://www.dtv2009.gov%5B/url%5D”>www.dtv2009.gov</a></p>
<p>if you have rabbit ears, you may use the ears or indoor antenna with the converter. The difference between analog and digital is more than amazing, even on a analog tv.</p>
<p>I too have no cable, have rabbit ears on my two tv’s. I have sent away for my coupons and would like to know will the converter boxes improve the picture quality, the # of channel’s, or both?</p>
<p>^ Both - we get more channels** and **better picture quality now that my son has installed the converter box.</p>
<p>We got the coupons but I’ve decided to get a new TV instead. I’m hoping that I can find something cheap. We’ll probably toss the old TV. Takes up a lot of space and uses a lot of power.</p>
<p>BCEagle, instead of tossing the old TV, offer it on Freecycle; someone out there in your community might welcome getting it.</p>
<p>I somewhat doubt that anyone in my community would want something this old and small. We have to recycle them anyways.</p>
<p>I got my coupons and got a converter box today. It seemed fairly straight forward, and I put my tv on channel 3, and did the channel scan as the directions said, and it said “no channel’s found”. The only thing I can think might be wrong, after reading through FAQ’s, is that it says most digital channels are on the UHF band, not the VHS band. On my new antenna, it has connections for both, but I only have one connection in back of the TV, which I believe goes to the VHS band, so how do I access UHF? On the antenna directions, it says something about a “band seperator”, but reading all of this is like reading a foreign language. Does anybody have a clue on how to help me???</p>
<p>we just got our coupons so I guess I will have my D add them to her discount at Fred Meyer.</p>
<p>I agree with offering tv on freecycle- there could be someone who likes to tinker with old things- that is how my brother decided on his eventual engineering career.
If you don’t find anyone you can always trash it
( you also said it takes up alot of space- but also that it is small- so ? )</p>