When will digital to analog converter boxes be available and who might make them?

Question

And will they cost around $40, which is the value of a government coupon for those (like me) living in the stone age with an analog TV and rabbit ears?

link--If you're right, people better wait a few weeks before calling for the 90-day coupons.

Answer 1

The converter boxes are supposed to be available next year. Right now, estimates are that the boxes will cost $50-$75, so the $40 is a supplement that the government is covering for those that don't (or can't) upgrade to a new digital TV. I don't know for sure who will be making them, but I would assume that Motorola and Scientific Atlanta (now part of Cisco) would be in the business, since they make most of the set-top boxes.

I've read that BestBuy will be carrying the converters, but may not be able to accept the coupons until April 1, 2008.

Answer 2

Hi,
I don't know about your place, but here in Canada, we still have analog broadcast over the air and it can be picked up by rabbit ears. We even still have analog service with cable too and at the same time we have digital and high definition service too. If you do not get any channels to watch over the air, I would recomment you to get either cable or satelite and I will here tell you how to hook up digital broadcast to your analog tv.
To get digital broadcast from either via satellite or cable you'll need a settop box, its the box used to tune into channels, thats where you aim to change your channles with remote control, not you tv.
On the settop box, there will be a Coaxial cable IN hook up and a Coaxial cable OUT hook up. The coaxial cable out hook up is always analog, so there you have analog! Its already being converted. So from cable or satellite you hook up the coaxial cable to coax IN on the box. Then yiou go from the Coax OUT of the box to your TV, its where you have hook up your rabbit years before.
Please note that the coaxial cable is rated at 75 ohms. At the back of your tv, near the rabbit ear hook up check to see if is is 75 ohms or something else (most likely 300 ohms). If this is the case, then just go to any electronics store or even the dollar store and get the adapter connection you need. The adapter should have one end to connect your Coaxial and one end for you tv's hook up. I am going to stop now.
Oh one more thing, your tv must be on either channel 3 or 4, which ever works for you.
Good Luck!