Another error source. ME!! Coupons are actually still available to everyone, probably until next year. My goof was based on this under FAQs; Coupon Program; Getting a Coupon; at the DTV2009.gov site:
“7. Are all consumers eligible for the coupon program? Yes, but supplies are limited. There are 22.25 million coupons available to all U.S. households. Once those coupons have been used, there are an additional 11.25 million coupons available only to households that solely receive their TV broadcasts over-the-air using an antenna. Households with TVs connected to cable, satellite or other pay TV service are not eligible for this second batch of coupons. Consumers can apply for coupons until March 31, 2009, or until the funds are exhausted.”
That statement still hasn’t been updated. The definitive test is for a non-OTA someone to request a coupon. Unfortunately, everyone I knew took my advice and requested their coupons before the end of July when coupon requests exceeded 22 million. The Emails I sent to PBS gave me the answer. WGBH replied, and said that according to NTIA testimony at a Congressional hearing held on September 16, the funding from expired coupons is being “recycled” to issue new coupons for non-OTA households. To PBS Station WGBH Member Development and Services, a big thank you for researching this, and setting me straight. This crushes my prayer of a resurrection for my expired coupon, as it will instead get reincarnated to some non-OTA household.
Wilmington seemed below the radar of most of the press, but I wasn’t digging deep for the story. Spots on TV there about the early transition so thick they were nauseating, still didn’t cause everyone to be ready for the early DTV switch. Some were surprised to discover that antenna upgrades were needed, and lots of crunch questions at the switch. Not a surprise to me, of course.
The FCC is mandating that the broadcasters increase the number of spots on the DTV Transition for the rest of the country. The FCC is also touring the country to encourage people to buy quickly, as if the people who bought early didn’t regret the mistake. The 8 million expired coupons represent unhappy people who like me requested coupons too early, before good product was on store shelves. Slowly, manufacturers are getting the bugs out. The RCA DTA800 was replaced by the RCA DTA800A, which was replaced by the RCA DTA800B, which was replaced by the RCA DTA800B1, which makes me want to wait for further details on the RCA DTA809. The Zenith DTT900 evolved by build dates, but LG never admitted the problems. DTVPAL finally got to market, but with timer bugs. If they don’t get fixed in time, maybe try a Zinwell. As for the brands of Granny Boxes that overheat, they are probably headed for an early demise.
I suggested to the Library months ago that a Zenith DTT900 be checked out for a few days by patrons, like a library book but also with a simple antenna. After all, the only sure way to tell what DTV reception is like at a location and the best place for the antenna is to test it. The library said no. After that, I did loan out the DTT900 to a few non-technical people to get a different viewpoint. See:
http://angelolopez.wordpress.com/?s=DTV
I still need to get the tax refund on a converter coupon my Mom used at Circuit City. We went there with the receipt, but because the transaction was over a month ago, they couldn’t refund with cash or check. They offered to apply the coupon refund against a purchase, but we didn’t need anything. Presumably, the next City of Palo Alto Community Media Center class on CECB’s for beginners will be October 8, call them at 650-494-8686 ext. 10 for details if interested. The Santa Clara City Library on October 29 at 7PM will have Roy Avila from KICU-TV Channel 36 talk about the DTV Transition. The FCC visited Oakland to do a demo, and got pixel pus. See:
http://montclairoak.com/2008/09/10/the-fcc-digital-demo-fizzled-in-oakland/
The election is less than a month and a half away. I’ve already had several political ads land in my answering machine. Time for me to forget about Granny boxes, and start thinking about the election. Will you be helping out?
