# TV Converter box coupon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 21, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048 "2008-05-21T01:47:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/1 "2008-05-21T01:47:24Z")
I received them from the Feds today. Two for forty dollars each. Wal-Mart has the converters for $49.87 Cool. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/2 "2008-05-21T01:52:53Z")
I just redeemed my first one yesterday and the converter actually works! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/3 "2008-05-21T02:33:32Z")
Where did you get it, and does it convert HDTV? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/4 "2008-05-21T02:44:12Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Where did you get it, and does it convert HDTV? [/QUOTE] Well…in a way, yes. It takes the over-the-air digital signals (which ALL broadcast TV must switch to by February, 2009) and converts them to an analog signal that older TVs can use. If you have cable or satellite, or you bought a TV in the past few years, you don’t need a converter box. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/5 "2008-05-21T04:47:46Z")
I got mine a couple weeks ago at Radio Shack and it works just fine. Very easy to hook up, too. ---
**Author:** ![erleichda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4da419/32.png) [@erleichda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erleichda)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/6 "2008-05-21T07:46:05Z")
I love mine! It’s so sweet to get free TV I can actually see! ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/7 "2008-05-21T15:11:49Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Where did you get it, and does it convert HDTV? [/QUOTE] It does not convert your old TV into HDTV (It can’t make your old TV more than it was originally meant to be.) But the converter will take a digital signal and convert it to an analog signal your old TV can use. You’ll probably experience a picture that’s actually a little clearer and sharper than what you’re used to with an antenna. I got mine at Wal-Mart. I’ve also seen them at Radio Shack, Best Buy and Circuit City as well as independent electronics stores. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/8 "2008-05-21T15:32:11Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] I received them from the Feds today. Two for forty dollars each. Wal-Mart has the converters for $49.87 Cool. [/QUOTE] I’ve had my cards from the gov’t for a couple of months now. Haven’t used them yet, but my nearby Wal-Mart has a stackbase of hundreds of the Magnavox convertors, and they’ve been blowing out of the doors. I was skeptical that the average Joe would bother converting, but at this one store, in the middle of lots of other retail sources for the boxes, sales have reached nearly 100 converters a day… and this is quite a bit before the switchover. I imagine it’s going to be hard to find them right around then. As an aside, does anyone know if the store keeps the card once redeemed? While I could use two convertors, the TV-history-buff/scrip-collector side of me wants to make sure I keep one of the cards. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/9 "2008-05-21T15:39:26Z")
Both of my TVs are less that two years old, so am I correct in assuming that I will not need a converter box for them? The question may be moot anyway, since I have cable and don’t even think there’s an external antenna connection on either of them. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/10 "2008-05-21T15:52:56Z")
[QUOTE=kunilou] It does not convert your old TV into HDTV [/QUOTE] Of course not, I’m just curious if all of them convert HDTV to NTSC. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/11 "2008-05-21T16:03:18Z")
[QUOTE=LurkMeister] Both of my TVs are less that two years old, so am I correct in assuming that I will not need a converter box for them? The question may be moot anyway, since I have cable and don’t even think there’s an external antenna connection on either of them. [/QUOTE] It’s a reasonable, but not guaranteed assumption. Manufacturers were required to build TVs with ATSC tuners starting in March of 2007. This did nothing to change TVs that were already built and sitting in warehouses or on store shelves. The magic word to look for in the TV’s instructions is ATSC - this is the newer kind of tuner that will be able to receive digital broadcasts. And yes, if you’re not planning to use an antenna, it is a moot point. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/12 "2008-05-21T17:20:34Z")
[QUOTE=Student Driver] As an aside, does anyone know if the store keeps the card once redeemed? While I could use two converters, the TV-history-buff/scrip-collector side of me wants to make sure I keep one of the cards. [/QUOTE] I got two cards from the government. Wal-mart kept the card when I purchased their Magnavox converter, but at Best Buy the cashier handed the card back, and when I asked if she was supposed to keep it, she said they had been told to return it to the customer. Overall, although it costs $10 more, I think the Best Buy Insignia converter is worth the extra money because it has a few more features, including volume control. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/13 "2008-05-21T17:21:00Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Of course not, I’m just curious if all of them convert HDTV to NTSC. Thanks! [/QUOTE] Yes, it will convert an HDTV signal into an analog signal your existing TV can use. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/14 "2008-05-21T18:33:43Z")
I think I’m gonna wait as long as possible. I figure they’ll be better and better boxes coming out, and the coupons expire in 90 days. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/15 "2008-05-21T19:55:15Z")
[QUOTE=control-z] I think I’m gonna wait as long as possible. I figure they’ll be better and better boxes coming out, and the coupons expire in 90 days. [/QUOTE] 😕 The boxes don’t have any features. They do one thing…convert an OTA ATSC signal to an analog NTSC one. There’s nothing about them to \*get[i/] better and better. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/16 "2008-05-21T20:00:25Z")
But what about HDTVs without built in ATSC tuners? I don’t want my signal converted to NTSC, I want either component video or DVI, with stereo RCA for the audio. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/17 "2008-05-21T20:06:48Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] But what about HDTVs without built in ATSC tuners? I don’t want my signal converted to NTSC, I want either component video or DVI, with stereo RCA for the audio. [/QUOTE] Actually, I should restate this. I know such boxes exist, but I don’t know whether the coupon can be used to buy them. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-converter-box-coupon/450048/18 "2008-05-21T20:08:11Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] 😕 The boxes don’t have any features. They do one thing…convert an OTA ATSC signal to an analog NTSC one. There’s nothing about them to \*get[i/] better and better. [/QUOTE] Of course they can get better, electronics are one thing that tends to get faster, better, and cheaper over time. For example, I’ve read that some of the boxes are supposed to help with the VCR problem; I guess they’re going to emulate an analog tuner so that old VCRs can still change channels? There will also be a box with a hard drive and PVR capability. Plus the boxes could have different types of output ports.