Digital TV converter boxes are available at Wal Mart

[Ken]

Check out Circuit City and Best Buy. They have two real good ones both are $59.99
The one at Best Buy is made by Insignia and the one at Circuit City is made by Zenith. I think Im going to get the Zenith one as I have a Zenith DVD Player and they are a good brand.

Here are the links:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Zenith-Digital-to-Analog-TV-Tuner-DTT900/sem/rpsm/oid/204154/catOid/-12889/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8624081&type=product&id=1199495190393

Just so you know, both of those boxes (also carried at Radio Shack) are identical (except for the different brand name painted on).   Both are made by LG.

So both boxes are made by the same company. But they just have different logos on them such as Zenith and Insignia. So how much is the box at Radio Shack? As I went the website and couldn't find where they are located same with walmart.com and target.com

Also a question. Now if you just have regular cable but not the digital box from the cable company will you still need to get this box or can the set up I have with the cable wire coming from the wall into the TV still work in 2009 when this all happens? Sorry if this is a stupid question of me asking. Im kind of thinking you just need the box if you don't have cable tv.

[KML-224]

Your local cable company is supposed to downconvert the digital signals to analog, meaning I could still get CBS of Hartford on analog cable channel 2 like I do right now. There's a so-called grace period of three years with this. By 2012, it's supposed to be completely digital.

[anotherguy]

I think that only local stations on so-called lifeline basic service are all that are required to be analog. From what I've been told Charter in Jackson, TN is going to be all digital except for lifeline basic by this time next year.

[doctor_radio]

You can still watch cable TV in analog after the flash cut, except that that the station's signal being picked up at the cable provider would the digital signal.

I think the politicians are going to legislate to postpone the flash-cut once it's closer to the election, just to get votes to be re-elected.

[fortmill]

Cable systems which go all or mostly digital will provide their own converter boxes for their customers.  The boxes offered through the coupon program will not tune digital cable channels, only OTA.  I believe the Feb, 2009 deadline will stand.  This "conversion" has been going on a long time and at some point in time, people are just going to hold their nose and do it.  TV stations are tired of operating two transmitting facilities, so I don't think they will put up a fight.  I was talking to a friend earlier today who uses OTA.  I tried to tell him he should start thinking about getting ready for digital.  He laughed and said he wasn't worried about it---"it would never happen."  This guy will be stuck with three TVs, which his family watch many hours a day, and he won't be able to pick up anything in 2009.  I guess some people will have to become "believers" the hard way.   

[WPPCProductions]

You can still watch cable TV in analog after the flash cut, except that that the station's signal being picked up at the cable provider would the digital signal.

I think the politicians are going to legislate to postpone the flash-cut once it's closer to the election, just to get votes to be re-elected.

We will see, what will happen.The cable co's love the money flowing  in their over inflated pockets for renting  the cable boxes. since everyone and their brother and sister need one to receive cable tv after they go all digital. $5.00 surcharge times
3 or more per household times millions of subscribers.Wow.When Comcast extended basic goes digital , I will tell them forget it, and just give me lifeline for now.
I hope the quality of tv programing  will get better,maybe back to pre 1990 standards.whats on now is not worth to go out to spend $1500.00 to $2.000 or more on new digital entertainment equipment  for watching reality shows,nighttime game shows.infomercials and poorly written sitcoms. also I'm not into sports like I was a long time ago.If  this dtv conversion was 20 plus years ago. I will be the first one on the block to have a new setup.ok , I have to stop fussing about it again.

P.S. can someone please explain what does Flash Cut mean. Thanks.

[dhett]

P.S. can someone please explain what does Flash Cut mean. Thanks.

"Flash cut" means turning off the analog broadcast and turning on the digital broadcast at the same time (not necessarily instantaneously; could be over a period of hours). The result is that the analog broadcast is replaced by a digital broadcast on the same channel.

[WPPCProductions]

P.S. can someone please explain what does Flash Cut mean. Thanks.

"Flash cut" means turning off the analog broadcast and turning on the digital broadcast at the same time (not necessarily instantaneously; could be over a period of hours). The result is that the analog broadcast is replaced by a digital broadcast on the same channel.

Ok thanks for explaining it.

[anotherguy]

To me the Insignia model from Best Buy looks good, but are the RCA and Magnavox converters from Wal Mart capable of showing pictures in the 16:9 format (Letterboxed I know) like the Insignia? Wal Mart's website doesn't give any detail on that for either model.

[Mediafrog+]

This morning the Wal-Mart near me (in Houston) had eight of the RCA DTA800 models, and about 20 of the Magnavox TB100MW9 models on the shelf.  The Magnavox was the only one on open display, though.  Both priced $49.87.