If you don't use cable, you'll love the new HDTV converter boxes

[corporatemedia]

In Pittsburgh, broadcast TV reception SUCKS because of the terrain (hills and valleys and hills and valleys and hills....)

I was only able to reliably get two VHF channels (the NBC and PBS affiliates) and one UHF channel (FOX) was marginally watchable. KDKA (CBS) would not come in at all and the NBC affiliate was unwatchable. That was with rabbit ears.

Last week I took my $40 govt. coupon (and a $ 10 Best Buy coupon I had) and bought a HDTV box for $ 60 at Best Buy ($ 14 with tax after the coupons).

AMAZING !

Now I can get all the local channels with "cable quality reception" still using the same cheap rabbit ears. Not only that, but with the box you can pick up the subcarriers for each channel. So now I have a choice of three different shows on the PBS channel alone.

The local cable companies will be losing a lot of "basic cable" subscribers once word gets around about the boxes. "Basic cable" here in Pittsburgh means all the broadcast channels plus CSPAN, Weather Channel, WTBS, and WGN. And for that they charge about $ 15 per month! Many people in Pgh. get basic cable because they can't get reception of the broadcast stations. Those days are over!

[MilesColtrane]

1. I didn't know that you could use the govt. coupon for an HD tuner.

I thought it could only be applied towards a DTV convertor (simple analog to digital).

I'm definitely going to do that.

[Forkboy]

2. How and where does one get the coupon?

[MilesColtrane]

3. Here you go. Up to two per household.

They expire within 90 days of issue.

https://www.dtv2009.gov/

[Forkboy]

4. Sweet...thanks!

:toast:

[bikebloke]

5. A couple arrived a couple weeks ago.

I threw them into a drawer. Maybe I'd better look into using them.