The converters are expected to cost in the neighborhood of $50 to $70 and will be available at most major electronics retail stores. Each coupon is good for $40 toward the price of a converter box. The way it works is, you'll apply for up to two coupons per household. That's where the government assistance program comes in.
Again, if your set is hooked up to cable, no problemo.you're good to go already.īut.third.if you have an old analog TV set and no cable, you're going to need a converter box for your TV (or TVs). For most of you, you'll need an outdoor or attic antenna. If you're lucky, an indoor antenna will work. Second, if you have one of the new digital sets (most of them are flat-screens or near-flat DLP's) with a tuner built in (double-check all new sets must have tuners, though some of the early DTV sets were monitors only.no tuners).all you'll need is a good digital antenna.
Your cable system will take care of all that for you, and your old set will continue to operate. That's not how it works, so listen up.įirst, if you are watching us on TV sets hooked up to cable, rest easy. Some of you are starting to call us here at the station and ask us to send you one. Even though our digital signal will move from channel 8 back to channel 7, your box will continue to show our various digital channels as 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, etc. Now, those of you already watching us on one of the new digital (DTV) sets probably already know that KPLC'-DT comes in on what shows on your set as channel 7.1. But come February 2009, just over a year from today, the feds will shut off all the old analog signals and auction off that bandwidth.Īt that time, KPLC-DT will "repack" to channel 7. The federal government has printed millions of $40 coupons to help those of you with old-style analog TVs buy converter boxes to allow them to receive the new digital signals.įor those of you who haven't been keeping score, KPLC has been broadcasting our programming in both analog (channel 7) and digital (channel 8) for several years.