Martin: Where Are $40 DTV Converter Boxes?
FCC chairman asks Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition to push retailers to carry EchoStar's $40 DTV-to-analog converter box.
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 9/16/2008 11:43:00 AM
Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin asked that retail stores carry EchoStar's $40 digital-TV-to-analog converter box, saying that none of the major retailers was carrying the low-cost boxes.
The box would be essentially free with the government's $40 subsidy coupon, but the boxes are not yet widely available in stores, Martin said.
In a letter to Christopher McLean, executive director of the Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition, which was published on the FCC's Web site, Martin said the FCC determined that "none" of the major retail outlets was carrying the box or planning to carry it.
Martin conceded that it is available online, but at a shipping cost of $10-$12, and at a "few, very small retail outlets."
Martin said he was asking the CERC to ask members like Wal-Mart Stores; Sears, Roebuck; Best Buy; Circuit City; and RadioShack to stock at least one make of $40 converter box in their stores.
That letter was posted the day before Martin and McLean both testified -- on different panels -- at a House hearing on the status of the DTV transition.
At that hearing, McLean was asked about the availability of the low-cost boxes. He said there were a variety of issues that affected availability in stores, but given Martin's posting of the letter, all of his members were aware of Martin's request.
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Telecommunications & Internet Subcommittee, which held the hearing, said he wanted McLean to keep the committee informed about which of his members were stepping up to get low-cost boxes into stores and analog-pass through boxes to those who needed them.
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A Certified NTIA Converter Box Retailer, www.freeTVsignal.com; and has been offerring a $40 converter box with FREE shipping to anywhere in the US, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands since mid-October, 2008. With your $40 NTIA Coupon, that would be a completely FREE box to residents.
Matt Bymaster - 12/2/2008 12:03:00 PM EST -
It doesn''t take a genius to figure out whether it''s Zenith, Magnavox or one of the other brands I see they are all going for around $50.00
This is price collusion, the government should''ve give the money back to the purchaser directly. This way we would''ve seen boxes CHEAPER than $40.00.
It is so stupid the government set a $40.00 threshold. It doesn''t take a genius to figure out if a manufacturer can produce the box for $25.00 they aren''t gonna sell it for that if the government is willing to pay $40.00
It doesn''t take a genius but it does take Congress which spends money like it isn''t theirs. Wait a minute it isn''t theirs.
Eric Post - 9/18/2008 10:24:00 AM EDT -
It doesn't take a genius to figure out whether it's Zenith, Magnavox or one of the other brands I see they are all going for around $50.00
This is price collusion, the government should've give the money back to the purchaser directly. This way we would've seen boxes CHEAPER than $40.00.
It is so stupid the government set a $40.00 threshold. It doesn't take a genius to figure out if a manufacturer can produce the box for $25.00 they aren't gonna sell it for that if the government is willing to pay $40.00
It doesn't take a genius but it does take Congress which spends money like it isn't theirs. Wait a minute it isn't theirs.
Eric Post - 9/18/2008 10:18:00 AM EDT -
While cable and satellite program providers will continue to serve the great majority of homes as the primary signal source, missing HD local reception, compression issues, higher costs, billing add-ons, service outages, contact difficulties, in-home service waits and no shows have left many of these subscribers looking to OTA antennas as a good, alternative and Off-Air viewers happy with their free programming.
But TV reception starts with the right antenna and Off-Air TV is FREE.
Viewers should certainly try their old antenna first. It’s true that any of these older antennas will pick up some signals, maybe all the broadcast signals a viewer wants to receive, depending on their location. If they’re getting all the OTA channels they want, than they’re good to go.
While Antennas can’t tell the difference between analog and digital signals, there are definitely certain models which have higher DTV batting averages than others. Not all antennas are equally suited for DTV. A percentage of viewers will require something a little more tailored for DTV reception.
With one of the newer and smaller OTA antennas, with greatly improved performance, power and aesthetics, viewers may also be able to receive out-of-town channels, carrying blacked out sports programs not available locally, several additional sub-channels or network broadcasts. And for those with an HDTV, almost completely uncompressed HD broadcasts (unlike cable or satellite).
OTA viewers can go to antennapoint.com to see quickly what stations are available to them, the distance, and compass heading to help in choosing and aiming their antenna. And if they decide to buy a newer antenna, they should buy it from a source that will completely refund their purchase price, no questions asked, if it doesn’t do the job.
Michael Sherman - 9/17/2008 11:25:00 AM EDT -
BULLETIN TO MARTIN: Retailers mark up the couponed boxes to inflate
the selling price. It's called price gouging. That's what happens when
the government subsidies what should be a free market commodity.
Better to give manufacturers a meaningful tax break -- not a dollar-
for-dollar handout -- if they offer $40 off coupons directly to
consumers who purchase a converter -- or a new digital TV set. That
way, the economy benefits and taxpayers bear less of the burden.
That's the Republican way to do it -- what happened?
Adam Smith - 9/16/2008 6:26:00 PM EDT
