I am really enjoying my DTV channels.

Living in a border city I get most of my television stations from Detroit so I had to get a converter box. Canada isn't changing until 2011 I believe or it could be 2010, not too sure on the date. I paid full price for the box and I kind of doubt the Canadian government will offer discount coupons like the US did.

I am getting a much better picture, sound and colour on this old television of mine plus a few new stations which I love. I still have to use another antenna if I want to get my local Canadian stations which haven't changed to digital yet and won't for a year or so.

I stopped paying $60 a month for cable a few years ago. Most of the people around here have pirated satellite from the US and when it get zapped they just reprogramme their cards on the internet. I won't do that since it is illegal but homeowners never get charged with having it.

I took care of my neighbour's pets while they were away and even though I killed one of them (I was so tramatized LOL) they brought me back another coverter box for my bedroom television.

Now all I have to figure out is how to record programmes since I won't be able to do that with my vcr because all the numbers are like 4.1, 4.2 etc and my vcr channels don't have the points. What device will I need so I can record the television shows I want to watch at a later date?

Anne

I was surprised that a president elect would make this an issue for his upcoming administration to address. This digital changeover has already been postponed TWICE and I do not think congress is going to budge on it again. People have known about this changeover that is about to happen for fifteen YEARS. If they move the change to 2012 or 2017, then what? What if people still aren't ready? How long is this going to go on? There are choices if one wishes to continue watching the television they have become accustom to; get cable, get dish, get a converter box or get a new television. Pick one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Linky

you have to have a rooftop antenna to get the High Def networks on satellite, not sure how cable works though

You mean I need a rooftop antenna and my Directv satellite dish to watch my tv after Feb?? I do have a antenna in my attic - does that count??

No lydia, if you have satellite you do not need to do anything different after 2/17. Nothing. Only OTA broadcast is affected by the change.

Although I'm not impressed with the reception, mine is better on analog, but I understand the need to convert to digital signal to free up the analog channels for other purposes. It needs to be done so let's pull the bandage off the scab and be done with it. I'd oppose moving the date back, with all the work that's gone into it and the investment that so many people have made in this so far, including the television stations themselves it would be silly to start all over again.

If people aren't ready by now, they never will be ready. There will always be someone crying that they didn't know and they couldn't watch Days Of Our Lives this afternoon because the TV didn't work. Good grief. It's too bad stupidity isn't (always) painful.

I have satellite, so I've been told I don't need any convertor. I heard Best Buy sells them for around $60 but they are out of stock. The government was supposed to be giving out $40 coupons on the convertors, don't know about that. Anybody use the coupon?

If you have satellite TV and want the High Definition broadcast of your locals - you will need some type of antenna. If you get good reception (digital reception) with your attic antenna you will be fine.

I don't want to confuse this with regular (digital) local channels that you get on your dish.

I am talking about the High Definition channels. I have a High Definition Dish Network reciever/DVR.

The regular (digital) locals that I get over the Dish are 5 ABC, 8 CBS, 13 NBC, 17 FOX, 23 CW. I don't get the "extra" digital channels on my regular dish programming.

I have to have an antenna to get those. With the antenna reception I get 5-1, 5-2, 8-1, 8-2, 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, 13-1, 13-2, 17-1, 17-2, 23-1 - it (the antenna) feeds through my Dish, so they can be taped on my DVR and show up on my onscreen guide. This only works on the main TV.

With my other sets (all digital), I can get the "off air" channels by tuning to that specific channel, such as 5-2, and I watch my Dish Network channels on channel 33 - and then use the dish remote to change the satellite TV.

I really think I should get some kind of medal for even being able to change the channel - LOL!! We won't even go into the surround sound setup...gaaa!!!

I don't really care- I only get one station now as it is. Once they convert I won't get any, but to be honest, I don't think I am bothered anymore. My kids sure are though.

Trish in SC

Good for you Trish -most of the stuff on anymore is awful anyway! :)

I know! And all the really good shows can be rented these days so I don't miss much. I watch all the news online anyway.

Trish in SC

I heard Obama wants to postpone because the govt has run out of money (coupons)that they were sending to people. They estimate (I guess due to the sales of converter boxes?) that 5 million people won't be ready when the change happens? That's why they want to delay. It sounds like it you try to request a coupon now, you won't be able to get one. I saw a stack (probably 30) of converter boxes in Wal-mart last week.

I read somewhere if they gave everyone in America a million dollars it waould be cheaper than all the bail outs they plan

We are just about the last major country in the world NOT yet on digital. Some of the more advanced nations have been on it for many, many years, yet we always think the US is so advanced.

We are just about the last major country in the world NOT yet on digital. Some of the more advanced nations have been on it for many, many years, yet we always think the US is so advanced.

Only 6 countries are completely switched: Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Finland, Andorra, Sweden, & Switzerland. Many are going to complete the switch well after the US date. We really aren't behind the times at all.

I do like the clarity of digital TV - but my complaint is the lack of signal. We just simply lose our signal far too often. When we need it the most - in poor weather conditions - we lose it totally.

I just don't think they realize how many people will be affected by the change. Not a problem in you live closer to a metro, but there are a lot of us bumpkins out here :)

I do hope they use the "white space" (the frequencies that will be vacated after the switchover) for Internet broadcast. There has been some work on this. That would be awesome!

I requested my coupons and received them. During the 90 days that I had them, our WM only rec'd 30 boxes. They claim it was due to a shortage from manufacturers.
I was told by one employee that another employee purchased 4 of 5 boxes that came in and was unloaded overnight. I repeatedly called the store and was told that they were on back order and they didn't know when they would recieve any more and just keep calling...blahblahblah.
On the day the coupons expired I found a walmart 25 mi away that had 30 boxes but had to work 25 mi away in the other direction, so... my coupons expired. I emailed the gov. and told them that there were 10,000 residents in this town, not including the college students, and 30 boxes in 3 mo. just didn't get it, and could they reissue the coupons. Of course that was 3 weeks ago, and no reply. We broke down and bought a new tv, plasma, but the 780 pixels or whatever it was, not the newest gsdget, being told by NFM that it was ready for the change, (we have the rooftop antanae). Guess what... The "test" showed that it would not recieve the digital signal... back to square one...I am getting to the point that the internet tv would be worth trying....

I have one set up in the bedroom that's just antenna, and I needed a converter box. I didn't need both coupons, so I gave one to a friend who only has over-the-air TV (we have satellite on the main TV). This was last summer and there were no boxes to be had anywhere, the same trouble that Pammiesue reports.

But my friend Suzanne went into Radio Shack on the last day the coupons were due to expire, and there were none in stock, but RS took the coupons and shipped the boxes to us right at home! No shipping charges, either. It took several weeks for the boxes to arrive, but we got them.

So don't rely on just WalMart! RS's service was excellent. There is also a list of online retailers that comes with the coupons, so you may not need to go to a store at all.

And the reception on our little bedroom TV is awesome, much better than the old analog signal reception!

I decided to go buy the boxes and not play games until the coupons expired. No, they won't take expired coupons! You had two months to go to the store and get them. The good thing for people waiting is there's a lot of people who didn't use the coupons so that money is being recycled back in and there's a waiting list you can get on. I wouldn't be surprised to see Congress fund a little more for it. But people have known about this for nearly a year if they watch tv. If they don't it doesn't matter. Stores all over have the boxes, they're available over the internet and hey, if someone didn't get it, they wouldn't no matter what so I don't have sympathy.

I'm just kind of disgusted that a few of the digital channels I just started watching a lot are being shut off. So it's back to wait and see. And I got a small digital TV for Christmas so I'm in good shape. Have two converters too.