How do I get a converter box?
Digital-to-analog converter boxes started showing up on store shelves in February 2008. There are generally two kinds of converter boxes: Simple, lower-end boxes, costing around $40 to $70, will basically take a digital TV signal and convert it to an analog format that can be viewed on your analog TV set. Higher-end, more expensive boxes may include additional features such as a digital video recorder.
THE DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COUPONS IS MIDNIGHT EDT ON JULY 31, 2009.
Most of the lower-end boxes can be purchased with a $40 coupon available from the federal government. The government will give two coupons to every household in the U.S. You can register to receive coupons in one of several ways:
1. call 1-888-388-2009 (note that prefix, 888, not 800!). Hearing-impaired callers may dial 1-877-530-2634 (English/TTY) or 1-866-495-1161 (Spanish/TTY).
2. go to this website.
3. write to: DTV Converter Coupon, PO Box 2000, Portland, OR 97208.
4. send a request via fax to 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632).
Note: When sending a mail or fax request, be sure to include your street address, not PO Box.
Here is a link to a list of coupon-eligible converter boxes. Not all models on this list may be available in local stores. We suggestyou call ahead to make sure the model you want is in stock.
The Excel file shown below contains a list of all the retailers in Maine that are certified to sell coupon-eligible converter boxes. The Acrobat (.pdf) file below gives a list of coupon-eligible converter boxes, a list of Maine retailers that sell the boxes as well as online and telephone-ordering sources for boxes, and a short list of box manufacturers' toll-free helplines.
attached files: Maine_retailers.xls, Converter Box handout.pdf
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