Backstory: In February 2009, analog television signals for most stations will go off the air, and all the major stations will have to convert to digital signals.
(Under-powered local stations will be allowed to continue to broadcast their analog signal beyond 2009.)
All old-style home television sets which do NOT have digital tuners will need a "converter box" to translate off-the-air (digital) signals into ordinary (analog) signals from February 2009 onward, thus allowing old-style television sets to continue to function.

Q. Are you shopping for a converter box? Did you already get one?

Q. Have you applied for, and got, a COUPON for $40 off, from the federal government?

I am now shopping. I am watching the consumer web sites and electronics web sites for technical comparisons of the existing brands and models.

One thing to be clear is that this is only needed if you still watch over-the-air broadcasts. If you have cable or satellite, then this isn't an issue. Even if you only have analog cable (with no cable box), the analog signal will continue as long as the cable companies think there is a market for it.

-Jeff

I'm planning on picking up a 32" later in the year. I figure I'll wait until the holidays or early '09 for the best deals. Until then, I'll just have to keep inviting myself to my mom's on Sundays to watch football on her big screen.

I just gave away my portable television. I figured I wasn't going to be able to use in a year anyway.

I have an HD box. It's not a converter, but one that takes the airwaves and converts them to HD for an HD tv. I have had my HD tv for 5 or 6 years, and for the first 2, cable didn't support HD, but now that it does, I don't need the box. If anyone wants it, they can have it. :)

One thing to be clear is that this is only needed if you still watch over-the-air broadcasts. If you have cable or satellite, then this isn't an issue. Even if you only have analog cable (with no cable box), the analog signal will continue as long as the cable companies think there is a market for it.

-Jeff
Technically, it's needed only if you (still need to) watch OTA and your TV does not have a built-in ATSC tuner that is capable of receiving the digital OTA signals. ;)

This is not an issue if you buy a new TV model today, since IIRC all TVs 25 inches or larger manufactured after 7/1/06 and sold in the U.S. are required (per the FCC) to be equipped w/ an ATSC tuner. Note that I said TV, not monitor--for all intents and purposes a TV is a display that has a built-in tuner, whereas a monitor is a display that is not necessarily required to be equipped with a built-in tuner.

My parents don't have cable or satellite. Yeah. I swear, he really IS a rocket scientist. They're buying a new TV because my dad doesn't want to deal with the low quality of the picture he thinks he'll get from a converter box on his "old" TV (which isn't that old and is a pretty good TV... but he'd rather buy a new TV than pay for cable or satellite.)

Adrienne