Are you ready for DTV?

If you’re not, you ought to be aware of this by now.  If you turn on your TV, and all you get is snow and static, nope, you didn’t prepare.  And honestly, I don’t feel sorry for you, because this has been being advertised for YEARS now.

The switchover from analog to digital TV took place on Friday, June 12, over a week ago.  Despite all of the heavy advertising about this, millions of people are still unprepared, and therefore are unable to watch TV.  But it is still not to late to remedy this situation.

I’ve blogged about this issue many times, on my various blogs.  Basically, I told people the true facts about the switch, and what is REALLY needed to be prepared.  People needed to do one of three things in order to keep getting a TV signal after June 12:

• Purchase a converter box, which will enable you to continue using your old analog TV after the switchover.  The government was giving our $40 coupons to be used towards the purchase of these.  They ran out of money for a time, but now I think they are offering them again.  Go to DTVAnswers.com for more info.
• Purchase a new TV with a digital tuner.  These used to be pricey, but I’m seeing that the prices are starting to come down.  And if you can find one on sale, all the better.
• Subscribe to cable or satellite TV.

Now, the cable companies will have you believe that THEIR way is the ONLY way, and will try to hide the fact that you can still get free, over-the-air TV without payng for their services.  Comcast is a prime example of this, I have been annoyed over their scare tactics to get people to get cable service that they can’t afford, making them think that if they don’t, they can never watch TV again.

I got a rather official looking mailing from them today, with a big red box on the envelope that says Urgent:  Regarding changes that occurred June 12.  It did not have the Comcast logo anywhere on the envelope, not even in the return address.  However, the return address simply read One Comcast Center, Philadelphia, PA  19103-2838.  Duh!  Not too hard to figure out who sent it!  Unless you are one of those stupid people who have been living under a rock for the past two years!

And this is exactly who Comcast is going after…the stupid.  Inside the envelope was their usual advertisement about free basic cable for a year if you sign up for their phone or internet service, or $10/month for a year if you don’t.  They are leading people to believe that this is the only way to watch TV again.  And yes, the prices go up after a year.

On the other side of the ad, at the bottom of the page, in VERY small print, it says that you can also be prepared by buying a converter box or digital TV and not subscribe to cable.  And it also discloses that there is an additional fee not only for the installation, but for taxes and other crap.  And if you cancel before the year is up, it says in microscopic print, you will be billed at a much higher rate for the time that you did keep the service on.

It pisses me off because they are going after people who are least likely to afford yet another endless monthly payment.  In these difficult economic times, it is NOT a good idea to sign on for ANY contract thingy if it is not 100% necessary.   What if you lose your job and can’t pay the bill?  Well, not only are you back to square one, as in NO TV signal, but you will also be penalized for breaking the contract…at a time when you can least afford it!

That is why I think it is better to either go with the converter box, or a new TV.  You may also need a new antenna, too.  These are all one-time purchases, or at least until they wear out and need to be replaced, but that will be many years from now.  In the meantime, no monthly payments!

If your old TV is dying, and you are in the market for a new one, this is an excellent time to go shopping for one.  I found a Samsung 24″ LCD HDTV (pictured above) for under $300.  It can also be used as a computer monitor.  It’s gotten some good rathings from users, and looks to be an excellent value.  If I were in the market for a new TV right now, I’d pick this one up from Buy.com…espcially since they also offer FREE SHIPPING!

Just about all free broadcast stations here in the Boston area are broadcasting in HD now, so forget about this nonsense that says you can only watch HDTV with cable or satellite.  If you don’t have cable now, but choose to get it in the future (when things are more stable financially for you), so you can watch the Sox on NESN, you’ll be all set to enjoy their HD broadcasts with this TV.

If you are watching over the air TV, though, be aware that another necessary, one-time purchase may be a DTV antenna.  The old rabbit ears just don’t work well with the new digital signals.  I have the Audiovox TERK TV5 Low-Profile Indoor Amplified Television Antenna, have had it since before all of this talk about analog-to-digital transitioning, and it works great.  It may not work for everyone, so you should check out AntennaWeb to help determine which model is best for your needs.  And then, be sure to come back to Buy.com to get it at a rock-bottom price, complete with FREE shipping!

Don’t get ripped off!  Consider all of your options, and decide what is best for you, and what you feel you can comfortably afford!