EchoStar's $39 Digital TV Converter Delayed
The decision will force many early converter buyers to spend their own money.
By Swanni
That's according to an article by TWICE Magazine.
In January, EchoStar, the sister unit of DISH Network, said its TR-40 converter box would be available in "limited quantities in March and "unlimited quantities" in June.
The announcement was hailed by Digital TV advocates because, at $39, consumers could buy a converter box with a $40 coupon provided by the federal government without having to spend their own money. (Other companies that have announced converter boxes have said they will cost around $50-70.)
But EchoStar's decision to delay the launch until the summer means that consumers who applied for the federal $40 coupons in the first phase will likely not be able to use them to buy the $39 box.
By federal law, consumers must redeem the $40 coupons within 90 days and the federal government this month began mailing them out. Every American is eligible to receive two $40 coupons each from the federal government.
On February 17, 2009, all local broadcasters must switch their analog signals to digital which means viewers will need a Digital TV, a digital converter box or a pay TV subscription to watch television. The Digital TV converter boxes will permit analog TVs to display the new digital signals.
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Swanni (Phillip Swann) is
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