February 2009 DTV Transition

We’re now about 6 months away from the federal deadline to shut down analog over-the-air broadcast TV. What’s this mean to you? To find out, make a list of all the TV’s you have in your home, and whether they are connected to cable, satellite or antenna. You don’t need to worry about the ones connected to cable or satellite right away, those will continue working normally past the deadline (how long after is still not known). For the sets connected to an antenna, unless they are a new HDTV with a digital tuner, they will not work after February 17th, 2009. Your options are:

(1) Replace these with a new, digital TV (all TV’s currently made have digital tuners, and if a store has an old set without one, it’s required to have a warning label on it).

(2) Get a digital converter box, which will convert the digital broadcast into the analog signal your older TV can display. Sherman’s currently sells these for $49.99, and you can get up to 2 $40 coupons toward them at http://www.dtv2009.gov. The manufacturers of these boxes underestimated demand, and have been behind on shipments. Sherman’s presently has several hundred on backorder. As soon as you get your coupons, you can bring them in and place your order, and we’ll call you as soon as they become available. Now’s the time, since you don’t actually need the boxes until February 17th.

It is important to note that in most cases, the converter box will neither improve nor degrade your picture quality. Even if it receives an HDTV signal, it down-converts it to analog so it can display on your old set. For a secondary, smaller set with plenty of life left, this is the most practical and economic solution. On the other hand, if you want to take advantage of the razor-sharp quality of HDTV broadcasts, you’ll need to replace your set with a new HDTV.

If you have questions about how this will affect you, call or visit with one of our HDTV experts in Peoria, Normal or Peru.