Originally posted by: vortix
I read in another article that the gov't will only be release 34,000 coupons, and say they're hoping that most people will just choose to get new HDTVs by then. Obviously there are many, many more than 34,000 people in the country that may want these. Heck, there's probably more than 34,000 people on these forums alone!
This program is in response to a LAW mandating the government subsize converter boxes for ANYONE who needs it. I suspect an article saying only 34,000 coupons was actually a comic strip...or talk radio-like editorials looking to upset people.
"Under the rules, all U.S. households will be able to apply for up to two $40 coupons to defray the cost of a basic digital-to-analog converter box during the program's initial phase, in which up to
22.5 million coupons are expected to be available... If that initial $890 million worth of coupons run out, NTIA has the power to ask Congress to hand over an additional $450 million, creating up to
11,250,000 more vouchers. Those coupons would be reserved, however, for households that self-certify that they rely solely on over-the-air broadcasts, as opposed to cable or satellite."
The main issues I would think would be people with more than 2 TVs, depending on how involved the "self-certifying" is; and, the fact that the converters may cost more than $40 once their use becomes mandatory for analog sets. But with current prices of $80, you would expect an electronic like this will be down to $50 or less in 2 years.
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