The Digital Converter Coupon Program Sham

As the countdown to the digital switch looms closer and closer (February 17, 2009) I thought I'd do something nice and purchase a digital converter for my sister and her family for Christmas, but when I went to the FCC's official website to print one of those coupons I found not a coupon, but an application.



Seriously, there is an application to get your digital converter coupon. Apparently you have to be approved for a coupon.

According to legislation that was passed, every person or household that is using an analog television signal is entitled to up to two $40 coupons to help curb the cost of purchasing digital converter boxes. Best Buy's average digital converter box price is about $59.99. And the choices are slim.

Part of the deal was that the coupons would be tracked so they couldn't be used more than once or duplicated, because you know the senior citizens that will rely solely on this program are that tech savvy.

Ok, so I can't just print a paper coupon, I have to register. That's fine, I'm a child of the information age, and I have to register for everything. But that's not where the absurdity ends.

After you fill out your name, address, select if you want one or two coupons and digitally sign verifying my information is correct, do I get a digital converter box coupon emailed to me?

No.

There isn't even a field for an email address. I have to wait for a gift card like thing to arrive in the mail. Yes, the USPS kind of mail. Approximately 12.6 million homes in America have at least one television in their home that would require a digital converter. Assuming every one of those homes requests a coupon, the cost in stamps is in the millions. The cost to email? Not so much.

Once again I'd like to thank the government for making this so very complicated and expensive.

I've purchased concert tickets online and printed a paper ticket that was scanned and tracked. Why can't the government do that the same way?

Bottom Line: If you need a digital converter box, don't wait until February. Get it now, because if you wait for your signal to go black you'll be waiting, without TV, for about a week. Oh, and BTW, they expire 90 days after you apply.

So, needless to say I won't be getting my sister and her family that digital converter box, at least in time for Christmas. And something tells me unless this gets out, there are going to be a lot of people that scramble to get one of those boxes in February and they probably won't have a coupon.

If you want to skip the digital converter and just get a digital TV, head on over to the reviews of flat-panel TVs. Otherwise, check out these other blog posts (no application necessary):

Palm Opens New Application Store

Konami Confirms Metal Gear Solid for the iPhone

Pimp My Netbook. Video Card Upgrade in a Netbook?

Microsoft: Less than One Percent of Xbox 360 Users Affected by Scratched Discs

Internet Explorer Security Problem (no really, this one's pretty serious)