Do you know anything about deals on those TV adapter boxes
the government is issuing $40 coupons on? I can't figure out where to
buy one or what a good price might be. I know I can't be the only Money
Saving Mom reader who doesn't have cable! -Catherine
the government is issuing $40 coupons on? I can't figure out where to
buy one or what a good price might be. I know I can't be the only Money
Saving Mom reader who doesn't have cable! -Catherine
Since we have a digital TV, I've not even looked into what a good deal on a TV adapter box might be. Anyone out there know or want to share hints or suggestions for those who are looking to buy one right now before all television switches over to digital service?
Kellie says
Just so you all know… the government is out of coupons. Yes, that’s right. We won’t be getting a converter box for a long, loooong time… sigh…
Julie says
I got 2 converter boxes and I have cable. Why? My TVs are old ( 14 years and 20 years) and if money gets really tight the FIRST thing to go is the cable. I still would like to watch TV (esp the news!) so these converter boxes will come in very handy.
It might be worth it to have at least on converter box if you have a tv that would not work without cable in case you can’t afford the luxury of cable anymore. Just a thought.
My mom got 2 a while back at Rite Aid. They were on sale for $40 so with her coupon she only paid tax.
I got mine at Target just before Christmas for $4.00
Jen says
I bought mine last April at Radio Shack. I thought the personnel seemed to be more informed than other places & they told me if I was completely satisfied I could get a refund. We live in a rural area with a rooftop antenna & a small rabbit ear antenna. We’re thrilled with the better reception & more channels. I love the new PBS Create channel! I’m looking forward to Feb, hoping more stations will come on line then.
They also told us some rural customers were buying stronger rooftop antennas to be able to get more channels, they were so pleased with the reception.
Jen
Lea says
Consumer Reports has an article in their November 2008 issue regarding digital converter boxes. (Most libraries have Consumer Reports so you could read it there if you don’t subscribe.) I didn’t read it before purchasing our GE box at Target, but it would be useful to check out if you haven’t purchased yours yet as it gives some online sites where you can purchase some of the best ones.
I must say the digital connection has improved our reception 100%. No need for cable or satellite in our area if you are satisfied with local channels and PBS.
Rachel says
We bought ours a couple of months ago at Walmart. They cost $47, so only $7 each after the coupons.
You actually can return the digital converter box, but you must keep the $40 coupon if you think you might want to return it. The store can “re-charge” the coupon with the $40. If you don’t have the coupon anymore, then you cannot return the converter box.
We bought the Magnavox brand at Walmart. It has worked well.
Rachel
Lisa says
I got mine a couple months back at Target for 44.99 – the 40 coupon=$4.99!
Chelssya says
I heard a news story that the gov’t is considering pushing back the start date on digital tv because the program is bankrupt. I’ve heard no more details on this, however.
Tara says
First, to get the coupon you have to apply for it at http://www.dtv2009.gov. However, the program ran out of money in the beginning of the month so there is a waiting list of about 1.5 million people. Either the government is going to have to fund the program again, wait until issued coupons expire, or delay the digital conversion date. Once you are issued the $40 coupon you can use it to buy any conversion box out there and they range in price from $40 and up.
Susana says
I have had our government coupons filed away for a while, last week when I pulled them out inorder to purchase a converter I realized there was an expiration date on them and that the date had already past. Does anyone know if retailers will still accept them? Thanks for your help!
Annie says
I would check into the coupon thing from the government before you do anything, as I saw on the news last week that the fund for the coupons is depleted already. I also heard stories of President-Elect Obama saying that he wanted to push back the mandatory switch-over date because of this… I suppose the issue of a lot of Americans not having TV is a pressing one, right up there with the other current economic crises he is walking into. We can’t that, now can we?
Sherri says
oh and sams took the coupon even though i dont think they normally accept coupons.
Sherri says
got ours at sams for $44 minus the $40 coupon. We have never had cable and this was a great cheap way to give us a little extra entertainment. We love monday night tv 🙂
Shellie says
I heard on my local news that the government has run out of money to provide the $40 coupons. They have lobbied Congress to postpone the switch to digital TV until they can be sure everyone is able to get converter boxes. So, if you are having trouble getting a $40 coupon, keep trying and don’t fret because it very well could be postponed.
Here’s a link to a Washington Post article about the postponement request: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/07/AR2009010703916.html?wprss=rss_business
Delia says
Where do you get the information about the gov’t $40 coupons or is it a rebate?
Tawra says
PLEASE NOTE EVERYONE!!!!!
My husband is a producer who works for our local TV station so I have this straight from them.
Please understand that a box may not be all you need!!!!
You may also have to get an antenna for around $60 for the cheap one.
We got rid of the Direct TV so we now have a box but in Feb. we will also have to get a new antenna because the old one will not work with the converter box.
If you it comes Feb. 18 and you don’t have TV and you can’t figure out why your converter box isn’t working, it may be that you need to buy a new antenna also.
For more information you can go to your local TV station’s website and they have all the info. there.
Tawra
annie says
We got ours from Sam’s Club for $5, after coupon and the Sam’s Club instant coupon deal thing they had. I don’t know if it’s still going on. They only had one brand and I”m not sure if we’re happy with it. It currently says we only get three channels through the converter box, when we get about 15 through the antenna.
toia says
They will be on sale aat CVS the week of 1/25 for $40 so if you have the coupon all you would pay is tax. It comes with remote.
Bethany says
they aren’t giving out the coupons any more – just putting people on a wait list to re-issue coupons from expired ones. we haven’t gotten ours yet, but I know my inlaws were not at all happy with theirs – they got only half the channels as without it (the radio shack one). they are getting cable so we will likely get their box before the switch.
sarah says
I saw the magnavox ones at Sams club for $40.00. That would be free after coupon.
Melanie says
Just wanted everyone to know, the government is not offering any more of the converter box $40 coupons right now. The money for the coupons has run out. Keep your eyes out for news on this. Obama is asking congress to delay the start of the switch to digital TV because of the coupons running out and some other considerations. No decision has been made as of yet on whether they will delay the start of the switch to digital.
n says
There is a government shortage on coupons, (it’s been on national news), they pretty much ran out of money for the program so everyone is sitting on a wait list waiting to see if more money is approved. If you haven’t already gotten your coupon by now, plan on not getting one until after the date of switch…meaning you may just have to spend the whole $40-$50 if you’d like television service before then. And just from experience and reading other stories, a LOT of people are having trouble not getting channels in on their boxes. I can only get 2 channels now with the box when I used to have 6! If you can afford it, and are planning on spending money on a box anyways, (while I am NEVER one to advocate big purchases!) you may want to consider upgrading your tv.
Janet says
FYI, my husband told me the other day that the money has run out on the government coupons. If you haven’t gotten your coupon yet I don’t know when you will be able to get one.
Jennnifer says
I heard last week that the government has run out of money for the coupons. There is a waiting list of about 150,000 people. So if you don’t already have your coupon you may have to wait a while on your $40.
TheBargainBabe says
If you don’t already have your coupon printed, you are screwed. The gov’t “ran out of funds” and isn’t issuing anymore coupons right now.
Way to go gov. FORCE us all to switch to digital tv (what is that, a matter of homeland security??) and then magically run out of money a month before the switch.
Anyway. Yeah. Good luck everyone.
Brooke says
my parents have a magnavox they got at walmart for $10 after coupon, mr. right and i got an rca at target for $10 oop.
they do sell some off brands for $30 at target, but i was worried about reception.
Jessica says
We bought two at Target for 49.99 in December. When we opened them, one did not have the remote. I took it back and they would only exchange it for the same item. I then asked the customer service person to open the box right there in front of me so we could verify everything was in there. I believe Target has some on sale for $45 this week, so would be just $5 after your coupons.
Jackie says
I got mine last summer at Wal-mart. Wal-mart then was selling them for $49.99, so after the coupon I ended up paying $9.99 plus tax. The is the cheapest place I found in my area. Hope this helps:)
gina says
CVS is going to have one on sale the week of Jan 25 for $40, but only on Sunday and Monday. So it would be free! It does take a while to get your coupon, I ordered mine weeks ago and still havent gotten it.
Markelious says
If you already have a digital tv, why would you need a digital-to-analog converter box??
I purchased just about every antenna that Walmart had and had to return all of them. Non of antennas worked to my satisfaction.
Did a little reseach online then decided to build my own.
Instruction from Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw
The antenna I built works better than the store bought ones.
Good luck
Jodi says
I have heard that the government is out of coupons for the convertor boxes. I don’t know first hand if this is true since my husband knows that he’s going to buy himself a NEW tv and entertainment center for the switch. That’s his personal solution to DTV. Go figure right? Anyway, good luck!
Breanna says
CVS will have them on sale for 40$ on the 25th and 26th of January. The only catch is if you don’t already have a coupon you may be waiting for one. There is a waiting list currently. You can apply for a coupon at DTV2009.gov
lizajane says
We bought at Walmart at two different times. One time we got RCAs and the next time (for my brother-in-law) we got Magnavox. I like the RCA one better because you can use the remote that comes with it to do the volume on the TV and change channels and the buttons are big enough to see. For the Magnavox one, we have to use the tv remote for the volume but the digital remote to change the channels, so it takes 2 remotes to operate it. Yuck! Both were $49 less the $40 coupon.
Valerie says
Hopefully you’ve already requested your $40 card, as I understand they’re out of money and can’t send new cards until the ones out there have expired (you have to use the card with 90 days).
Be sure you actually NEED this before spending your time and money. If you can get cable TV without using a cable box you don’t need it. Most TVs made in the last 15 years are already digital, which is why, when you plug them in for the first time they go out and search for channels.
You will also need an antenna to use with this box. It needs to have a coaxial input.
Many local TV stations are doing “digital tests” this week during their newscasts (seem like a lot are doing them tomorrow — Thursday). They are going to turn off their analog broadcast for a few minutes so folks can see if they lose their picture or not.
Melissa says
We got ours at best buy. we got the best buy brand because it was the only one they had and our coupon was going to expire. Walmart never has them and Target didn’t either. we have been happy with it, but I wish it would let up turn on and off the TV and I wish the box would turn off instead of just go to standby. this uses a lot of energy which we end up paying for all night. We also have a toddler, but he knows we have to use both remotes for the TV so he doesn’t mess with them. I really wish the controller would work both the TV and the box though. so I would recommend doing your homework if you need to get one. if money is an issue ask the sales clerks at Walmart when they stock and call that morning to see if they have them. if they do go get it first thing that day. If it isn’t as much of an issue spending a few dollars more to get one that works both TV and the box would be totally worth it.
Noah Heutchy says
I was reading that Obama wants to postpone the switchover. So if you haven’t bought a box yet, you might want to wait and see if you really do end up needing one.
Jennifer says
They are on sale this week at Target for $45.00 ( Ft. Worth Tx)use you coupon and they are five bucks!!! Yeah!
Tricia says
On a side note, I saw on the news the other night the govt’s surplus of $$ for this program (no pun intended!) is about tapped out and if you are just requesting your coupon you could be waiting a very long time. Also, be sure to check your coupon as they do have an expiration date.
Dawn says
Sam’s Club has them for $44; WalMart was $49 for the cheapest, but we get an employee discount, then the $40 Q, so we paid about $5.
Also, EVERYONE remember to rescan periodically! All the time we get different channels and they said it’s supposed to get better after the switch-over!
Jess says
consumerelecgroup.com has one where they are free after coupon(s) plus free shipping if you buy both through them! The namebrand is Sansonic
Becky says
If you have a coupon – you can get a DTV converter box here: https://secure.freetvsignal.com/viewAll.php for free. Shipping is free as well.
Susanna says
I noticed in the Target insert in this week’s Sunday paper that they have a box for $45, which means after the gov. coupon, it’s only $5. That’s a pretty good deal. Not sure if that’s nationwide or not, though. I’m located in Nashville.
Amy - Cutting Coupons in KC says
The government funding has run out and there are no more coupons available.
Jessica says
We also got ours at Walmart with the coupon (I hope you have a coupon already because they’ve run out!) We had to call the stores a few times to make sure they were in because they kept running out, but that was several months ago.
RadioShack was much more expensive, Best Buy was a little more expensive, Walmart was the best deal for us, and we also paid around $10 after the coupon (I think it was 49.99 plus tax minus the coupon).
On the plus side, it boosted our reception a little and we now get a few more channels than we did before!
rachel S says
Ours came from Wal Mart using the gov. coupon and it was innexpensive and works fantastic- our local station actually airs 2 channels and we had no idea till now. We are impressed with the service.
Holly Williams says
Katy over at katyshops.wordpress.com wrote a blog about this today. She explains how to get a $40. coupon and
will show you a site to get free shipping;)
Michelle says
If you have a Target by you they sell them there. They have one as low as $49.99 so you only pay 9.99 yourself!
Melinda Hollis says
I feel like I should mention the fact that the government is no longer offering those coupons. Apparently, they ran out of funding. Freecycle has people asking for coupons all the time.
Hugs,
Melinda
Kim F. says
CVS is doing a $40 converter box (making it free after the coupon) January 25 and 26. You can view the ad here:
http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dd5832nq_1414cj7p53g5
I don’t know much about the brand. It’s “Craig.” No clue how it compares to others.
Jules says
We bought our at Best Buy and payed $20 out of pocket, hooked it up, and canceled the cable. It works great! They said you can return it, but you won’t receive your coupon back. We initially bought one on our own expense (Walmart one), tried it out to see if it would work for us, returned it to wait for our coupon. I think the Best Buy one works better, but the Walmart did a good job as well.
Kerrie Johnson says
If you haven’t ordered your coupons by now it may be too late! According to the news the Gov’t agency issuing the coupons has used all of the allocated money for the program. They will put you on a waiting list, when more money comes available either by expired unused coupons or by allocation of more money. My grandparents have theirs and it has really made a difference for them, they get more channels and better picture from their antenna.
Maggie says
This week Target has them on sale for $45 and you can use your $40 coupon and get it for $5! Hooray
Priscilla says
we purchased ours back in the summer…we had a bit of trouble trying to find them in stock. We purchased the last one at Walmart, sale $40. Then we had to purchase a 2nd one at Sears, we were on a bit of a deadline as we were shopping on the last day our coupon was good for. $50 at Sears…so, we paid a little after the $40 off (we had 2 coupons for our 2 old TVs). They both work well, have a remote…we get more stations & the picture is clear (impressive). Our TVs are hooked to an outdoor TV antenna. We live in the city. I suggest looking on-line at your local Walmart, Target, Sears or other stores…then calling before you go.
andrea says
My husband read recently that the government coupons have all run out, no more are being issued. Moreover, if you have one that has not been used yet or not expired, it does not carry any value either because the funds behind them are empty.
jessicasheets.com says
Yeah, we did the Wal-mart deal, too! Just under $10. We sent for two coupons and bought 2 for under $20. They are already pulling in channels that have gone digital and we don’t have cable–just an antenna!
Krista says
Just thought I would chime in to say there IS a difference between converter box brands and models. We spent $10 (after coupon) at Walmart for the only one they had… Apex brand I think. We then went to Best Buy and spent $20 out of pocket for a Magnavox brand converter box and we are much happier with that one because you can turn it on/off, change channels, etc on the actual box where as with the Apex you have to use the channel changer that comes with it or you are out of luck! That can make things difficult when you have a toddler who hides the remote! Also, the Magnavox remote allows you to adjust volume and turn the TV on and off whereas the Apex remote is much more basic. Just thought I would mention that even the converter boxes have features!!
April says
Target has one for $45. So of course with the coupon it’ll cost you only $5.
Tosha says
they are 49.99 at target too.
Sarah@Fiddledeedee! says
Thanks for posting this – I didn’t realize they carry them at Walmart, which probably is cheaper than Best Buy. We aren’t applying for the checks from the government, so I’m looking for the best deal too!
Coupon Mommie says
I was told you cannot take it back. You can exchange it if the product is defective but because of the government coupon you can’t return.
Also, the sales person stressed to make sure you purchase a name brand as they tested them out and there is big differences in reception & brand. Then again that may be bacause I live in the woods and I need the better model.
Topwaystosave says
I got my converter box at radio shack. They were selling them for $50. I had a $10 of any $40 or purchase. I used that as well as the $40 coupon from the govt and go it for free.
I purchased another one at Walmart and another later at Best buy. One was for my grandparents and the other for a friend. All three were differet brands. None of them seemed to work much better or worse than the others.
You do also need to pick up an antenna. I bought mine at walmart for $8. The antenna connects to the converter box and then the converter box plugs into the tv.
They work great too. They need a little adjusting here and there. I forgot how annoying using an antenna can be. Once you get the antenna just right though the picture is amazing. It’s crystal clear and looks the same and maybe even better than cable.
Good luck.
Jeff
Sara K says
Target allegedly has them on sale for $45 this week, so that’s only $5 with the coupon.
Francis says
Target ad has them listed this week for $45.
Melissa says
If you have a digital TV that was made after 2006-2008, depending on the manufacturer, you don’t need a box. (Likewise if you have cable/satellite). Most are priced so the box ends up costing $10-20.00 after the 40.00 coupon. The RCA box at Walmart has good reviews and the Zinwell box on Amazon is what I bought am very happy with it. (Yes you can use your government coupons on Amazon!). I also got a vhf/uhf antenna to help the reception being in the basement and my kids are absolutely fascinated with it. Everything old is new again.
Jenny says
We bought ours at Circuit City for $60. So after the coupon it was $20. My husband picked it out so I assumed it was the best we could get at a reasonable price. Hopefully he did his research!
Leah says
Money Saving Methods has a free deal. I ordered my converter box the other night. Hopefully it comes soon! http://moneysavingmethods.blogspot.com/
Steph says
I got ours a few months ago, when it was on sale for $40 at Rite Aid. I haven’t seen them on sale lately, but it seems normal price they range from $50 – $60 on the low end.
You can find them at Rite Aid, Target, Best Buy, Walmart…just about any big store seems to have them. The question will be if they are still in stock as the switchover date gets closer.
Jenny says
They have them for $49 at our Wal Mart!
MelissaG says
Hi,
I got our adaptor at Walmart for just over 40 dollars, so minus the 40 dollar coupon I paid under 10 dollars, which is a good deal. I do know that it is better to buy them at a store like Walmart or Meijers (if you are in the Midwest) vs. a store like BestBuy. I was told my a relative that works at BestBuy that they are the same adaptors, just a lot more expensive at BestBuy. We have had ours for over 8 months and it works great.
Joni Grimsbo says
The best place I found was at kmart after the coupon it would be 9.99.
Carrie says
Tiger Direct has one for $40.01 here, so it should cost you 1 cent (plus shipping) with the coupon:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=4266271&sku=A80-1050&srkey=tv%20converter
I wish I had realized that the coupons could be used online before they expired.