BEST BUY STARTING TO STEP UP CONSUMER DTV EDUCATION

If you get the Sunday newspaper with all the advertising supplements, then check out the one for Best Buy next Sunday. The leading home electronics retailer is beginning to alert consumers about the end of analog TV broadcasts next February through advertising announcements in stores (what they call "point of sale" marekting), advertisments, and soon even receipts. They even are putting their Geek Squad into training to help consumers convert their old TV sets. Best Buy is also planning customer assistance through a toll-free DTV help line at 1-877-BBY-DTV9 (1-877-229-3889)

Best Buy has just released a private-labeled Insignia converter box that is only 8.5" wide by 6.5" deep and can easy fit on top of a tube analog TV set. It is available in stores for $59.99, and eligible for the federal DTV coupon program that allows consumers to get a $40 voucher toward the purchase of approved converter boxes that can send DTV signals to analog TV sets through either an open TV channel or composite (RCA) video, much like a DVD or VCR player hookup.

Also in March, Echostar, the parent company of Dish Network, will release their own converter box, the TR-40, under the EchoStar and Sling Media brand names. The boxes are to retail for $39.99, which means those consumers who use the $40 vouchers toward the purchase of these converter boxes will only pay a couple dollars in sales tax to make their existing analog-only sets DTV ready.

To get information on requesting up to two DTV converter box coupons, visit www.mydtv2009.gov. The catch is that the coupons you request need to be redeemed 90 days after they have been mailed, so as I always say about these things, let the buyer beware.