It was the crisis of the year for those stuck in the 90’s. 2009 was the year that all major cable providers announced the demise of analog. On June 12, analog broadcasts were stopped, completely and permanently, and those with analog televisions faced the expense of switching to digital. In a way this is good news. Digital programming is clearer with more programming options. However, as you can imagine, brand new digital televisions are not cheap.

Enter the TV Converter Box Coupon Program and www.dtv2009.gov, the website that offers it. Now households wanting to keep their analog television have access to a converter box that will switch them to digital. The coupon program allows each household to obtain up to two vouchers, value of $80 total, to use towards the purchase of a digital converter box.

At www.dtv2009.gov, you can get all your questions answered on what to do if you only have analog. There is also a link to apply for the coupon if you so desire. The application is simple. Just enter your name and address, how many TVs in your house need digital, and how many coupons you want.

There is a small troubleshooting section you can refer to if you have questions regarding your application to receive coupons. On this page there is also a way to contact the government agency that can help you in this process. There is also an area on the site where you can see all the press releases that have been distributed on this topic and you can download a PDF which describes, in detail, the coupon program.

In these economic times, you may not be able to immediately buy a digital television. It’s good that converter boxes are an option and that you can get some financial assistance to boot.