Switching from analog broadcasting to digital television next year will be made easier for customers with a analog-to-digital converter box. The small, black boxes are on sale at Wal-Mart. [Click to enlarge]

By Feb. 17, 2009, federal law will require all full-power television stations to stop broadcasing in analog format and broadcast only in a digital format.

For those people with analog televisions, without digital receivers, it means the purchase of a analog-to-digital converter.

At Wal-Mart the converter boxes can be purchased for $49.87 and with a government provided $40 coupon customers pay only $9.87.

Dawn Hansen, electronics department manager at Wal-Mart, said customers have to get the coupon first and those applications are available in the store. People can also apply online at www.DTV2009.gov or by calling 1-888-DTV-2009.

Hansen said Wal-Mart has sold about 50 of the converter boxes since the store began carrying them around the beginning of January.

"We've started seeing the coupons coming in the last couple of weeks," Hansen said. "People aren't in a big hurry."

The small, black coverter boxes are plugged into analog TVs' antennae and then into the TV. With the converters, people can use their televisions without purchasing a new one.

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Many people have also questioned whether the coverter boxes are needed if they have cable or satellite service.

Local experts say "no."

"We will convert the signal for our customers," said Ryan De Kruyf, store manager at Premiere Communications which offers cable services.

De Kruyf said switching to digital broadcasting will also mean less outages because it will be a digital signal.

"It will save everybody money in the long run," De Kruyf said.

Tom Traughber, training supervisor a Digital Plus, which sells Dish Network and Direct TV, said mostly everyone that has cable or satellite will not have to purchase a converter box.

"If you have cable or satellite, it's not going to affect you at all," Traughber said.

The only reason such customers might need a converter box is if they receive their local television stations through their antennae.

"If they use an antennae for local channels, they should check with their provider." Traughber said. "Most customers with satellite won't have a problem."

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimates about 33.6 million or 12 percent of people in the United States will be have to purchase either a coverter box or a new television.

To help offset costs of the converter boxes, a government program run by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration is offering the $40 coupons, limited to two per household. The coupons are available now through March 31, 2009.

The FCC required as of March 1 this year that all new TVs must include digital tuners.

Hansen said all of the televisions sold at Wal-Mart are now either digital or high definition.

The decision to switch from analog to digital was made to offer better, picture and sound quality along with multiple programming choices, according to the FCC.

The conversion will also free up parts of broadcasting, which can then be used for other important services like public and safety services for police and fire and emergency rescue departments, and advanced wireless service.

In 1996, U.S. Congress authorized an additional broadcast channel to each TV station so they could start a digital broadcast channel while also continuing their analog channels.

Later, Congress said that Feb. 17, 2009 would be the last day for television stations to broacast in analog.

The FCC wants to make it clear that the digital transition is from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting only. It is not a transition to high definition broadcasting. With digital broadcasting customers do not need to buy HDTV.

A timer display at Wal-Mart Wednesday reminded customers they have 334 days left to purchase a converter box before the Feb. 17, 2009 deadline.

"Some are getting ready," Hansen said. "Some are waiting."