With the advent of digital television in America, which goes into effect Feb. 17, 2009, Sears, as the approved retailer with NTIA Certification, will be selling the DTVPal digital-to-analog converter box by DISH Network. The DTVPal will be sold in 511 of its full-line stores through the nation and also at 194 Sears Dealer stores.

 

Structured to meet the stipulated requirements of the TV Converter Box Coupon Program, the DTVPal converter boxes will be sold at the retail price of $59.99. Suitable for all consumers, the DTVPal has analog pass-through. As one of the few boxes suited for this purpose, the DTVPal conforms to technicalities as many of the stations have low-power and do not need to convert to digital broadcasts till 2009.

 

With a range of amenities, the DTVPal has signal strength screen pop-ups that can troubleshoot lost signals with an easy-to-follow setup wizard and a best in class electronic program guide with up to seven days of program listings. It also has program search, parental controls, closed caption support and auto tune timers for program recording on a connected VCR. The DTVPal has a remote control that gives consumers access to control the TV's volume using a single remote.

 

“The DTVPal by DISH Network is one of the highest-rated digital-to-analog converter boxes on the market, and we are thrilled to be able to offer it at Sears – a trusted and quality-driven national retailer,” said Tom Stingley, executive vice president of sales and distribution for DISH Network. A leading consumer electronic review Website has given the DTVPal the accolade of being the “top choice,” with its benefits of service, network and customer care through the nation, with installation experts, technicians who are skilled in digital transition and multilingual agents with sound technical knowledge.            

 

“Now the DTVPal is even more accessible to consumers across the country – and at $19.99 with a government coupon, the value of our feature-rich box beats other converter boxes hands down,” says Tom Stingley. DISH Network Corporation has given customer satisfaction to more than 13.8 million satellite TV customers for the past seven years. Customers who used DISH have had access to innumerable video and audio channels, a premier line of award-winning Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), popular International channels in the U.S., the latest Interactive TV applications, and the best sports and movies in HD and Latino programming. Offering a variety of package and price options, DISH also has the lowest all-digital price in America, the DishDVR Advantage Package, high-speed Internet service and a free upgrade to the industry’s best HD DVR.

 

Approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Sears has been chosen to take part in the TV Converter Box Coupon Program with America’s plan to upgrade to digital television on Feb. 17. Since April 2008, Sears has been selling converter boxes in all of its stores.

 

As one of the topmost retailers in merchandise and related services, Sears, Roebuck and Co., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation. Retailing a spectrum of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,400 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, the company has 926 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S.

 

A converter box would be required by analog televisions which at present depend on over-the-air broadcasts, to receive a digital signal after Feb. 17. Televisions which are now connected to cable, satellite or other subscription TV services do not need a converter box. In order to confirm functionality, customers are required to get the professional advice of service providers. Nielsen Media Research, in a recent report, says almost 25 million homes have at least one television set that will stop over-the-air broadcasts after Feb. 17. Ten million of those homes, or 9.4 percent of U.S. households have been regarded as "completely unready" and ill-equipped for the change to digital television.       

         

The facility of applying for two government coupons has been extended to households who want to continue using analog TV sets after Feb. 17. To access more information about the TV Converter Box Coupon Program, the digital TV conversion or to download an application, please visit http://www.dtv2009.gov.