How to Get Your HDTV Converter Coupon From the Government

With the coming government-mandated transition from analog to digital television, there's quite a buzz stirring. For those of us who refuse to buy a new television set to prepare for this change in 2009, the U.S. government has chosen to lend a helping hand by offering an HDTV converter coupon to all who apply for one. Follow these steps to claim yours today.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Go online to the government website (see Resources) and click on "Apply for a Coupon."

2. Enter your name and home address as requested in the "Your Name and Address" section. Be sure to check the box that says "The U.S. Postal Service does not deliver mail to my home address" if it applies to you.

3. Select the statement that best describes your household in the "TV Service" section.

4. Indicate the number of coupons you want in the "Coupons Requested" section. The maximum is two.

5. Check the box in the "Signature" section to confirm that the info in the previously completed sections is correct.

6. Type in the CAPTCHA phrases to verify you are a real person. If the current CAPTCHA is unreadable, then you can always click on the megaphone icon to hear it spoken or click on the icon that looks like revolving arrows to get a new CAPTCHA .

7. Click the "Submit" button and your HDTV converter coupon will be on its way.

Tips & Warnings

• To apply by phone simply call the 24-hour hotline at 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009).
• If you want to apply by mail, then see the Resources section below and click on "Apply by Mail" to download the application. You'll need Adobe Reader, so if you don't have it then click on "Download Adobe Reader" in the Resources section.
• You can fax your application to 1-877-DTV-4ME2 (1-877-388-4632).
• If you're deaf or hard of hearing, then you should call 1-877-530-2634 (English/TTY) or 1-866-495-1161 (Spanish/TTY). TTY Service is available from 9 AM - 9 PM Eastern Time Monday through Friday.
• The coupon expires within 90 days of the date it's mailed so be sure to use it within that time frame.

Resources

• US Government HDTV Coupon Website

[ProWriter]

on 1/8/2009 Paul, thanks for the informative article. I've been putting this off, but your article has encouraged me to get with the program.

Again, thank you for a concise article.

[Hooksey2]

on 10/22/2008 Yea I wanted to add you as well... stop being non social haha

[iamageniuster]

on 10/22/2008 Excellent tips. 5 stars! Thanks for the article.

[PaulF]

on 8/30/2008 No trouble at all parchuvegal. I could have sworn I included the appropriate link when I originally wrote this article. It could have been a glitch or an oversight on my part. Either way, it's there now. I hope this helps.

[parchuvegal]

on 8/30/2008 Would it have been too much trouble to simply insert the "government website" URL here; I still don't know what or where I should be looking for "Resources":

"Go online to the government website (see Resources) and click on "Apply for a Coupon."