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Many still not ready for DTV

05:39 PM PST on Monday, November 17, 2008

By GLENN FARLEY / KING 5 News

Video: Many people still not ready for digital TV
Larger screen

SEATTLE – In three months, television stations all over the country will turn off their analog signals and broadcast only in digital.

Many people are still not ready.

If you get your TV over the air, there are two ways to get ready for digital television. You could buy a new digital TV or buy a box to convert your old TV, hopefully with one of those government issued $40 dollar off coupons.

According to the Nielsen company -- the one famous for its television ratings -- nearly nine million households are totally unprepared for the transition. That’s 7.7 percent.

The Seattle-Tacoma market is only slightly better than the national average.

Another 10.7 percent are considered only partly ready.

At the Bellevue Best Buy, employees get a lot of questions, including how to help older folks get ready for the switch.

"A good amount of customers come in who are trying to help out either their parents or a next door neighbor they're really good friends with,” said Justin Geer of Best Buy.

And what about those coupons? So far the government has issued 34.5 million, but less than half of those were used to buy a box. Many have expired.

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