Digital Home Thoughts: Time to Subsidize Digital TV Boxes?

"Lawmakers seemed split along party lines Thursday over whether the government should buy converter boxes for millions of Americans who still use antenna-based TVs, once the nation's shift to digital TV is finished. A bill drafted by House Republicans sets Dec. 31, 2008, as the date by which broadcasters must return their analog airwaves to the government and broadcast in digital only. That deadline - two years later than Republicans originally advocated - drew bipartisan support at a House hearing Thursday."

While subsidizing the digital TV boxes sounds like a good idea, I think the problem will still be lack of information. Who will buy the digital TV boxes if they don't know that they will need them? The US government should put their money in informing the general TV watching public that it is time to get those digital TV boxes. After that campaign, it might be time to investigate ways to get the market prices down on the converter boxes.