['97ventureowner]

Too much time and money have already been invested in the 2/17/09 switchover date to change it. The rest of the population who is ready should not have to wait for the stragglers to catch up. All of the stations in my area have done stories on the news complete with shutting off their analog signal for a brief time to let those that may not be sure if they need a box. I got my coupons last year at this time and went out and got my boxes right away.
My only issue, I guess if you want to call it one is the date planned for the switchover is in February, the dead of winter. For those that didn't deal with any antenna issues earlier, are now stuck having to work outside (in many cases) in this nasty weather that much if the country is experiencing. When I first heard of the date , I thought,"Couldn't they have planned it for a ,more warmer time , say , April?"
One issue I keep seeing in the advertisements that is in error is those with satellite subscriptions do not need to do anything. WRONG. It should say "...those that have a satellite tv subscription AND get their local tv stations through the satellite do not need to do anything." I have Directv and our area finally got local stations through the satellite only a few years ago. At that time you needed to install another dish and pay an additional monthly fee. At that time, I was using a rooftop antennae and got good reception of my locals so I opted not to go that route, as did many others. Now we will need a box come 2/17.
Another good site for assistance with the changeover is http://antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx . This site is good for maximizing your reception, especially for us living in rural areas away from the tv towers. It helps you to select the proper antenna to go with your DTV box, as the antenna is another important part of good digital reception.