It’s not too early to test your converter box.

You don’t have to wait until February 17 to start receiving digital signals through your television set. All major stations in the St. Louis area are currently broadcasting in digital, meaning you can make the transition to digital before the analog shut-off.

Here are several reasons to make the switch before February 17:

1. You’ll know ahead of time if the converter box doesn’t work. By hooking it up now, you have time to return it if there are problems. Converter boxes could be hard to come by around February, so it’s important to get everything you need ahead of time.

2. You’ll be able to make adjustments to your antenna before the weather gets too bad. If you have a roof top antenna, you’ll want to get everything in place before it snows or ices.

3. You can make sure your existing VCR/DVD player works with your new digital converter box.

4. Instead of watching one Channel 9 station, you can watch all FOUR of our digital channels before February.

Still need a coupon for your DTV converter box? Request yours at www.dtv2009.gov.

Do you know when your DTV coupons expire?

If your DTV coupons have come in the mail and you’ve put them in a drawer for now, you might want to pull them out and make sure they haven’t expired.

DTV converter box coupons expire after 90 days.

 If your coupons expire, the government will not issue you another set.

If your coupons have expired, you do have some options:

1. If you only requested one DTV coupon, you are entitled to an additional coupon. Each household can get up to two. Log onto www.dtv2009.gov and request your second coupon.

2. If both coupons expired, you can ask a family member, friend, colleague, etc. that does not need coupons to request them for you. It is illegal to sell DTV coupons, but people are allowed to give their coupons away to others.

Be sure to check your expiration date and get your converter box as soon as possible. The sooner you install the box, the sooner you’ll know if there’s anything more you need to do to receive DTV.

How do I install my new converter box?

For all you visual learners out there, Zenith has released a short video that demonstrates how to connect their model of converter box to a TV.

You can watch it on Zenith’s site . The instructions apply to most models of converter boxes, but if you want to know how to install your specific brand, try searching for “converter box setup” on YouTube.

dtv troubleshooting 101

Have you already installed your converter box but are still having trouble with your reception? PBS offers basic dtv troubleshooting tips including what to do with your old vcr and how to position your indoor or outdoor antennae. Make sure to install your converter box before the transition to digital in February 2009 so you can fix any problems early.

Questions? Call our DTV Transition Help Line at 314-512-9617 or visit http://www.pbs.org/dtv.

Channel 9 offers free DTV info session Nov. 13

Thursday Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m., Channel 9 will host a FREE DTV information session at its 3655 Olive St location.

Learn the basics of DTV as well as more in-depth information about your antenna, converter box installation and what to expect on February 17, 2009.

Space is limited. Please call Angela Smith at (314) 512-9196 or e-mail asmith@ketc.org to reserve a spot.

This session is free and open to the public.