Jun 20, 2009 7:17 pm US/Central
Battery-Powered TV Converters Part Of Storm Safety
(WCCO)
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The digital sets are scarce because there were problems with earlier models. They are expensive, about $200.
CBS
There are more than 8 million people who own battery-powered television sets. But those handy analog sets won't work with the new digital conversion unless their owners make some changes.
"What are we going to do if the power goes out? The portable television that we have isn't going to work now is it?" said Harlan Blumenthal.
The Blumenthals are like many people who used to rely on a portable TV to get information during storms. But digital converter boxes plug into a wall, and they don't work during a power outage.
"We've been talking about maybe the museum or maybe eBay, but right now it is a radio. But if we could find a place to recycle it, I agree with you (Harlan's wife, Peggy) that would be the best thing," said Blumenthal.
But they don't have to trash their portable TV. They can either forget about being portable and hook it to a converter box, or they can use a battery-powered converter box.
"Basically it will be a portable converter box like this unit right here, but it will have a battery pack built into it allowing them to go ahead and hook it up to a portable TV and watch up to 12 hours of TV broadcast running off of D-cell batteries," said Jim Berger with Best Buy.
Or they can try and get their hands on a digital portable television. Best Buy didn't have any in the store Saturday, but there were a few online.
RadioShack on Nicollet Mall had one left in the store.
"We didn't even anticipate it to be this popular," said one RadioShack employee.
The digital sets are scarce because there were problems with earlier models.
"They didn't work well because they were splitting signal. They were trying to pick up VHF and UHF. Now that the conversion has gone through it only broadcasts in UHF, so all the resources can be directed at the newer digital TVs," said another RadioShack employee, Alan Whales.
The battery-powered digital sets are expensive, around $200. For information during a storm, the best bet is a weather radio. It's less expensive and more reliable.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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