Two main points made by "bigtwistee" in his comment are just wrong. I don't suggest that he owns a cable company. I do think that he's mistakenly repeating misinformation put out by cable companies and others. I do have an RCA digital converter box (CECB) and I can assure you that the option of viewing widescreen or full-screen is present - as required by the final rule for all CECB's: "The units must support a 4:3 center crop of a 16:9 transmitted image, and a letterbox rendition of a 16:9 transmitted image." So, you will not have to view a "smaller" picture. Also, I am a collector of antique TV's - which of course have no HD capability. I can asure you that the quality of an SD or standard definition digital picture from the CECB boxes is outstanding - even on a 60-year-old TV. It will be as good or better than any picture ever dispayed on your old TV. In short you do not have to purchase an HD TV and you do not have to spend $50 per month for cable to enjoy more channels and a better picture than you have ever had before. The only potential weak link, as it always has been, is your antenna. You must have an antenna. It must be sized for the distance you are from the TV transmitter site. See antennaweb.com for help with that. I hope my comments have cleared the air. For anyone who wants detailed information, go to the government's website for this program: dtv2009.gov

Of course they are going to say that, it's always about making money. Especially with that "guv-ment" rebate handout that we are all getting this year. It's all up for grabs. Crooks!!

That's why you should never buy from a place named Conn's. You're just asking for it.

That does not surprise me about Conn's at all. I can almost gaurantee you that the employee was not so new. It is also funny that the two retailers who gave false information are also the only two in the article in which thier employees receive commission on thier sales.

There is also another layer of consumer confusion that the industry should clarify, that being the differences between DTV and HDTV. All hi-def broadcasts are digital, but not all digital broadcasts are hi-def. For example, locally created content, like woai news, is not broadcast in high definition, though it is available in a digital format on TWC channel 104, or off-the-air through an antenna plugged into a T.V. with a digital tuner. These broadcasts are formatted in the conventional square 4x3 aspect ratio, not in the wide 16x9 format like true hdtv. Most consumers who purchase wide-screen hi-def sets are surprised and disappointed when they see that these local broadcasts do not fill their entire screen, even though technically they are digital broadcasts. Another fact that is not being adequately explained is related to how a down-converted hi-def signal will look on an old-school analog set that is using a converter box. A 16x9 aspect broadcast will not fill the screen of a 4x3 analog set. There will be empty borders on the top and bottom of these screens when viewing content that was formatted for hi-def. This means a smaller 'letterbox' image. A square TV showing these broadcasts will have an image that is significantly smaller. Though the converter boxes will allow analog sets to receive these digital signals, a significant percentage of these broadcasts will produce an overall smaller image on a square 4x3 set. Bottom line is that the converter box is a stop-gap measure for people who cannot afford cable t.v. or a new set. Down-converted hi-def signals displayed on a square analog set will be smaller and lower quality than analog signals on an analog set.