The NTIA is planning to start a public awareness campaign in mid-February, one year before the broadcasters switch off their signals and around the time some of the converter boxes will be available. The NTIA won't mail out the coupons until the boxes are in stores, Forbes said. To keep the cost down, the government is certifying only boxes with limited capabilities, not with other functions such as digital video recorders or DVD players. The agency has certified 11 brands of converter boxes from eight manufacturers, including Zenith and Magnavox, as eligible for the program. He urged people to check their local stores and see what boxes are available before applying.

'We want to make sure that folks have the time to go in and redeem the coupon during that time period,' Forbes said. The coupons will expire 90 days after they are issued to assure they don't go unused. But officials are urging people to wait before applying. The federal law that mandates the digital conversion required NTIA to start offering coupons Jan. Many of those sets can receive only analog signals, although sales of high-definition TVs, which include digital tuners, have soared in the past two years. While there is enough money for 33.5 million coupons, the National Association of Broadcasters has estimated there are as many as 70 million TVs hooked up to antennas, including extra sets in homes with cable or satellite.

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