Verizon FiOS digital analog conversion "digital adapter" "old TV sets" Ashburn Virginia

If you are considering ordering high-speed broad-band TV and Internet service from Verizon's fiber optics system (FiOS), there is something that you should know that Verizon forgets to tell you.

You've all heard by now that in Feb.2009, if you use antenna TV on a TV that does not have a digital tuner (most older TVs do not), you will no longer be able to use it unless you buy a digital to analog converter box. The government has a coupon program to help offset the one-time purchase price of those boxes, so each box may cost you perhaps $10 to $60, depending on brand and features). You may have also been told that if you get your TV signal from a cable company, rather than over the air from an antenna, you won't need to do anything.

On the other hand, if you receive your TV programs from Verizon FiOS, and have more than one TV set, you will need to RENT for EACH ADDITIONAL TV SET you either one of their set top decoder boxes (the same kind you need to get FiOS on your primary TV) or a Verizon digital to analog adapter. The converters you can BUY via the government's coupon program will NOT work with FiOS. The cost for renting Verizon adapters is $3.95 per month per additional TV set for as long as you own the older TV.

I signed a one-year contract for the Verizon Triple Freedom Essentials promotion package which gave me a set top box with DVR free the first year. But neither the sales personnel nor the installer who hooked up my computer and primary TV mentioned about needing adapters for my other two TVs.

Anonymous
Ashburn, Virginia
U.S.A.