(10 April 2008 3:00 pm)

MUMBAI: To encourage baby boomers to help their elderly parents, relatives and neighbours get ready for the over-the-air to digital TV transition in February 2009, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) enlisted actress Florence Henderson (The Brady Bunch) to launch the Convert Your Mom public awareness campaign in the US.

CEA president and CEO Gary Shapiro says, "CEA’s member companies have filled retail stores with a wide assortment of affordable digital TV products, from low-cost digital televisions to converter boxes and antennas that are easy to hook up to existing analogue TV sets. We know that one of the best ways to reach seniors is through their families. With Convert Your Mom, we’re asking baby boomers to help make sure everyone is ready well in advance."

Beginning with a satellite media tour hosted by Henderson in early May, the Convert Your Mom campaign will feature a special downloadable guide and tips for getting ready for the digital TV transition, among other elements.

1. Buy a new TV with built-in digital tuner
2. Subscribe to a pay-TV service like cable or satellite TV
3. Purchase an affordable digital TV converter box to receive over-the-air digital TV signals and convert them for analogue viewing

Dozens of affordable converter boxes are now certified by the US government as eligible for $40 discount coupons that are being distributed by the US Department of Commerce, and digital TV sets are also now widely available for under $200.