Don't let them fool you -- seniors can easily install digital TV converter boxes

On Friday, television stations across the country are ending their analog signals and switching to digital signals. The problem for many seniors who get their TV "over the air" is that they will need a converter box installed on their televisions to get their favorite programs.

If you get your TV reception from cable or satellite,you'll be fine, and if you have a newer television that has digital, no problem. The rest will need a converter box. The Federal Communications Commission says there are about one million homes that aren't ready, and most of them are those of older Americans.

Let me pierce a myth about this right now. It's VERY EASY to set up your converter box. Anyone can do it in minutes, unless you have physical challenges. But if the idea of dealing with technology scares you, get a family member, friend or neighbor to do it for you. It's really very simple, and cheap.

I got a coupon worth $40 to purchase my converter box for my spare bedroom. That's the only TV in the house that's not on cable. I went to Target and bought a converter box that cost $45, so my out-of-pocket expense was $5. And you don't have to wait for a mail-in rebate. The savings are immediate.

The FCC and TV stations have made such a big deal out of the difficulty of the conversion, they've convinced a lot of seniors that you have to be an engineer to install the converter box. Don't believe them. . . You can do it.