I was notified that Verizon will be broadcasting digital prior to the deadline in 2009. I have one tv that does not have a stb as it is used in the basement and the local channels were good enough for the amount of time we use it. Upon contacting Verizon they stated they could supply a converter box for the cost of 3.99 a month. My question is, can I just purchase a converter box and connect it to my tv, the only other thing I know is that it will use QAM signal. Thank you in advance to anyone who can offer the answer.

you cannot purchase a verizon box. any boxes you see for sale on ebay are all stolen.

if all you need are the local channels, then you can use your $40 fcc voucher towards the price of the $60 ota digital converter http://www.dtv2009.org

I was notified that Verizon will be broadcasting digital prior to the deadline in 2009. I have one tv that does not have a stb as it is used in the basement and the local channels were good enough for the amount of time we use it. Upon contacting Verizon they stated they could supply a converter box for the cost of 3.99 a month. My question is, can I just purchase a converter box and connect it to my tv, the only other thing I know is that it will use QAM signal. Thank you in advance to anyone who can offer the answer.
If you are a current subscriber and have had that analog TV hooked up to the Verizon limited set of analog channels from 2 to 49, you should be able to get Verizon to provide the low end SD STB, the DCT700, for free. Call them and try again. Verizon has been providing up to 3 free DCT700s per house for people who have asked for them. The boxes are free so long as you are at that address.

As for the QAM signals, the coupon eligible converter boxes do not support QAM. They are for digital over the air broadcast only so if you have an antenna handy you could give that a try. If you want to get a QAM tuner box, Verizon does provide all the local stations - in SD and HD - and all their digital sub-channels, the Public/Educational/Government (PEG) channels, and the music channels in the clear, ie non encrypted QAM channels. The SD locals & PEGs are found in the QAM 63 to 68 range, the digital broadcast locals including the HD sub-channels are usually found starting at QAM channel 71. BTW, there are quite a few smaller digital TVs that have clear QAM tuners along with the ATSC tuners on the market for anyone considering getting a replacement small TV for the kitchen, basement, etc.