Followup: Innovation Loves the Early Adopter

Best Buy announced today that it has exited the analog TV business. Of course, this makes it easier for them to promote that all televisions purchased in their store will work in the all-digital future, but buried in the press release was a statement about the availabilty of converter boxes.

Those choosing to be in the late majority and laggard parts of the digital television market will be able to get up to two coupons per household that will allow them to purchase analog-to-digital conversion boxes for the outrageous sum of $40/each.

Of course I am kidding...

$40 is a lot cheaper than buying a new television, and may serve to keep some analog tube televisions out of the landfill.

It might not be a bad business to snap up outdated big screen analog televisions (27" and up) at bargain prices on craigslist and then package them up with a converter box and re-sell them back on craigslist as a digital big screen television. Do you think there is a market out there?

Will you choose to go for a new television in February 2009 or opt for the $40 converter box?