Q: Some time ago I heard that there were some nursing homes and/or elder care facilities and perhaps some social service agencies (group homes, shelters, etc) that may not get enough digital TV converter boxes to distribute to their residents, since distribution of the $40 federal coupons was limited to two per address and many people may be residing at that single address.

Have you heard if anyone is taking up donations of the converter box coupons that others don't need? We have some we'd like to donate.

JENNIFER LAVINE
Woodbury, Minn.

A: It's really nice of you to think of others and offer to donate your coupons, especially since so many households use satellite or cable and have no need of them.

By pooling resources and donating unwanted coupons, everyone can work together so those who really need their TVs aren't presented with a blank screen come February 2009.

Some public television stations have coupon donation programs, so you may want to start there. You can find your local station at www.pbs.org.

If you have a specific group of people in mind such as nursing home residents, a shelter, etc., I would recommend contacting the organization directly to see if it needs coupons, and if so mail the coupons to them. Some of these organizations are somewhat cash-strapped so if you don't mind making a small donation, if they indicate a need you may want to buy the box with the coupon and give it to them yourself.

At least one public broadcast station has such a program, where donated coupons are used (in conjunction with cash) to buy the boxes, which are then taken and installed in the homes of the elderly, disabled and homebound.

Readers, please note that it is illegal to sell the coupons, but there are no prohibitions on giving them to a friend, family member or someone who needs them.

Coupons also expire 90 days after issue, so if you have some that you have been sitting on, it is best to donate them ASAP.

Q: I have had a TiVo for a long time, and I love it, but there are a couple of other TVs on which I wouldn't mind having a DVR that is akin to a VCR: no program guide and therefore no monthly fee.

What I would like is something simple, just something to have in case you want to record a show the old fashioned way. The last time I looked for something like that, I couldn't find one.

TOM BRAKKE
Excelsior, Minn.

A: Any DVD recorder with a hard drive will do this for you. They allow you to choose between recording to the hard drive or a blank DVD.

Just set it to record to the hard drive, program the timer and you are good to go.

You can even burn the recorder program to a DVD later if you want to keep it forever.

A good choice for you would be the Philips DVDR3575H, a dual recorder that includes a digital TV tuner. It currently sells for around $220.