digital TV sucks

I used the government web site to obtain a card for a $40 credit towards getting an analog to digital converter box for my TV last August. So, no I am not a procrastinator. In all the information that is out, there is very little mention of the fact that the digital signals are very much weaker than the current analog signals. That means that the government subsidized box you bought, as is the case for me, is pretty much useless. That is, you order the coupon, go to a store (where there is blessed little information available except that you can only return the digital box if it is defective), pay your share, take it home, install it, and do a scan where you find NOTHING. Then the meaning of all or nothing sinks in…
So, it seems that extending the deadline for the conversion will be of little value to many of the people that it is intended to help. It will be just prolonging the realization that they are out of luck if they can’t afford cable or satellite subscriptions.
Are we going to be forced to listen to satellite radio one day? All be pushed into Broadband Internet? Buy music in digital format only? I really don't like the way technology is headed. I'm all for change, but not at the expense of forcing us to do something if we don't want to do it.