[estrogen]

I don't consider watching tv a government bailout issue. If the coupons have been used, why can't the customer pay his $70 without the government kicking in $40?

Jeez, Uncle Sam has to pay for all of us (not to mention it is us the taxpayers that are funding the coupons)

[NewCenturions]

Why don’t the NETWORKS pay for the boxes, if they want people to watch their cr*ppy shows?! (since cable subscribers are already covered)

[Brookhaven]

“I don’t consider watching tv a government bailout issue. If the coupons have been used, why can’t the customer pay his $70 without the government kicking in $40?”

I don’t see any logical reason why these things cost $20, much less $40, $50, or even $70.

At its core, it is nothing more than a simple electronic board with a standard chip that can be mass produced for virtually nothing. Heck, once you start mass producing them the power supply would probably cost more than the actual box.