Having an older ATI TV card for one of my computers, as well as a couple standalone recorders, I thought I should put in for the much advertised converter box 'coupons'.

This was a while back, quite a while; but they finally showed up- two plastic credit card style eagle-hologrammed serial numbered and short-dated cards affixed to a list of 'local' merchants who carried the converters- (all bigboxers like Best Buy & Radio Shack).
Honestly, they look like you could check into Langley with'em; and they must have set the taxpayers back a pretty penny...

So off I went to Mallwarts and picked up a Magnavox TB100MW9, about $12 after the $40 rebate. (The card is scanned in when you buy- no doubt the security footage is marked & forwarded. just in case .

This is a Funai unit, which thankfully doesn't have a power brick- it just plugs in. It has an extensive setup manual, but only comes with a short RF cable, and yet another remote control.

What it doesn't say on the outside of the box is that it is a'Standard Definition' converter, so no improvements in picture quality.

It only has RCA style video and 2 audio outs, also RF in & RF out connectors.

I haven't been able to get any info at all about my Magnavox antenna amplifier's ability to amp digital signals. I have seen some new digital antennas around, but no real specs. More & more devices seem to blue screen instead of allowing a snowy picture, so those with rotators can expect problems. But hey- that distant ball game may still be out there... 8)

As far as my TV card, this Funai will work, but its too bad it didn't at least have S-video. Mebbe the sub-channels will be worth watching?