What Digital TV Converter Box To Buy?

[cal_tony]

I posted my problems with the RCA DTA800 this past May( see above). I subsequently returned the product to Walmart when the DTA800 B1s were avail. This unit, along with having Analog pass thru, seems to have none of problems associated with the earlier model. I also have a Digital Stream that I purchased from Radio Shack. It was $ 10 more than the RCA but it has more features. The only problem I've had with this unit after 2 months of use is that the ON-Off led(Green-Red) no longer remains green when on. But, it still seems to work just fine.

Tony

[ghostjmf]

Will there ever be a converter box with a timer, so that what you feed to your VCR can change channels?

[ghostjmf]

OK, people in another forum (avsforum) say that DTVpal is the only converter box with a timer.

So I guess its the one I buy.

Next Q:

To record the signal from the converter box, does your (old, analog) VCR have to set to record on "blank channel 3", (same as your TV needs to be on to play live TV signals through the VCR), to record the signal from the converter box? Or do you set it to the same channel the converter box is set to send?

[samijubal]

Use The RCA outs to the VCR and set the VCR to line.

[usually_quiet]

OK, people in another forum (avsforum) say that DTVpal is the only converter box with a timer.

So I guess its the one I buy.

There is supposed to be another one, the Zinwell ZAT 970-A, but you'll have to look for a source and a product review. I don't personally know anything about it

The DTVPal is available for purchase now at some Sears and K-Mart stores. I would recommend that you buy it there, if you decide to get one. Although you'd loose your coupon (if you use one), I beleive it could be returned if you don't like it, and you'd get back the money you paid, or it could be exchanged for a replacement DTVPal, if you bought a defective unit. All sales are final if you buy one from Dish Network.

[Victor Sniff]

Hey all, just surfed around and found this forum and thought it would be a good place to post my internet research for "What Converter to Buy".

For Me, the Zenith seemed to be the best overall converter of choice.

My post is to mention that although I have coupons for two units, I will have to pay the tax on the entire amount of the purchase if I buy two Zenith converters at Circuit City. The units sell for $60 each and my sales tax is 7% so I would pay $128.40 minus the $80 for the two coupons leaving me with $48.40 out-of-pocket. Not to mention the time and gas to get there and back!

I found them on line at www.ABT.com for $59.00 each and free shipping! With no sales tax this means only $38.00 out-of pocket. For those of us that are on a tight budget, $10 is a few gallons of gas.

Hope this helps somebody and thanks for the great forum!

[MJA]

I've recently purchased a Insignia converter box from Wal-Mart and it didn't work well, the audio sometimes goes off, you need to reset the box. Then I purchased a Sansonic converter box, $54.99. It works great! Great video picture quality & audio sound. I recommended to everyone. You can go to www.sansonic.net to find a retailer nearest you. I live in California, & got it from R1M3 in Whitter.

The Sansonic really is a great box; Consumer Reports even rated it a top DTV converter box. Sorry about the non direct link, but I couldn't find the original CS article.

I had a tough time deciding though and ended up going with the Philco as the Sansonic was out of stock at my store. It's good too.

for anyone interested in the Sansonic FT300A.

Meritline has the Sansonic FT300A TV Digital-to-Analog Converter Box for $40 or FREE with your $40 gov't coupon card and Coupon Code: digital40off. If you don't have yours already, sign up here: www.dtv2009.gov. Free Shipping. Tax in CA, MA.

http://www.meritline.com/sansonic-ft-300a-atsc-digital-tv-converter-box-with-hdtv-antenna.html

[edDV]

...and my sales tax is 7%

You are so lucky to have only 7% sales tax.

[2bro]

for anyone interested in the Sansonic FT300A.

Meritline has the Sansonic FT300A TV Digital-to-Analog Converter Box for $40 or FREE with your $40 gov't coupon card and Coupon Code: digital40off. If you don't have yours already, sign up here: www.dtv2009.gov. Free Shipping. Tax in CA, MA.

http://www.meritline.com/sansonic-ft-300a-atsc-digital-tv-converter-box-with-hdtv-antenna.html[/quote]








Had two coupons so I ordered two Sansonics but didn't find the "digital80off" code until after my order was submitted. Tried to submit the "digital40off" code twice but it wouldn't work.

Have to call them monday morning to straighten the billing out.

Ordering process could be clearer for purchasing more than one converter.

[kimco52]

"You are so lucky to have only 7% sales tax."

We have 0% Sales Tax.

[lordsmurf]

Do any of these also work with a QAM signal from analog cable?

[gadgetguy]

Do any of these also work with a QAM signal from analog cable?

I think one of mine does. I seem to recall at least seeing a setting for it, but I'll have to report back on which one, (I have four different make/models). I won't be able to test if it actually works, as I no longer have cable.

Edit: I just checked all four of mine, and none have it. The DigitalStream from RadioShack has a menu option for "Input", but the only option is antenna. That one is a replacement for another DigitalStream that went bad. I'm pretty sure the one that went bad showed a "Cable" option, but the current one doesn't. But of the four that I have, it's the only one with a menu option that could allow it, so DigitalStream might be a starting point to look for one. Having said that I should add that of the four different models, that one gives me the most headaches receiving less than strong channels.

[MJA]

Do any of these also work with a QAM signal from analog cable?

I think any box with QAM will not qualify for the FCC $40 coupon

[usually_quiet]

MJA is correct. No CECB can tune QAM. That is specifically prohibited under the coupon program. The best they can do is pass it through, usually when turned off.

The coupon ineligible Samsung DTBH260F HDTV Terrestrial Receiver, priced at around $160, can tune QAM.

[edDV]

MJA is correct. No CECB can tune QAM. That is specifically prohibited under the coupon program. The best they can do is pass it through, usually when turned off.

The coupon ineligible Samsung DTBH260F HDTV Terrestrial Receiver, priced at around $160, can tune QAM.

Isn't it about time the full ATSC/QAM HD/AC3 tuners dropped in price from $160 to around $99? I don't see why the prices haven't dropped in over a year. The parts sure have.

Maybe they are waiting for NTSC to go away so they can do digital only models.

[usually_quiet]

MJA is correct. No CECB can tune QAM. That is specifically prohibited under the coupon program. The best they can do is pass it through, usually when turned off.

The coupon ineligible Samsung DTBH260F HDTV Terrestrial Receiver, priced at around $160, can tune QAM.

Isn't it about time the full ATSC/QAM HD/AC3 tuners dropped in price from $160 to around $99? I don't see why the prices haven't dropped in over a year. The parts sure have.

Maybe they are waiting for NTSC to go away so they can do digital only models.

I agree that the prices on the coupon ineligible boxes, like the Samsung DTBH260F, should be lower than they are. Actually, I think the price has come down a bit from the previous Samsung model that included an NTSC tuner. (This one only tunes ATSC and QAM.) However, if the ability to tune QAM, component out, or HD output are needed, there are only a few options available.

[2bro]

for anyone interested in the Sansonic FT300A.

Meritline has the Sansonic FT300A TV Digital-to-Analog Converter Box for $40 or FREE with your $40 gov't coupon card and Coupon Code: digital40off. If you don't have yours already, sign up here: www.dtv2009.gov. Free Shipping. Tax in CA, MA.

http://www.meritline.com/sansonic-ft-300a-atsc-digital-tv-converter-box-with-hdtv-antenna.html

Had two coupons so I ordered two Sansonics but didn't find the "digital80off" code until after my order was submitted. Tried to submit the "digital40off" code twice but it wouldn't work.

Have to call them monday morning to straighten the billing out.

Ordering process could be clearer for purchasing more than one converter. [/quote]





Monday morning follow up: Customer service email saying they would correct the PRICE when coupons are verified. Good news.

[usually_quiet]

I was browsing at Newegg today and saw that K-World has come out with two converter boxes with an ATSC/QAM tuner that are capable of HD and SD output. (Of course with those features, they are coupon ineligible.)

According to the specs and customer reviews, there are some issues and limitations with both boxes. Even so, they might be useful for some folks with an HD-ready TV who don't like the price asked for an external tuner with all the bells and whistles, and find a CECB does not meet their needs.

Here are the links:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815260022
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815260021

[arcthered]

Personally, I like the zenith model (dtt900) the most. I tried out rca, phillips, and digital stream, but the zenith is by far the best. One drawback is that it doesn't have a sophisticated EPG.

[Frank-0-Video]

Greetings ...

While I had no coupon (have a digital tuning TV anyway), I did buy a Channel Master CM-7000 which has both composite and S-Video out. Recorded Super Bowl 43 with it, and I am quite pleased with how the unit performs.

I'll get a better idea of how the CM-7000 performs when the Analog-To-Digital Switch finally occurs, and then see if I can pick up more stations. By then I hope to have a better indoor antenna to work with, although I will say that the RCA ANT1050 flat antenna I use now (in place of a Radio Shack UHF bow-tie) did very well. The NBC station's signal ran at 100% with very little drop-off and only one major (but not fatal) interruption of signal which lasted just a few seconds.

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Video

[Frank-0-Video]

Greetings ...

Response to Usually_Quiet's last post here ....

Target also sells the Kworld SA-290LE-Q ATSC/QAM tuner

While the Kworld tuner lacks S-Video out, it does have component video out. Translating component video to S-Video is not simple. The least expensive means of doing such that I have encountered (but not used) was a $139 conversion box marketed by SVideo.Com

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Video (OOPS - Did Not Realize I was posting after my own last post)

[trhouse]

Component is better than S-video, it being the next best after HDMI. I would not convert to S-video unless the TV did not have component inputs. If it is intended for a dvd recorder however, few had component inputs. The Polaroid DRM-2001G was one of them.

[usually_quiet]

Greetings ...

Response to Usually_Quiet's last post here ....

Target also sells the Kworld SA-290LE-Q ATSC/QAM tuner

While the Kworld tuner lacks S-Video out, it does have component video out. Translating component video to S-Video is not simple. The least expensive means of doing such that I have encountered (but not used) was a $139 conversion box marketed by SVideo.Com

Thanx-A-Lot, Frank-0-Video (OOPS - Did Not Realize I was posting after my own last post)

I agree that the K-World boxes wouldn't be very useful as an external tuner for a DVD recorder or VCR, but that is not why I listed them here. The suggestion was made for the benefit of people with HD-ready sets, which would probably have component connections. CECBs can't provide HD resolution, but the K-World boxes can.

Some of the drawbacks with the K-World boxes are that they only provide conventional stereo (via a headphone jack + adaptor), and have no program guide (that I'm aware of). However, HD output is a rarity, especially at those prices.

[samijubal]

You can get HDTV tuners on ebay for half what that Kworld box costs. Some of them may have audio sync problems though. You have to remember that HDTVs process most incoming signals giving a slight delay in video that isn't in the audio causing sync problems. The cheap boxes can be the culprit too.

[edDV]

You can get HDTV tuners on ebay for half what that Kworld box costs. Some of them may have audio sync problems though. You have to remember that HDTVs process most incoming signals giving a slight delay in video that isn't in the audio causing sync problems. The cheap boxes can be the culprit too.

They are cheap for a reason.

ATSC boxes based on v4 or earlier chipsets perform poorly in city multipath (tall building reflections) or fringe distance but did OK in near suburbs. Many had firmware glitches that will never be fixed. Read user reviews.

Be warned.

[jakmak52]

Have a question regarding TV converter boxes. My choices being the Zinwell ZAT-970A vs RCA DTA-800B1. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jack

[usually_quiet]

Have a question regarding TV converter boxes. My choices being the Zinwell ZAT-970A vs RCA DTA-800B1. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jack

The Zinwell ZAT-970A is the better of the two choices. The RCA DTA-800B1 has fewer features.

[jakmak52]

Have a question regarding TV converter boxes. My choices being the Zinwell ZAT-970A vs RCA DTA-800B1. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jack

The Zinwell ZAT-970A is the better of the two choices. The RCA DTA-800B1 has fewer features.

Thanks, I ordered the RCA from Amazon for 40.00 (used and might be a mistake) and will give it try, if I don't like it I can exchange it for the Zinwell. Do you have a better option other than the 2 I mentioned?

[orsetto]

Look on eBay for a Zenith DTT-901. This and the Channel Master CM7000 were the most well-regarded converters. The only significant advantage of the CM7000 over the Zenith was the S-Video connection, otherwise it had some issues that made the Zenith a better choice for me personally. I've had three Zenith DTT-901s running 24/7 since 2008, no breakdowns, no glitches, each feeding an old DVD/HDD recorder. The Zenith has extensive controls that can be customized for each channel, including framing. Adjustable audio output as well. Reception is better than average for these boxes.

You have to be patient to find a Zenith 901 under $40 in good condition, but they pop up: more often on Craig's List than eBay. There was a clone of the Zenith marketed thru Best Buy as the Insignia NS-DXA1-APT, this is easier to find at good used prices as most "cultists" look for the Zenith nameplate. Both are really rebranded LG products.

Zinwells were popular as recorder accessories because they were among the very few CECB boxes with a built-in timer/guide that could be programmed in advance to change channels. But after hearing about the hoops one had to jump thru to keep the timer accurate, I opted for the simpler but rugged Zeniths instead. The Zinwells are OK boxes in their own right, as long as you don't expect total reliability from the timer feature.