DTV Converters

As everyone should know by now, all analog TV broadcasts are suppose to end in mid-February. Don't forget that this means not only will your living room TV set stop receiving, but so will your VCR, the little set in the garage, the portable in your travel trailer, the handheld you take to the ball game, the old TV tuner card/dongle in your desktop PC...all will be nothing but paperweights (1)!

Have you purchased a converter box yet? Did you even apply for the federal coupon program? If you haven't applied for your coupon(s) yet, get your butt over to www.dtv2009.gov and apply. There may be a delay as I've heard they ran out of money, but the Demicans and Republicrats youse guys voted in will be forking over more bucks soon. Anyway, I just got mine. I think the way it works is if you fill out the online form and answer that you have one or more TV sets hooked up to cable or satellite, you only get one $40 coupon, and two if you say you have only over-the-air TV service. I just received my two coupons and am looking for a couple of converters on which to spend them, hence this thread.

Has anyone purchased a converter box? If so, what brand/model did you purchase and how do you like it? Did you manage to find one equal to the value of the $40 federal coupon? So far, I have not found a $40 box. The cheapest I've found are in the $50-70 range. They're the basic models with an antenna in jack, a TV out jack, and a set of composite/audio jacks. They perform the minimal DTV conversion, but have no analog RF signal passthrough (2), no 'next program' schedule feature, no TV controls from the provided remote control, and one requires you to toggle a switch on the unit to go from 4x3 to 16x9.

So, hopefully some of you have found a $40 unit and can give me the low down. Also, if you weren't able to find an 'approved' $40 unit either, tell me what you did get. Did you go high-end? Do you regret it and wish you'd just got the cheapo? What cool 'gotta have' features are included in your fancy-schmancy box? Meanwhile, I'll be going through the 'approved' list at www.ntiadtv.gov/cecb_list.cfm. I've heard a scary rumor that some manufactures have stopped shipping converters for fear they've misjudged demand and don't want to be left with a lot of merchandise on the shelves. The list at the website mentioned above seems to confirm that. About half the approved converters are listed as 'not currently available' by the manufacturers.

Ok then, while I'm searching for best deals from the governments approved list, all youse guys with boxes can post your reviews here and include a picture or two, mmmk (3)?

Almost forgot, non-USA folks, are youse guys doing or have you already done a digital switchover like we are doing?


(1) Unless you're getting your signal from cable or satellite.
(2) Good if you want to hook up that old VCR/DVD or you're in a remote area that has received a digital switchover extension from the FCC.
(3) Those without TV, don't bother posting about how superior you are over us TV watchers, but feel free to go start a thread on your taste comparison of deciduous tree leaves.

Bought two of them for the farm last year, about $50 each, do not know what kind they are. The net cost was $10 each after the coupon.

Reception for some channels improved greatly while other channels did not come in at all.

When the change comes we will be ready, but with the delay partly approved in Congress, it seems like we are getting ready for Y2K again which we did not get ready for.

I realize this is of no use to you, other than the fact that we used the coupons and purchased the units.

Tell me the brand/model. You say some channels didn't come in that you were previously able to receive? That would be useful info for that brand/model. Or maybe what you're saying is that some of your local stations haven't started a digital broadcast yet and your box doesn't pass through the older analog signal?

Who knows what will happen when the channels are switched over to digital. The reception is poor on the farm with just a pair of badly disfigured rabbit ears for reception. I think that they will do very good once everything is switched over. The problem that I have with them, it is just another box with a remote to mess around with along with the TV, DVD and VCR remotes.

As far as the brand and model, they are at the farm, no trips planned there until we get back from Florida in the spring. Cheapies from K-Mart purchased on the quick during vegetable selling season before the coupons expired.

I got my two coupons but have not bought the converters yet. Still not sure on which one I should get. We did retire one TV set in the Living Room and bought a new one that is all set to go. We have about 6 more channels than we had before. Very happy. But I have two more TV's that will need the boxes.

murph

No worries. The Govt pushed the switch back to June, now.

Av8r3400 said:

No worries. The Govt pushed the switch back to June, now.

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Monday's Senate vote is a big victory for the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress, who have been pushing for a delay amid growing concerns that too many Americans won't be ready for the currently scheduled Feb. 17 changeover.

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I don't understand whey this is such a big Victory. If they are not ready by Feb 17th they won't be ready in another 4 months. I mean for the last 6 months on TV that is about all you have seen is the big switch over. The advertising for it has gotten to the point I just want to reach into the TV and grab the announcer by the neck.

Just remember that the coupons are only good for three months. So make sure you use them. Guess how I know this?

How the heck did you get one? Dammit, at a time like this...more aid to ferriners.

Bobcat said:

How the heck did you get one? Dammit, at a time like this...more aid to ferriners.

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Us ferriners are good at infiltration. Youse yanks ain't so good at gettin us out.

We sent for the coupons, but after several times of trying to purchase a box only to find the stores were out of stock, we came to the conclusion that there is nothing good in television anyhow. Well, our 15 month old repeating something from a prime-time show we were watching helped us come to that conclusion.

After February 17, we'll listen to the radio, surf the internet, read some books, and the girls will watch DVD's of our choosing. We might even talk to one another too.
We are going to try it for a month and see how it works. Maybe it will only last a couple of days before one of us caves and buys a box... We will see.

AndyM said:

We might even talk to one another too.
We are going to try it for a month and see how it works.

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Andy,

When my oldest was about 12 we disconnected from our local Cable for the summer. We saw the kids doing to much TV. That summer our oldest read about 15 large books. My middle child read about 30 smaller books and my youngest read around 70 books. It was the best thing we did. Reps for you man.