DTV Converter Boxes Finally in Stores: We test one

Last Update: 3/04/2008 5:48 pm

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Free Converter Box Voucher

Reported by: John Matarese

The converter boxes are here! After months of hype, confusion, and anticipation, stores are finally selling DTV converter boxes...to keep our old televisions working for years to come. You should now find them in many Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Radio Shack stores...with other retailers on the way. But converting may not be as easy as we first thought.

Why Converter Boxes?

Less than one year from now -- February 17th, 2009 -- all you'll get is static and hiss on an older analog television. You will need a converter to continue using your old sets that are not on Cable.

The FCC is requiring stations to switch to digital broadcasts....it's not the stations who decided to do this.

But to ease the transition, the government is now mailing out $40 vouchers to help us buy digital to analog converter boxes. Together with a "rabbit ears" antenna, you'll be able to watch new channels on your older set.

Setting up a Converter Box

So I purchased a $60 dollar converter box at Radio Shack, which to my surprise it contained the box plus a remote control. That's right...Your old tv remote will be worthless, because the converter will now change channels.

Also to my surprise, the instructions were anything but simple. But once you looked past the V-chip and other non essential instructions...It's fairly straightforward.

What you will need to do

1. Set up a rabbit ears antenna.

2. Plug the antenna into the converter box.

3. Plug the converter box into the TV.

4. Set everything on Channel 3 -- just like with a VCR -- and then hit "Autoprogram" on the remote control....which will search for digital channels.

5. Once the search is done, you should receive your local stations....but they will all be on a "point-1" channel. That is the digital version of the station.

I immediately saw a downside of digital TV: If the signal is not strong, you get either no picture or a picture that breaks up into little boxes. There is no such thing as a "fuzzy" digital picture.

Finally, with the antenna high on a bookshelf, I was able to receive all the local channels....including bonus channels like weather radar.

The Bottom Line

But remember: A converter box will not turn your TV into a Digh Def TV...The picture looks the same as before.

If your analog reception is normally fuzzy with rabbit ears, you may need an attic or roof antenna, or you may get no picture.

If you have cable or satellite, you dont need a converter box: They will send analog signals for 5 more years.

Two more concerns: One, you can't combine two 40 dollar coupons to get one box free. And for some odd reason, the coupons expire after 90 days.

So act fast...So you don't waste your money. I'm John Matarese.

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