Now that the digital TV switchover in the U.S. has been officially scheduled for February 17, 2009, all analog TV sets are going to need digital TV boxes to continue to receive over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts via antenna after the switchover.
In an effort to assist consumers with the federally mandated digital tv changeover, you can apply for government coupons for DTV converter boxes to help defray costs of the new equipment. (Households may receive up to two $40 debit cards. Go to www.dtv2009.gov for more information and to apply.)
So far, several of the digital to analog converter models have been slow to arrive at stores and online retailers. To further complicate this situation, your DTV coupon will have a 90-day expiration date, which only frustrates consumers.
There are now about 25 digital TV boxes available for purchase either online or at stores including Radio Shack, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Circuit City. But as some of our readers have seen, several of those initial digital TV boxes are becoming hard to find. Many brick and mortar retailers just don’t have the stock necessary to meet demand.
So far the models that are available vary in price from $50 to just under $80. This means that even with the government subsidizing your purchase, you will still need to spend just a bit of your hard-earned money for this required gear.
That’s why we’re trying to make it easy on you. Putting all of this information in one place should save you hours for reading, driving, and hunting. So on to the show. Here’s what Consumer Reports had to say about a couple of the best TV converter boxes. You will definately want to check this out if you do not have a pay digital TV service. From Consumer Reports:
SANSONIC FT300A
Picture quality: This model is among the few we tested that are capable of picture quality that comes close to a good quality DVD. Picture quality is just as good as the Channel Master CM7000
Audio: Although the audio output is good, the RF’s output volume is noticeably lower than its left/right audio stereo output.
Features: One of the smaller models. While program information for the currently tuned program is available on the info bar, there is no program guide to give information about coming shows or shows on other channels. There is only a power button on the front of the box so you must use the remote for everything, even changing the channel. Also, there are no options for adjusting the size, font, or color of the Closed Captioning text, a capability offered by most other tested boxes. It has a detachable power adapter and is Energy Star qualified. Among the few boxes we’ve seen that does not allow you to tune in a channel directly, but only by performing the more time consuming scan-for-all-channels.
The Sansonic FT300A is currently available for $54.95 and is IN STOCK.
PHILCO TB100HH9
Picture quality: Picture quality was a small step below that of the top boxes but still impressive. It was better than most analog broadcasts for SD content, and shows some flaws that may be noticeable with certain HD content.
Audio: Both audio outputs provide good audio, but the RF’s output volume is noticeably lower then its left/right audio stereo output.
Features: It’s one of the first available boxes with analog pass-through, which allows the TV’s RF input to tune to off-air analog channels while the box tunes to digital channels. There are no buttons on the console so you must use the remote to do everything, including turning the box on and off. It has an electronic program guide that presents the program title, run time, and brief summary of shows for several hours of programming on the currently tuned channel. An aspect ratio control button is not available on the remote, requiring you to use the onscreen setup menu to make an adjustment. Allows you to directly tune to a new digital channel without having to “scan-for-all-channels.” Has adjustable font, size, color, and transparency of the closed caption text and its background in order to make it more or less visible.
The Philco TB100HH9 is currently available for $59.66 and is IN STOCK.
LASONIC LTA-260
Picture quality: Picture quality was among the best, close to what you see with a good DVD.
Audio: Although the audio output is good, the RF’s output volume is noticeably lower than its left/right audio stereo outputs (which you’d use with the composite-video out).
Features: One of the smaller models. While the run time and program title for the currently tuned program are available on the info bar, there is no program guide to give information about coming shows or other channels. There is only a power button on the front of the box, so you cannot even change the channel without the remote. Also, there are no options for adjusting the size, font, or color of the closed-caption text, a capability offered by most other tested boxes. Among the few boxes we’ve seen that does not allow you to tune in a channel directly, but only by performing the more time-consuming scan-for-all-channels. It has a detachable power adapter and is Energy Star qualified.
The Lasonic LTA-260 is currently available for $49.99 and is IN STOCK.
Great piece as usual from Consumer Reports. If you would like more information, please visit our full list of coupon eligible digital TV converters. Once you have your digital to analog converter, you still aren’t done. You may also need a new digital TV antenna to get the best possible reception in your area. We’ve reviewed many of the most popular models from the smallest indoor digital TV antennas to the best outdoor HDTV antennas that can pull in stations from over 70 miles away.
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