TV converter boxes

[bklass]

Has anyone done any research/comparisons on the converter boxes that are available for older TV's.  I am not going to replace all the spare TV's I have in the house with HD ready tv's.  Are there going to be some differences or benefits with some boxes that I will want to be sure to have on anything I buy?

[Jimboy]

Has anyone done any research/comparisons on the converter boxes that are available for older TV's.  I am not going to replace all the spare TV's I have in the house with HD ready tv's.  Are there going to be some differences or benefits with some boxes that I will want to be sure to have on anything I buy?

I would highly suggest you start here.... http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=186

So far I can answer questions about the Magnavox TB100MW9, Tivax STB-T9, DigitalStream, and the ChannelMaster CM-7000 units.

[troyriley]

Perhaps the best thing to do is compare the features of each box, which are shown on Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_CECB_units

Decide which features are important to you, find the boxes that meets your needs, and do some research for reviews of those boxes and where you can find them.

I personally have the Zenith DTT900, which I find is very good. That can be found at Circuit City for $20 after coupon.

[jkane]

Personally, I am getting my Dad the DTVPAL.  It is Echostar made, and the interface is very similiar to the current Dish reciever he has now.

http://dtvpal.com/

[troyriley]

Personally, I am getting my Dad the DTVPAL.  It is Echostar made, and the interface is very similiar to the current Dish reciever he has now.

http://dtvpal.com/

I'm glad you brought up the DTVPAL. Unfortunately, it's not scheduled to be out until late June and buyers have to check their expiration date on their coupon card. There are a lot of features of the DTVPAL, like the ability to program it to use with a VCR. Also, I've heard it will be priced at about $40, essentially making it free with the coupon.

[bklass]

Thanks everyone....
Does the DTVPAL work with any system (not just echostar)?

[steve053]

Thanks everyone....
Does the DTVPAL work with any system (not just echostar)?

Umm, you don't need a converter if you have DBS or cable, so it should work on any SD/ED/HD Ready television.

[troyriley]

Umm, you don't need a converter if you have DBS or cable

Unless you receive your broadcast stations with an antenna. For instance, if you don't subscribe to local channels with a satellite provider, you'll need the converter for SDTV's. Also, those who wish to receive additional channels (digital subchannels not available on cable or out of town channels, for example) will need the converter.

[bklass]

Every time it rains at my house, or even south of my house I get a serious case of rain fade.  So I want to be sure to be able to receive the locals via my roof antenna.

[troyriley]

Every time it rains at my house, or even south of my house I get a serious case of rain fade.  So I want to be sure to be able to receive the locals via my roof antenna.

I'm not sure how the other converters compare with the quality of their tuners, but I can tell you my Zenith DTT900 does seem to have a good tuner. Compared to my 722 Dish receiver, the Zenith ATSC tuner is better. A good tuner was one of the factors I was considering when converter shopping since I'm 46 miles away from the transmitters.

[cdnelson]

My Grandparents and Aunt both have properties in Almond, WI (near Amherst between Waupaca and Stevens Point).  They got their coupons and bought two of the Magnavox boxes.

Here's my question...do we need to get them a "special" antenna for digital signals?  They have a roof mounted antenna mast that did a fair job of pulling in snowy analog signals for the nearest network affiliates.  When I ran that antenna through the converter I got nothing, with a pair of indoor rabbit ears I got the PBS affiliate with a max signal strength of about 17.

So they're back to the analog hookup for now so the can get their local ABC & CBS affiliates.  (They never were able to get the NBC & Fox signals).

Anyone have any thoughts on antennas/amps that might be able to help out in this situation?

Thanks in advance.

To stay on topic...I thought the box itself was nice, a decent set of features, and the PBS signal was very clear once it locked.

[Will]

My Grandparents and Aunt both have properties in Almond, WI (near Amherst between Waupaca and Stevens Point).  They got their coupons and bought two of the Magnavox boxes.

Here's my question...do we need to get them a "special" antenna for digital signals?  They have a roof mounted antenna mast that did a fair job of pulling in snowy analog signals for the nearest network affiliates.  When I ran that antenna through the converter I got nothing, with a pair of indoor rabbit ears I got the PBS affiliate with a max signal strength of about 17.

So they're back to the analog hookup for now so the can get their local ABC & CBS affiliates.  (They never were able to get the NBC & Fox signals).

Anyone have any thoughts on antennas/amps that might be able to help out in this situation?

Thanks in advance.

To stay on topic...I thought the box itself was nice, a decent set of features, and the PBS signal was very clear once it locked.

They should be able to do better than that, provided they don't have obstructions.  Take a look at http://www.antennaweb.org, and enter their address.  

Click 'show digital stations only' and it will show you stations, distances, and compass heading.

Looks like Wausau is 47 miles out (from towers), and Green Bay is 68 miles.  Wausau should be doable, and Green Bay if you're lucky.  You need to pay attention to what type of antenna is recommended for the stations listed.

Are you sure the antenna on the roof is hooked up?  Badly misaligned?  Getting a better signal from rabbit ears is an indication that something's not quite right...

If you can get Green Bay, you might consider a rotor so that they can move the antenna to point toward whichever city they want at the time (think Packers / NFL Network blackout).

Others should be able to help with the amp question, as I have no experience here.

Hope that helps,
Will

[troyriley]

My Grandparents and Aunt both have properties in Almond, WI (near Amherst between Waupaca and Stevens Point).  They got their coupons and bought two of the Magnavox boxes.

Here's my question...do we need to get them a "special" antenna for digital signals?  They have a roof mounted antenna mast that did a fair job of pulling in snowy analog signals for the nearest network affiliates.  When I ran that antenna through the converter I got nothing, with a pair of indoor rabbit ears I got the PBS affiliate with a max signal strength of about 17.

So they're back to the analog hookup for now so the can get their local ABC & CBS affiliates.  (They never were able to get the NBC & Fox signals).

Anyone have any thoughts on antennas/amps that might be able to help out in this situation?

Thanks in advance.

To stay on topic...I thought the box itself was nice, a decent set of features, and the PBS signal was very clear once it locked.

Another good resource, in addition to antennaweb.org is tvfool.com . It will give you more details on the signals in reach of Almond, including signal strengths. I have also found it to be more accurate than antennaweb.

As for the antenna setup, I would suggest trying an amplifier with the current antenna to start. You won't need any kind of special antenna for digital signals, possibly just a better one. If the amplifier does not improve the signal strength enough to receive digital stations, then you can do some antenna shopping. Right now, it looks like all of the digital stations from Wausau and Green Bay are on the UHF band, but three of those will be moving to the VHF-high band after the Febuary 2009 transition.

[cdnelson]

Thank you both, that helps quite a bit.  I'll be redoing the coax from the antenna with one piece.  Right now it's 2-3 sections, one of which I think is suspect.

I think their current antenna is also mainly a VHF mast...so I'll see if I can supplement with something that will get better UHF reception for the short term.

[Will]

Thank you both, that helps quite a bit.  I'll be redoing the coax from the antenna with one piece.  Right now it's 2-3 sections, one of which I think is suspect.

I think their current antenna is also mainly a VHF mast...so I'll see if I can supplement with something that will get better UHF reception for the short term.

If you're in the Milwaukee area, give Marmax a try for the antenna (and for advice about it).  They're at 68th and Rawson.  http://www.marmaxdistribution.com/