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dpb dpb is offline
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Default Review: Zenith DTT901 DTV converter box

David Nebenzahl wrote:
Just used my gubmint'-issued $40 credit and bought the box (at a local
Circuit City). Got the only one they had, the Zenith DTT901. Now I'm
wondering whether I should have shopped around first.

My main complaint is that the picture quality ain't great. I saw another
converter box at a friend's house that looked really good on their tube;
this one isn't all that sharp or punchy, kind of grainy. Definitely not
as good as the analog picture I get from those stations with the
strongest signals. (On the plus side, not only do I get lots more
channels than I got before, but the picture quality is at least
consistent among all of them, even if it's not the greatest.) I'm
assuming this has something to do with the DAC chipset or the RF
modulator in the box.

....

Well, that's better luck than I've had so far -- nuttin' is coming in
thru the RCA DTA800 I got. It was the only one on the shelves locally
and by dallying, I had waited until it was the day the gubmint credit
expired. (I've not tried yet to see if can somehow get a second thru
the online wizard). It was 40+ so tax and a little was all was out, though.

I haven't yet done the experiments w/ the antenna, cable run, etc., --
in fact I just finished a maintenance job on the hydraulic system of the
lift so I can now tomorrow get up there and futz around doing things
like direct connection off the antenna, thru the necessary cable,
orientation, etc., and see if there's any hope w/ the antenna as it is
on the present tower. Since the lift goes 40-ft, if needed I can take
it off the current tower and carry it on up higher and see if that will
help.

Do wish I had two or three other boxes to compare at the same time,
though, to be able to see if it's ****-poor box or just sol from signal
strength.

The online sites say we're _supposed_ to be in at least fringe
strong-enough signal area, but what do they know?

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