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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

So the converter boxes have been out for a while now... do any of
them stand above the rest of the field? I don't think I'm ready to
start purchasing new TVs yet, nor am I getting very far with wiring my
whole house for cable, so I might as well go ahead and get my coupons.

nate
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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

Zenith DTT900 is fine. I bought 2 and like them


On Aug 28, 7:27*pm, N8N wrote:
So the converter boxes have been out for a while now... *do any of
them stand above the rest of the field? *I don't think I'm ready to
start purchasing new TVs yet, nor am I getting very far with wiring my
whole house for cable, so I might as well go ahead and get my coupons.

nate


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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

wrote:
Zenith DTT900 is fine. I bought 2 and like them


Is it one w/ analog passthru???

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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

N8N wrote:
So the converter boxes have been out for a while now... do any of
them stand above the rest of the field? I don't think I'm ready to
start purchasing new TVs yet, nor am I getting very far with wiring my
whole house for cable, so I might as well go ahead and get my coupons.

nate

Hi,
New LCD panels use less power compared to old CRT ones.
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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

On Aug 28, 9:02 pm, Tony Hwang wrote:
N8N wrote:
So the converter boxes have been out for a while now... do any of
them stand above the rest of the field? I don't think I'm ready to
start purchasing new TVs yet, nor am I getting very far with wiring my
whole house for cable, so I might as well go ahead and get my coupons.


nate


Hi,
New LCD panels use less power compared to old CRT ones.


I'm sure they do, but for all the TV I watch it is definitely not
worth it. Was looking at new TVs today and even a "cheap" one is
$400. Ain't happenin' when I have several perfectly good old ones.
Yeah, it'd be nice to watch TV in HD but just to listen to the news/
weather while I get dressed in the AM? And my 53" projector in the
basement is fine when there's something I actually want to watch on.
No, it's not HD either, but for $200 off craigslist it beats the heck
out of a couple kilobucks. I am sure I could save more money by
insulating the upstairs.

nate


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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

Tony Hwang wrote:
N8N wrote:
So the converter boxes have been out for a while now... do any of
them stand above the rest of the field? I don't think I'm ready to
start purchasing new TVs yet, nor am I getting very far with wiring my
whole house for cable, so I might as well go ahead and get my coupons.

nate

Hi,
New LCD panels use less power compared to old CRT ones.


And the payback period for a $500 27" generic flat panel that replaces a
working-fine 27" glass Sony Trinitron is how long, exactly? Make the
math easy- figure 4 hours on-time per day.

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aem sends...
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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?


"N8N" wrote in message
...
So the converter boxes have been out for a while now... do any of
them stand above the rest of the field? I don't think I'm ready to
start purchasing new TVs yet, nor am I getting very far with wiring my
whole house for cable, so I might as well go ahead and get my coupons.


I got the one from radio shack. digital stream. analog passthrough. works
great.


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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

N8N wrote:
On Aug 28, 9:02 pm, Tony Hwang wrote:
N8N wrote:
So the converter boxes have been out for a while now... do any of
them stand above the rest of the field? I don't think I'm ready to
start purchasing new TVs yet, nor am I getting very far with wiring my
whole house for cable, so I might as well go ahead and get my coupons.
nate

Hi,
New LCD panels use less power compared to old CRT ones.


I'm sure they do, but for all the TV I watch it is definitely not
worth it. Was looking at new TVs today and even a "cheap" one is
$400. Ain't happenin' when I have several perfectly good old ones.
Yeah, it'd be nice to watch TV in HD but just to listen to the news/
weather while I get dressed in the AM? And my 53" projector in the
basement is fine when there's something I actually want to watch on.
No, it's not HD either, but for $200 off craigslist it beats the heck
out of a couple kilobucks. I am sure I could save more money by
insulating the upstairs.

nate

Yup,
When projector lamp goes it's not xheap either. LCD panel has back
lighting lamp as well. By the time you saved enough there'll be better
panels out. Currently 1080P Plasma or 1080P 120Hz LCD panel and organic
LED TV are at the top. All pricy.
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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

Leroy wrote:
dpb wrote:
David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 8/28/2008 5:40 PM dpb spake thus:

wrote:

Zenith DTT900 is fine. I bought 2 and like them

Is it one w/ analog passthru???

According to the sheet I got from the TV converter box coupon agency,
that one does have analog passthrough (both the 900 and the 901).


Thanks, I got the sheet somewhere, too, just nice to have confirmation
from someone it seems to be a decent box...

I got the coupons but ain't done nuttin' w/ 'em as yet...

I'm expecting when the switchover comes to have nothing anyway as
suspect the signal strength will be too low at the far fringe area we're
in. I guess at that point I'll just be back to the 50s
again...sometimes "progress" ain't alto I guess there's always the
possibility of being surprised...


To locate your stations and their signal strength, go to
http://tvfool.com , click on Signal Locater, and plug in your
ZIP code. Shows the stations before and after switchover.


I know _where_ they are; they're not building anything new.

The stations say they don't know if signal strength will be sufficient
or not and they have no plans to do anything about outlying areas if it
isn't when asked.

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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?



N8N wrote:
So the converter boxes have been out for a while now... do any of
them stand above the rest of the field? I don't think I'm ready to
start purchasing new TVs yet, nor am I getting very far with wiring my
whole house for cable, so I might as well go ahead and get my coupons.

nate


Andy writes:

I have tried a number of them, and can offer the following advice.

1) Try the remote for the "feel".... I like a nice, crisp, tactile
feedback
and fine the mushy feel of the Motorola unit to be objectionable.

2) Check the operation of the "program guide". Some models only
show what is playing now, and others will allow the user to scale
ahead for several hours, much like the DISHNETWORK system....

3) Analog passthru will only be useful for the next 6 months and
after
that there will be no more analog. While it is an annoyance now,
the DTV box will be needed as long as your analog TV lasts, which
could be another 20 years, so I don't , personally, see this as
a
deal breaker, especially considering the other features we will
be
using for the life of the unit.

4) If you are going to use the unit in a vehicle , boat, or RV, you
need
to get a model that can also be used on 12Volts. There is only
one
that I'm aware of. I think it's the TIVAX STB-T9, but I may be
mis-remembering. You can google "12 Volt DTV Converter" and
you'll probly be able to verify that.

5) After you make your choice, consider buying over the internet.
The costs, including shipping, are about the same as the
in-store costs , and you have a much wider variety to choose
from.

Just some advice from one who has been there and done that.
Good luck,

Andy in Eureka, Texas


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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?


In article ,
Andy wrote:

3) Analog passthru will only be useful for the next 6 months and
after
that there will be no more analog. While it is an annoyance now,
the DTV box will be needed as long as your analog TV lasts, which
could be another 20 years, so I don't , personally, see this as
a
deal breaker, especially considering the other features we will
be
using for the life of the unit.


Analog passthru will continue to be useful past February 2009 if you have
a low power local station that is not covered by the mandated digital
switchover date.


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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

On Aug 29, 5:42*am, (Mike S.) wrote:

Analog passthru will continue to be useful past February 2009 if you have
a low power local station that is not covered by the mandated digital
switchover date.


Or repeaters. We have a cabin near Flagstaff AZ. After the switchover,
TVFool indicates that there will be 3 digital stations (we have only
been able to receive 2 reliably), and the 5 or 6 repeaters of Phoenix
stations that we currently receive will still be around. If you're in
the boonies and currently receive repeaters, after the switch, you can
either do without the digital box and still watch the repeaters, or
buy a digital box with analog passthrough and watch them all. If you
have a friend with a digital box, ask to borrow it for a day and see
if you get a reliable digital signal in your area.

Jerry
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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

On Aug 29, 12:02*am, Tony Hwang wrote:
N8N wrote:
On Aug 28, 9:02 pm, Tony Hwang wrote:
N8N wrote:
So the converter boxes have been out for a while now... *do any of
them stand above the rest of the field? *I don't think I'm ready to
start purchasing new TVs yet, nor am I getting very far with wiring my
whole house for cable, so I might as well go ahead and get my coupons..
nate
Hi,
New LCD panels use less power compared to old CRT ones.


I'm sure they do, but for all the TV I watch it is definitely not
worth it. *Was looking at new TVs today and even a "cheap" one is
$400. *Ain't happenin' when I have several perfectly good old ones.
Yeah, it'd be nice to watch TV in HD but just to listen to the news/
weather while I get dressed in the AM? *And my 53" projector in the
basement is fine when there's something I actually want to watch on.
No, it's not HD either, but for $200 off craigslist it beats the heck
out of a couple kilobucks. *I am sure I could save more money by
insulating the upstairs.


nate


Yup,
When projector lamp goes it's not xheap either. LCD panel has back
lighting lamp as well. By the time you saved enough there'll be better
panels out. Currently 1080P Plasma or 1080P 120Hz LCD panel and organic
LED TV are at the top. All pricy.


Yup, I'm sure. Hopefully by the time one of my current sets dies
something comparable to the current state of the art will be more
affordable as well. I'm probably either dating myself or proving that
I'm a cheap ******* when I found myself looking at some reasonably
sized (appx. 32") LCDs with a possible eye towards replacing the
bedroom TV and found myself thinking "I've bought cars that took me to
work every day for less than that!"

nate
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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

On Aug 28, 9:19*pm, aemeijers wrote:
Tony Hwang wrote:
N8N wrote:
So the converter boxes have been out for a while now... *do any of
them stand above the rest of the field? *I don't think I'm ready to
start purchasing new TVs yet, nor am I getting very far with wiring my
whole house for cable, so I might as well go ahead and get my coupons.


nate

Hi,
New LCD panels use less power compared to old CRT ones.


And the payback period for a $500 27" generic flat panel that replaces a
working-fine 27" glass Sony Trinitron is how long, exactly? Make the
math easy- figure 4 hours on-time per day.


That's really generous... if I watch 4 hours of TV a day that is a
very long TV day, and I'm likely to be doing it on the couch in the
basement where I have the big projector. An LCD comparable to that
guy is more like $4K. The little CRT jobs I literally never watch;
SWMBO may have the one in the bedroom on for ~15 minutes every morning
while she's getting dressed, because she likes to catch the morning
weather report. The other one in the garage only gets used if I
happen to be working out there and there's a good football or hockey
game on.

In fact, we pretty much didn't watch TV at all until I got the big
'un, and I don't know that that's all bad.

nate
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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

Jerry wrote:
....
... If you're in
the boonies and currently receive repeaters, after the switch, you can
either do without the digital box and still watch the repeaters, or
buy a digital box with analog passthrough and watch them all. If you
have a friend with a digital box, ask to borrow it for a day and see
if you get a reliable digital signal in your area.


Ayup...and some who will be making the switch and are on the fringes
their answer when asked if current folks who are receiving their analog
signals will continue to be able to are answering "We don't know" which
is pretty much what the models are saying--it's fringe and it's
anybody's guess how successful any particular location is going to be...

--


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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

On Aug 28, 10:34*pm, David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 8/28/2008 5:40 PM dpb spake thus:



wrote:


Zenith DTT900 is fine. *I bought 2 and like them


Is it one w/ analog passthru???


According to the sheet I got from the TV converter box coupon agency,
that one does have analog passthrough (both the 900 and the 901).


Thanks for the replies guys, I did see those at CC so I went ahead and
ordered my coupons. Please post and let us all know if something
changes and there's a new better product (since I won't get the
coupons for another month it appears.) I did a little searching on
the Zenith unit and it sounds like the audio output is weak on pre-May
'08 built models FWIW. Only a concern, I guess, if you are using the
RCA plugs for audio and not the RF modulator.

nate
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"N8N" wrote in message
...
On Aug 28, 10:34 pm, David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 8/28/2008 5:40 PM dpb spake thus:



wrote:


Zenith DTT900 is fine. I bought 2 and like them


Is it one w/ analog passthru???


According to the sheet I got from the TV converter box coupon agency,
that one does have analog passthrough (both the 900 and the 901).


Thanks for the replies guys, I did see those at CC so I went ahead and
ordered my coupons. Please post and let us all know if something
changes and there's a new better product (since I won't get the
coupons for another month it appears.) I did a little searching on
the Zenith unit and it sounds like the audio output is weak on pre-May
'08 built models FWIW. Only a concern, I guess, if you are using the
RCA plugs for audio and not the RF modulator.

nate


The early model, the Zenith DTT900, did have a couple of audio problems.
Those audio issues have been resolved by the latest Zenith model, the
DTT901. Also, the DTT901 has "analog pass-thru", the DTT900 did not not
have "analog pass-thru".

Jean

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Just got a Zenith at Circuit City. It works well, has pass thru, you can
see program listing of both the current station and other stations on screen
without changing the channel. Automatic channel search, signal strength
indicator, and many display modes (automatic, increase vertical to fit,
shrink horizontal to fit). Definitely recommend.


"N8N" wrote in message
...
So the converter boxes have been out for a while now... do any of
them stand above the rest of the field? I don't think I'm ready to
start purchasing new TVs yet, nor am I getting very far with wiring my
whole house for cable, so I might as well go ahead and get my coupons.

nate



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Default DTV converter boxes - good, bad, ugly?

On 8/29/2008 12:42 PM Jean spake thus:

The early model, the Zenith DTT900, did have a couple of audio problems.
Those audio issues have been resolved by the latest Zenith model, the
DTT901. Also, the DTT901 has "analog pass-thru", the DTT900 did not not
have "analog pass-thru".


According to the sheet I got from the TV converter box coupon program,
both the 900 and the 901 have analog passthrough.


--
"In 1964 Barry Goldwater declared: 'Elect me president, and I
will bomb the cities of Vietnam, defoliate the jungles, herd the
population into concentration camps and turn the country into a
wasteland.' But Lyndon Johnson said: 'No! No! No! Don't you dare do
that. Let ME do it.'"

- Characterization (paraphrased) of the 1964 Goldwater/Johnson
presidential race by Professor Irwin Corey, "The World's Foremost
Authority".


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do you have to have a separate converter box for each tv in the house ?


James


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On Aug 29, 6:23*pm, "James" wrote:
do you have to have a separate converter box for each tv in the house ?

James


Only if you want to watch separate channels.
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On Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:23:30 -0400, "James"
wrote:

do you have to have a separate converter box for each tv in the house ?


James


Mostly yes, and a little no. A converter box is mostly an ATSC tuner.
Like any such, it will work for only ONE channel at a time. You need a
converter for each TV unless you always watch the same channel on each
TV.
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"The government of the United States is not, in
any sense, founded on the Christian religion."

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David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 8/29/2008 12:42 PM Jean spake thus:

The early model, the Zenith DTT900, did have a couple of audio problems.
Those audio issues have been resolved by the latest Zenith model, the
DTT901. Also, the DTT901 has "analog pass-thru", the DTT900 did not not
have "analog pass-thru".



According to the sheet I got from the TV converter box coupon program,
both the 900 and the 901 have analog passthrough.


The 901 has pass thru. The 900 doesn't. (I have a 900)

Get a Apex 250 from BB if you want s-video out.


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Mike S. wrote:

Analog passthru will continue to be useful past February 2009 if you have
a low power local station that is not covered by the mandated digital
switchover date.


Wal-mart is now carrying RCA converter boxes that support analog
passthrough. I believe the model number is DTA-800b1, as opposed to
DTA-800 for the model without passthrough. The packaging looks almost
the same but mentions the passthrough.
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