Before I bought my box, I was receiving a passable signal on 5 TV stations using an amplified Philco antenna. I bought the RCA box, and solidly received 4 stations, but they were 51-1, 51-2, 56-1, and 56-2. 56-2 was weather only. I put it back in the box and decided to either get an HD set or wait for the switchover date.

tnx for the good info!

For such a small black box, $50-$70 seems like a lot of money for the "retail" price. Knowing that the government is coughing up $40 for the consumer could the manufacturers be gouging the price?

I would be curious as the the actual manufacturer's cost to make one of these converter boxes.

Re: DTV converters. Is anyone besides me concerned about finding PORTABLE / BATTERY OPERATED DTV converters? My portable TV's have been lifesavers while living in East Texas ("Tornado Alley") and now back on the Texas Gulf Coast ("Hurricane Alley"), not to mention use during power outages, outside activities, camping, traveling, etc. The DTV converters on the market are all large and powered only by electricity. Most large TVs in homes are connected to cable or can use a plug-in converter. But in an emergency, being able to see hurricane maps and escape routes on a small battery operated portable TV is much better than info a weather radio can ever supply. At least I can use my portable TV's during THIS hurricane season. Can't somebody come up with a small converter that can work on batteries and doesn't really need special features or a remote?

Any information on which of these runs the coolest? If I'm going out of town and need to leave the box on so my VCR can tape something, I don't want to leave on something like the Digital Stream that heats up in two hours.

TO: Carol D. -08 June - " Battery-powered Digital TV?"

You would be far better prepared to have a radio rather than a TV, as the digital reception will be very limited & problematic on any portable TV, particularly while inside a moving vehicle ... that digital signal can not always get into the car ! Must pass through the windshield but only -IF- it happens to be facing the TV Towers.

Emergency radio broadcasting IS 'turned' on during any such evacuation emergency & is continuously broadcasted on special frequencies exactly for these situations .

Battery life expectancy is far greater, too, than on any TV.

I am unable to read the full review, but does it mention the left channel audio bug that plaques LG made boxes, such as the Insignia and Zenith mentioned here?

The "bug" is an audio defect when viewing Dolby Digital 5.1 broadcasts.

If they missed it, then I've lost faith in their reviews! It's pretty blatent.

Apparently boxes manufactured April 2008 and later have been "fixed," but those are only now appearing in stores. I'd be surprised if CR actually was able to get and review the newer boxes.

$50 to $70 isn't really expensive. Mfrs were in front of Congress 7 or 8 years ago saying they could never build a converter for less than $100 wholesale, and here we are $50 retail. Remember that VCR's were $1000 when they first came out - these prices will drop even more in the next 9 months.

As far as battery powered ones, several of them run on DC power, and use a wall wart transformer (the DTV Pal runs on 5 Volts DC, according to the spec). I'd find one that runs on 12 Volts or get a 12V to 5 Volt converter and use the box with a 12 volt car battery in an emergency.

The Tivax STB-T9 is $59.99, not $50.

As a longtime subscriber of C. U. I am glad to see they are tackling the challenge of finding the best ATSC set top boxes.

I have done a fair amount of research myself and have found that none of the boxes I have researched, will copy NTSC signals along with the ATSC signals.

There are TV stastions that will continue to broadcast analog signals after Feb 2009. These are local neighborhood stations that carry local content only. I am also a direct TV subscriber, and have the DIRECTV box hooked up to an NTSC modulator and broadcasting on an un-used analog channel within my home "cable" system. I have been looking for a set top box that will capture analog as well as digital within the on-screen program guide. No luck so far.

I would ask that you test the Channel Master CM7000 as it is the only thing available in the L.A. area with an "S" output which is the highest resolution allowed for boxes that are eligible for the $40 coupons. I found them at Fry's Electronics.

I just went to look at recommended units from the online sellers Solidsignal.com and FreeDTVShop.com, and all were higher in price than you indicated (some substantially higher), telling me that those folks are jacking up the price because of your review. The $47 Philco was $90 at Solid Signal!

My problem is that I purchased what I could get locally, an RCA DTA800, and it drops the signal all the time, plus doesn't receive all the channels we know are available to us. We know it isn't our rooftop antenna, because our DVD/Video recorder (digital) gets more stations and never drops a signal. Any ideas on which one would have the strongest receiver?

I have the GE 22729 and it has a thermal problem and will shut off and come back in a short while. This is the second one that does the same thing.

I also have a RCA DTA 800 that has a problem with the sound, it reduces the sound so bad that I can hardly hear the tv even though the sound is up all the way.

As far as I am concerned I think the mfg's put something together with out completly testing the product.

The RCA DTA800 is coming out with a new version (DTA800B) that will have analog pass-through and may address some of these sound issues. Also, if you're buying a Zenith, make sure that it's built in April 2008 or afterwards -- those built before then have some sound issues.

You guys really need to read these comments. It's been a week and this still has the wrong prices on it. Also why isn't there a tip line? This is consumer reports, right? I'd really like to see this site be a rival to consumerist.com, but right now it's not happening.

Jesse,

Use a non-amplified antenna. My guess is that the amplified antenna will also amplify the noise and overwhelm the box.

I had a Zenith unit fail with blue lines of text on the screen.

The replacement DTX9900 requires an external antenna and has too many annoying audio dropouts. I will try rotating the antenna when I can climb a ladder and have a friend help me tune in some weaker stations, but I think loosing important words is a real downer and a real defect. Also, I notice that both the Zenith and the Digital Stream boxes will have signal dropout when a lamp is switched on. Is this interference transmitted through the power cord?

Another installation with the Insignia unit would not work with an amplified indoor antenna, but would with an non-amplified one.

If you search for the Tivax STB-T9 box using Google Shopping and click on the Solid Signal link there it will take you to a page which lists the price as $54.99(http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=STB-T9-MTI&main_cat=03&source=googleps) for some reason you cannot get to that page if you start at the Solid Signal site.

I too am looking for a battery powered unit, not for any big emergency, but when the electricity goes out for an hour or two, I would prefer not to miss my favorite shows. I have a nice little battery powered TV that makes that possible. And the car battery suggestion doesn't work for me since I don't have a car, but even if I did, I would not find that a pleasant solution. I hope you will be on the look-out for this feature.

This weekend I installed and programmed the Insignia model on my sailboat in South Central Arkansas. I have an omnidirectional antenna that is powered from a DC source. Where before I could get maybe two channels with lots of noise and sound quality issues, I was stunned to pick up no less than 11 crisp clear digital channels. The video and sound are great...

I'm one happy customer...

There's only one thing that really matters to those of us in the sticks who already get marginal analog broadcasts; SENSITIVITY! CU, please give us the data to tell us which converter receives best...

To: Dory - 16 June -" Want 1-2 hours of TV on battery power.."

That already is very "doable" ... with any small display LCD-TV, one only needs to buy an APU / UPS unit ... auxiliary power unit ... Uninterrupted Power Supply .

These have existed for a long time in the "protection" of our desktop computers during power failures & to prevent damage .

Just go to your favorite office supply outlet, SAMs, Wal-Marts, etc. -- these come in varying capacities ( time that it would operate the TV ) and will always be at full capacity whenever the utility electricity is lost. Usually on very heavy discounts / rebates, as well. Buy as great/large capacity as is affordable to you.

Not "complicated" at all - plug it into the outlet & then, plug the LCD TV into that unit.

I placed an order for two converter boxes through freeDTVshop.com on 6/12/2008 and received confirmation that my coupons had been accepted on 6/13/2008. The boxes had been shown in stock. I checked their website yesterday (6/22/2008)for order status and it showed "not sent". I emailed them through their site but received no reply. Does anyone have experience indicating that these people are reputable?

I thought that the switch to digital was a good thing but am extremely frustrated to find that the ONLY channels I now get are the 3 or so that have a strong signal. The ones that didn't come in well but could still be viewed in analog now just look like an extremely bad DVD that any reasonable person would take immediately back to the store. I am so disappointed. I guess this is the biggest favor any one has ever done for me. Now that I can't see t.v. I will have more time for other things.

TO: ED Girard -23 June - " have not rec'd Converters ?"

You might telephone John Buchmann @ 1-763-390-5700
extension 50 --- he's listed at Mosquito Productions as the sole organizer of your freeDTV.... outfit, bragging that 10 % of all profits will go to providing tele cons to our guys & gals overseas!

Also listed is 1-877-393-8809 w/o any extension # at that .. DTV .. web site.

Tivax STB-T9 is available here for $48.95... I got two of them... Thank you CU!

http://www.consumerelecgroup.com/categories.php?PARTNER=hogdoctor

Patrick

I've been trying to make an informed decision in order to buy my converter boxes. I had two $40 coupons and have asked many questions from store personnel and I have read all I can.

My coupons would have expired today, (valid for 90 days from what appears to be the order placed date, not 90 days from when you receive the coupons) so yesterday I had to buy or let the coupons expire.

I ended up buying two different units to test them against each other. I bought the RCA DTA800 (WalMart- $49.87) and the Magnavox TB100MW9 (Sams Club- $45.26). I hooked them both up straight to the television using the supplied RF cable, (haven't tried the RCA Cables or connected the box to the VCR, surround sound, dvd, etc.). I haven’t read the manual from either converter but set them up using the quick set up guide. So it’s possible some of the issues I’ve identified could be bypassed. However RTFM (Reading the F***ing Manual is something I often don’t get around to.

I've been using an RCA amplified antenna for over a decade to pull in various signals here in Southern California. In the Orange County area I can pull in Los Angeles stations and occasionally CBS and ABC from San Diego.

When either converter box was connected all of the digital channels came in clearly, in most cases more clearly than then analog signal. Both converters pulled in 2-3 times more digital stations than were available though analog. The reason is that many stations broadcast 2 or more other stations in addition to their traditional broadcast channel. For example channel 7 may now broadcast channels 7.1, and 7.2.

When I switched to the digital converters, the RCA didn't pull in as many channels as easily as the Magnavox, although the RCA has an extremely easy to use and obvious remote and the remote was more responsive and (apparently when programmed) will control the television volume as well. However, with the RCA I needed to adjust the amplified antenna to pull in the Los Angeles based CBS channel.

The Magnavox remote is extremely slow. There is a long lag between the time a button is pushed and when the unit responds. It also cannot control the television’s volume, etc.

The RCA Electronic Program Guide allows one to view current and upcoming programming on 9 channels at a time. As I don't watch much tv and don't get a tv guide, I find this feature quite helpful. The Magnavox EPG is accessible with the touch of one button but only shows program information about what is on the channel you are currently tuned to. It will allow you to press ”next“ and see what is coming up next on that channel, but you'll have to do that for every channel individually.

Bottom line: I'm still looking. I'd like to have a converter than has a solid and easy to use remote (RCA wins big here), a program guide that provides useful information about multiple upcoming programs (RCA wins here) However, Magnavox has the EPG button programmed on the remote, for RCA its only 2 buttons though, not a big deal). And I’d like a converter that has excellent reception (Magnavox has the slight edge here).

If I had to choose from these two, the RCA is more user friendly.

Neither systems pulls in the stations from San Diego that I can get with the analog system, but that is probably a function of the San Diego stations not broadcasting their digital signal with enough power to reach Orange County. Personally I favor the RCA system, as the remote response time of the Magnavox is just too annoying.

And this is “One man’s opinion”

I received my coupons not even realizing that there would be a difference between units. I assumed that there would be one standard that all of the units would be built to. I went to my local Radio Shack and bought two of the only model that they had, DigitalStream, Model DTX9900. It came with a universal remote.

I hooked one up to my 10 year old JVC with the standard roof top antenna, and it appeared to be receiving fine. I played with the channels for a little while and the picture looked great, although the delay between channels was annoying.

The problem was with the remote. I followed the procedure to program the remote to my TV, and it didn't work. The batteries were new...it worked fine to control the converter. I tried 4 times on the JVC and 4 times on a Sharp, and it still didn't work. Then I tried the remote in the other unit with the same results. As far as I was concerned, this constituted a defect. I was not going to use one remote to turn the TV on and off and control the volume and another remote to change the channels.

I packed up both units and took them back to Radio Shack. As I suspected, they were willing to refund my twenty dollars per unit that I spent, but could do nothing about refunding the forty dollar coupons. They also didn't have any other universal remotes that would work. I wasn't going to take $20 back for a $60 unit, but now I'm stuck with 2 converters with remotes that don't work with my TV's. To top it off, the manager at Radio Shack claimed that this was the only model with a universal remote.

Thus, an inherent problem exists with the coupon program if for some reason you have to return a defective unit or one that doesn't work for your TV. You cannot get your $40 back from the retailer if you want to find another unit that works for your TV.

To David Fine - " $20 refunds on $ 60 Converters ..."

Your experiences about "no full refund" is the way it is for all ! One did not 'pay' anything for those coupons - therefore, there should be no refund. This is the rule for the program.

These converters have been made in China at the very least possible content allowed by the federal specification. None are "spectacular!"

These federal coupon boxes will NOT really provide a totally-satisfactory solution such as "giving up" and simply buying a new quality digital HDTV for O.T.A. !

Poor digital tuners, intermittent reception during storms, harder-to-receive digital signals { perfect reception or zero} , almost universally-needed, new or different antenna, little improvement of picture quality upon a CRT display, the mandatory usage of multiple Remotes, the difficulties in doing any practical, easy, multi-channel recording, on & on are all reasons why - in a very short while - many will "give up" on these, along with their associated CRTs.

Certainly not "fair & just" - but - that is the hand that all have been dealt.

I bought two Digital Stream DTX 9950 Converter Boxes from Radio Shack. I had to return them soon after due to heat and faulty manufacturing issues with the green HD signal LED. Not bad yet not worth the aggravation. Look to http://site.dtvboxanswers.com/reviews for information on alternate models.

I am not overly impressed with the Artec Digital Converter boxes that I ordered. 4 days after receiving it, the power supply cord would no longer work and it isn't as easy to replace as one would think. I would definitely not recommend ordering any products through Digitalstar.com either as they do not work with their customers to exchange faulty equipment. They've been giving me the run-around for over 2 months.

Dont bet your life an HDTV WILL BE ANY BETTER. I have Zenith set top and a Vizio HD set. Iget more channels from the set top box using the same antena configuration

TO : EARL- 14 Aug - " - I Have a HD televison ..."

IF that is already a "HD" unit, there's NOT a federal coupon Converter needed anyway ....

Simply connect that antenna coax lead to the RF terminal & all should be fine !

Sell that Converter to some one that has a standard picture tube set.

A couple of points missed –
1) Our Government is not paying for these coupons, we are. Where do you think the Government is getting the money to pay for the coupons? From our taxes, that’s were.
2) When you buy a converter box with the coupon, return it and only get back the part you paid for, the store you purchased it from is keeping the $40 plus is free to sell the box again. Wouldn't you call that double dipping? They should be required to issue something like a Visa gift card where you can go elsewhere and purchase a box better suited for your needs. The profit margins for RadioShack, etc. will rise while we have still “no” box for our tax dollars, or you will have to pay for it yourself, hence paying twice.

Consumer Reports needs to review the rest of the DTV Convertors, like the Dish Network DTV Pal / TR-40 CRA (same device) It has features such as the ability to set up record timers using it's 7 day guide. Great signal scanning capability with a signal strength meter. A straight forward, setup wizard. An easy add chaanel screen

Don,

An Echostar-Dish Network DTV Pal / TR 40 CRA is operated by 5 Volts DC, the same voltage as 4 NiCad Batteries in series. Each Ni Cad Cell is worth 1.25 Volts.
I have operated a DTV Pal with my 5 inch Radio Shack LCD TV using it's external A/V in For details, email me at

ronaldjleckfor
at
hotmail.com

Jesse, having pulled in only half of the stations we get in analog with the Magnavox converter, we are now considering the John Prine converter box.

The Tivax remote volume controls won't turn up my TV sound,can faintly hear sound when turned up all the way.
I have to use my TV original remote to turn up sound.
Anyone knows what the problem would be,I'm stumped,all the
other Tivax functions work good,reception is really great,
don't even have to move the rabbit ears around!.
Ron in Denver Co

To all:

We've updated our Ratings of DTV converter boxes to include 24 more new models, including the long-awaited DTVPal. Please go to this URL:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/televisions/digital-tv-converter/ratings/dtv-converter-boxes-ratings.htm

Or go to:

http://www.consumerreports.org/dtv

and see the link to the "Ratings of DTV converter boxes."

-Paul Eng
Web Senior Editor, Electronics

After connecting my digital converter box, there was a clear reception to only 1 channel that I was not able to get on analog. With analog, I can get fair reception on 5 stations. When I was in the store, the salesperson made an attempt at selling me another indoor antenna (conveniently displayed next to the digital converter boxes) warning me that my present antenna may mot work. Is this gimmickry or what? I really don't want to spend money unnecessarily.

TO: George - 27 Aug - " NEW Special Antenna .....?"

Not exactly .. special ... but, definitely, any antenna must be for UHF Band { above channel 13 } for the digital Converter to "receive" any signals.

Very few markets - Chicago, NYC etc. - are using VHF to transmit their digital signals for O.T.A..

Any former set top antennas with the two, long "V" wires or rabbit ears will definitely not "DO".

However, also very doubtful that the popular "all-in-one" new indoor offerings will be totally satisfactory, either !
Constant fiddling may be needed between different channels and / or stormy weather.

One's UHF digital antenna in the attic may work IF quite close to those TV Towers ... and, of course, there are exceptions to every case as well. Usually, a "bow tie" is needed - such as a C.M. 4228 or - from another supplier - a DB-4 or DB-8.

IF not sufficiently powerful, then it should be mounted outside, high on the roof.

New Quad Coax RG6 cabling, etc., plus commercial installation will total far more than even the outright costs for any Converter !

Many local cable companies are now offering (24) analog channels with free installation to all picture tube sets in the home for $11.75 / monthly ... good 'til 2012.

For some, a far better option than Federal Converter/each TV, new antenna and only 4 - 5 local channels !

On June 23, 2008, I posted a concern about freeDTVshop.com. I had ordered two converter boxes from them and was concerned that the order was taking longer than expected. I had emailed them about my concern and received no response. A few days after my posting to this blog, I phoned them and was told that my order was about to be shipped. The boxes ordered did come and I have no complaint about freeDTVshop.com except that they were a little slow and did not respond to my email about shipment date.

I had ordered two of the top-rated boxes, the Tivax STB-T9 and the Microgem MG2000. I use indoor antennas and live about 10 miles from most of the transmission towers for the 9 stations that I normally view (Atlanta). Two PBS stations are the furtherest stations from me, both about 15 miles away. My experience with the performance of the boxes has been as follows:

Tivax STB-T9 -
I've used this box on three TV sets and with three different indoor antennas. I receive 6 stations very well (almost HDTV quality) and another sometimes. I have not been able to receive satisfactory pictures from the two PBS stations.

Microgem MG2000 -
Using the same combination of analog TV sets and indoor antennas, the Microgem did not perform as well as the Tivax. I initially received fewer stations and the box grew hot with use. I contacted Microgem and returned the box to them. They promptly sent me a new box that did not have the heat problem and picked up more signals. However, it picked up one or two fewer stations than the Tivax. The picture quality was comparable to that obtained with the Tivax.

I not the good rating that the TB100MW9 received and to an extent it may be correct. I just had 2 of the units fail completely after the 90 day warranty period and 1 week apart for each failure. There is nowhere at Magnovox to complaint and the NTIA also does not have anywhere to report these failures to protect the governments interest and expense on these items

TO: Cardwell -01 Oct-"Gov's Interests re Bad Converters?"

They don't have to "care" ... these federal coupon Converters represent the very least specs possible by the lowest bid of Asian Makers .... none by the quality houses, either.

IF anyone had had any interest at all about reliability, then, that would have been included within the specifications - i.e. - a (1) year warranty / free replacement, etc..

These are only the same class of electronic apparatus as all the past VCRs, toasters, coffee pots, etc.. - use for a while if a person is lucky - otherwise, E waste since none can be economically repaired.

Need batery powered box for power outages! Can't see weather on a radio.

TO: Lyle Z. - 06 Oct - "Need a battery TV for Emergencies"

Not just yet! All UHF digital reception IS too difficult for portable TVs & their associated, built-in wee antennas ...
wait for a year or so ... by then, more will have been made available, especially since all digital broadcasting power Will have been increased from each station.

I picked up the Insignia NS-DXA1 at best buy. It was the only one they had on display and I can see why. After a 5 minute installation, i went from 9 channels with poor reception to 25 channels with perfect picture. I am still shocked with amazement. With the government coupon it was $20. I am an occasional TV viewer and this was the best $20 I ever spent. The remote gave me several added features such as cropping and program guide in addition to the usual channel and volume controls. After consulting the manual, I was able to program the remote to also turn my TV on and off. So nice to be able to do it all with one remote. I have e rooftop Antenna but it never worked this well before. It was unable to get only 1 local digital channel, the religious one, so that was an added bonus.

Posted by: Ron Hoover | Aug 26, 2008 4:45:58 PM "The Tivax remote volume controls won't turn up my TV sound,can faintly hear sound when turned up all the way. I have to use my TV original remote to turn up sound. Anyone knows what the problem would be,I'm stumped,all the other Tivax functions work good"

I have the same problem. Does anyone have an answer? So much for plug and play Analog to Digital conversion! This is becoming a real project and expensive!

G Duell

Some (many? most?) converters time out after a few to several hours. So, if you program your VCR to record some hours ahead, you will record nothing, because the converter will have timed out. I have seen one reference to a unit that allows the time to be set, but I do not know within what limits. This is a "feature" that is not mentioned on the cover of the boxes I have seen, and not mentioned even in the instructions of the one I got.
Also consider than you can program to record from only one channel since the VCR has no way to change the channel on the converter.

For: Len - 13 Nov - " Timed Recordings (1) or more ..?

You have highlighted a core issue with all the Converters !

TV usage after digital will NOT be the same as during these past 50 -60 years!

IF one expects excellent reception, unlimited abilities to record one channel while watching a different one, a fully-feature Program Guide, easy set up, user-friendly Library to find recorded items, etc., most should simply buy a proper dual tuner digital O.T.A. Receiver-Recorder! No Converter involved at all.

Start at $179 on up .... electronically stores the same as (30) VCR tapes , even at their 6 hour capacity.

www.tivo.com

I'm NO technology person. What unit do those of you that KNOW - recommend? I need one that does NOT break. I hate returns, and exchanges. Many retailers do not honor warranties! I know I'll lose $40 on both boxes if/when I need returns. I have low end analog TVs. I do not trust online retailers! They probably do not honor returns/exchanges. Is Walmart, or Best Buy going to stand behind a defective box? Or NOT? Does anyone know WHO I should buy from? WHAT box to buy? For how MUCH money? What else I should know? I find all your comments extremely helpful!

TO: Carol - " Which federal coupon Converter is guar ?"

From the multitude of irate comments here, it would seem that very few have any warranty as "trouble-free" as you asked .. i.e. - swap or across-the-counter exchanging.

Also consider that a LOT of folks find that they'll need a new Antenna ! Old built-in TV antennas in the shape of long, slender "V" rods { without a bowtie shaped section } or older "rabbit ears " will Not function w/ Converters.

My personal recommendation ? ... you posted TVs, so, seriously consider Instead of any Converter at all, getting the new, restricted analog cable service -- available @ all major local cable companies - i.e. - our COX has (20) channels for $11.75/mo - some Comcast markets have essentially the same @ $11 ... Does work thru 2012 - not "dead" come Feb... no maintenance & they'll connect ALL your sets at N/C additional. Perfect pictures, too.

David N., I want to thank you so much for your comment. I'm sure it's helped many people including myself.

"so, seriously consider Instead of any Converter at all, getting the new, restricted analog cable service -- available @ all major local cable companies - i.e. - our COX has (20) channels for $11.75/mo" ....

NOT True. Bellsouth (Atlanta) was offering analog cable service for $11. With AT&T takeover, they stopped it, and now CHEAPEST 'cable' offered is $45+.

TO: Tv - 29 Dec - 1:07:37 pm -" NO Limited Cable ..."

Glad to clarify ... you need to do the re-checking ... Comcast just now re-confirmed their limited cable service of ( 28 ) channels for $18.95 .... due to lack-of-interest, apparently, the 11 channels @ $11 has been eliminated in Atlanta market ....

Glad to be of help !

Spent the day reviewing boxes. Some have S-video - that is important. Some have smart antenna http://www.solidsignal.com/dtv2009/compare/digital/converter/boxes/ - looks like a good feature. http://broadcastengineering.com/hdtv/smart_antennas/
Some have a Silicon Tuner http://www.design-reuse.com/articles/exit/?id=19301&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.videsignline.com%2F211100025%3FprintableArticle%3Dtrue - may be important, have to look into it. The Dish ones have the best EPG, but customers on CNET say they are unreliable. They also do not have S-video or Dolby output. The 'plus model' may have the silcon tuner, but few details are given.
http://www.solidsignal.com/dtv2009/compare/digital/converter/boxes/
people might ask why I want Dolby with my old tv, I've had surround sound since the 70's and it makes even a CRT much more interesting to watch.
Need "scan add" capability as not all my stations are located in the same direction "The Channel Master CM-7000 exclusively offers the "Scan Add" feature. This important feature allows you to scan for channels at one compass setting and store them, then rotate to a new compass setting scan for channels and add them to your already existing list" unless a "smart antenna can take care of that.

We purchased 2 different boxes, the Tivax STB-T8 and the Zenith DTT901. I became very disappointed with the Tivax very quickly. We had received the Zenith first and already had it installed. It was very easy, the directions were clear, received all the stations on the first scan and it allowed you to have a “favorites” for the channels you watch the most.

The Tivax was difficult to install, the directions were unclear, you had to run the “search” for stations several times (the directions didn’t tell you that, we had to figure that out on our own). The Tivax didn’t come up with as many stations as the Zenith until we ran the “search” four times. It didn’t come up with stations that were less than 100 miles from us and had received on broadcast and the Zenith. There is not a way to have “favorites”. The choice is either viewable or not viewable. While I have heard from reviews that the Tivax was a better picture, we feel that the Zenith gave a much better picture. I wish I could return the Tivax. In addition, what company make the newer model with a smaller number (STB-T8 is newer than the STB-T9) than the old model?

I bought two MicroGEM 2000 set top boxes in June 2008. The first one died relative quickly, after only a few weeks in a summer cottage that has no telephone, cable or satelite. We had the TV on much of the day watching the Olympics. It ran warm to hot. I replaced it Labor Day weekend. But I don't know if the replacement box will last very long, as it also runs warm and, we won't find out until after the warrantee expires, as we won't use it much until next summer.

The second one, located in our bedroom and used about an hour each day, just died (January 2009). It also ran warm. MicroGem says they will replace the second box.

I don't know if I just got two defective Microgems and it seems as if MG is being fair about standing by the box for the warrantee period, but I sure wish that I get my money back and the coupon back, and buy another brand. I suspect that I will be on box number 5 next summer.

TO:Doug-06 Feb - " Need my Coupon Back ..?"

No, federal coupons are NEVER returned .... and, your case is exceptional, as most with "early-defective" Converters simply are put on "eternal-wait" .... the replacement either never shows up or takes forever & then, it, too fails!

Between now & the next time to visit @ the cottage, simply do "save up" the funds & just give up / purchase a new, basic digital TV .... very much less aggravation & these "DO" function ... plus, you'll have HD

I have had nothing but problems with the magnavox converter boxes. The first one died after maybe 2 whole days of use, and now the 2nd one I bought scans for channels, and consistently says that it cant find any digital channels!! Am I the only one with this problem??

TO: Bill - " Are My Converters the exception?"

Read thru all these 9 - 10 pages / with some 5 / 6 complaints each - to see just how very many folks have the same results with any Brand / Model!

They have either been waiting forever for the replacement, had to send the old ones back prepaid / insured only to Never get any back at all or even be refused outright after ( 30 ) days!

All-in-all, it would seem that these were awarded to the very lowest bid suppliers available in China , without the obvious "across-the-counter" exchange one might have expected.

These do not always allow for the easy adding of new digital channels, which IS going to be the case now thru 12 June because of the totally-silly delay rather than a 100 % switch as was intended.

"IF" one really expects to be able to 'relax & just watch'- a FAR better result will be had by simply giving up / planning for / buying a new top tier HDTV instead . . . . really unbelievable sales due to this horrific Global financial mess . . . Sony's very Top 32" set was closed out this week @ $599

A ( p.s.) to Bill - " 4 bad Magnavox Converters so far !"

Do also realize that for MOST, a new antenna system will be required to receive consistent, in-all-weather & Summer / Winter seasons digital reception, without constant "fiddling" as with many indoor or set top units.

Step #1 - www.antennaweb.org - input ONLY your ZIP, check digital & listed will be your Broadcasting Band(s) {VHF or UHF or Both }, Compass Directions [determines IF a Rotor will be required ], how far from the TV Towers & by color coding, suggested strengths or electronic "gain" necessary.

Step #2 - many very safe web stores - one is - www.solidsignal.com

Step #3 - after getting the appropriate unit - mount it outside, high atop your roof ridge & connect it directly with Quad RG-6 coax cable at the rear terminal of your HDTV . . . NOT to 3 - 4 - 5 other sets in the home !

The days of consistent, O.T.A. reception of DTV are over - 100 % reliable digital signals ARE much more difficult to achieve than the former analog ever was!

About the need for a new antenna for DTV: Much has been said about the need for a UHF-type antenna and the inability of regular "rabbit ears" to capture digital signal -- ostensibly because they are broadcast in the UHF frequency band. This is mostly scare tactics from uninformed sources. In theory what is said may be true. BUT, in practice, ANY antenna can be tunned to receive any frequency! All you need to do is fiddle with the length of the "ears". I have been using the old-fashioned rabbit ears (plain, no special phase converters nor "bow-ties", nor "loops". I have been receiving excellent picture reception from digital channels since I bought my DTV. In fact, I use the same antenna with my digital tunner to feed my analog small TV, and it works just fine. So, DO NOT discard your trusted rabbit ears yet. Plug them in and experiment with length as well as angle between the ears. Then a simple maneuver rotating the "ears" until the proper reception is achieved is all you need.

BUT, this does not mean all will be well. Inherently, digital transmission is MUCH MORE sensitive to weather conditions and terrain/obstructions, than analog transmission. PLUS, it's either ALL or NOTHING! NO ghosts, statics, weak signals, etc. Remember, digital TVs are computers interpreting all those binary bits, and they have zero tolerance for interruptions. So, we are yet to see the real effects of digital transmission on the public's patience and forebearance when they repeatedly lose signal; particularly at those critical moments in a broadcast when they announce "who dunnit"! Give me the old, reliable analog signals any day!

TO: Frank P. - " ... JUST USE THE OLD RABBIT EARS ..."

" ... But, of course it will not work much of the time ! .."

That's precisely why one should have a new Antenna System - to keep from needing to miss "who done it" or constant " fiddling" during intense rain, different Channels, even dramatic temperature & wind differences !

Forget a make-shift arrangement IF one expects to have strictly O.T.A reception 100 % of the time . . . . . spend the money, use www.antennaweb.org and DO buy an appropriate antenna, connected with quality Quad RG-6 Coax!

My HDTV converter Model DTA1080D works well, but runs very warm. I am afraid to keep it plugged in when I leave the house. Is running warm common?

I finally figured out a solution to my DTVPal Plus turning itself on when the TV wasn't on and not being able to turn it off with the remote. It would also turn itself off and back on while I was watching a program or the picture will freeze on the screen but the sound would keep going in the background for whatever I was watching. I had even turned it off to watch certain shows in Analog format because of this and it would turn itself on and kill the show I was watching.

I decided to see what would happen if I pretended it was brand new out of the box and start all over. I went into the menu and set it back to the Factory Defaults. Then rescanned for new channels and waited for it to power back up. Since I did this it runs as well as it did since I first hooked it up. It has managed to behave for the last 2-1/2 hours.

Maybe these things are kind of like computers and when they freeze up and you just have to restart them from its original down state.

I bought the RCA DTV800B1 little did I know it wont receive
all the local Digital Stations, at first it wouldnt recieve
31-1,2 or -3 but now after the June 12th it receives the 31-1.
31-3 has music videos and is one of the best channels on the airwaves called CoolTV. I tested different entenna`s and two different locations N.Arlington and S.Arlington but it didn't change the reception, signal strength is good at 73% and when I switched to the Insigna converter box it pics up 31-3 and so does my other set thats digital (Sanyo HDTV). I thought all Digital Boxes where the same and all the features where different but I found out thats not true, some are not up to FCC spec.

Gentle People. We recently added a channel on our data stream and the RCA DTV bos (DTV880B1) will no longer decode the main channel. I have received about 100 calls and e-mails about audio and no video from people using this RCA DTV box. It was sold by WalMart, but when I went to get a new DTV converter to test with, they did not have the RCA. I have not received any other failures with other brands that were not corrected with a rescan of the TV channels. I am currently advising all who contact me to replace the RCA DTA800B with another make or model of converter box.

It is confirmed the RCA DTA800B has defective soft and firm ware. The US govt only made RCA and Walmart's profits go up through the coupon program. There IS NO recall or customer/tech support from RCA for this box, and was/is a complete rip-off from the get-go.

We have had our Zenith DTT900 converter box since last spring. It jumps thru the channels continuously none stop, after just trying to change one channel. (one after another)
We found this happening with the remote, but the buttons on front of the box don't cause any problem.
It would cost more than it is worth to have it fixed, so tossed it into garbage!
Our Magnavox TB100MW9 converter boxes have had no problems! We have three of them. We have four television sets.

I bought a Magnavox (Maggot-box) DTV and it lasted less than 2 months. Boy the US government and some of these companies really screwed us over. I goto the same stores that carried them and nobody sells them.