What is the BEST DTV converter?

[letterman]

When I got my first DTV converters, shortly after the coupons were released, I had little choice in the brand or model. I was lucky to find them in the stores before the coupons expired. I just had an elderly relative get her coupons, and she asked me to help her with this. I connected one of my converters to her tv, and she said that it works fine and to get her one of them. Because she lives a distance from me, I told her to just keep that converter and I'd use her coupon to get myself another one. I still got another converter like that, but I decided that I'd get myself the BEST converter. My question is which is the BEST? These days the stores are stocked with them, so I may as well shop for the one I want. I'm in a fringe area and need one that will really pull in the stations, whereas this relative is in a city and dont need the boost.

The one I had was the Apex. It works, but I bet there are better ones.

What do you recommend?

Thanks

LM

[ransley]

Goggle reviews there are a few online even consumer reports review has a link online and maybe 15 are reviewed. What I see is the best are not in stores but online. The reviews mainly cover picture quality and use. Tivax, Channel master are two I am thinking of . If I knew how to post links I would do it. Reception is not covered there but is at other seller review sites. A new antenna is something to consider.

[Hustlin' Hank]

My opinion is that they are all probably close in quality. No matter which brand you get, you should still get a better picture due to it being Digital as compared to the old analog signal. Knowing this, how reliable can the "reviews" be?

I agree with Ransley about getting a better antenna if you need more "boost". The bigger the antenna, the better.

Hank

[ransley]

Read consumer reports review, the picture quality they rate in 3 groups goes from normal to DVD quality, the Dvd quality are only sold online

[ransley]

They better take coupons online or why did they issue them. Thanks I will experiment doing a link.

[HeyBub]

This will put the address of the site in the message, but to make of it a link, surround the address with angle brackets (""). Doing so forces the insertion of link code.

[dpb]

ransley wrote: ...

But there's nothing to indicate what it is that is the root cause of the difference or any way to infer the signal input sensitivity or other factors related to fringe area reception are the reason for being "better"...

I've seen no reviews that even mention such issues peripherally, what more directly.

--

[Harry K]

You guys are doing it the hard way.

1. Put cursor on the address bar and click left button. The address will change color
2. Click right mouse button and run cursor down to "copy" in the drop down menu.
3. Put cursor where you want the link in your message: Click right mouse button and choose "paste" from the drop down menu.

The link will now be there and no need to add anything to it. Only takes 4 mouse clicks

Harry K

[salty]

Putting around a link will prevent it from wrapping and being broken.

[George]

There are a lot of user reviews at Amazon. There and elsewhere, my impression is that the Zenith DTT901

well-regarded for sensitivity.

G

[larry]

If you want a good picture DO NOT USE the built in rf modulator. Use the composite video/left/right or s-vid connector if you have a set that accepts these.

choices to make: does it allow using just one remote control? sound mute/volume from dtvc remote? search new stations, without loosing already found? one button to change display- mailbox,full,etc? "favs" channels, but allows direct entry of all? "info" program directory - only channel viewed? " and next up? stores/shows all channels? more than 1 day? s-vid output?

each box handles these features in it's own ways, and none will have all that you want. the choices are personal preferences. the manuals poorly explain the features and interactions. good luck. find a few friends and borrow their boxes for a few days before you buy.

-- larry / dallas

[Hustlin' Hank]

any of the

I just came back from Walmart. They had the converters on sale for $29.99. If we wait long enough, they should be free. :-) Hell, with any luck, we may get money back knowing how the government wants to take care of those who can't take care of themselves.

Seems I got screwed again by the government and business for trying to do what is right in a timely manner.

Hank

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/5/2009 6:33 AM HeyBub spake thus:

Not necessary, at least with my browser (Thunderbird): I just copied and pasted the link below:

Does this appear as a clickable link to you? No need for "" or other magical characters. Just paste the damn URL in.

[salty]

The are used for long links to prevent them from wrapping and breaking. The forces the link all on one line, regardless of word wrap settings on individual browsers or newsreaders.

[ransley]

I found one online, its a site that sells different units, i will try to find it but changing search wording may do it at google, like, digital converter reviews, DTV box reviews, converter box reviews. One site has reception tests and I am sure the more expensive box was best Tivax, Channel Master, any they make antennas anyway.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/5/2009 10:59 AM [e-mail] spake thus:

Totally unnecessary if one uses a non-brain-damaged news/mail client like Thunderbird, which doesn't molest long lines containing URLs like Outhouse Express does.

[salty]

Well, if you are only posting the link for yourself, then that makes perfect sense. If you are posting it for others, who may have a wide variety of different ways of reading usenet, then it's an entirely different matter. What YOU use for a newsreader is of no consequence.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/5/2009 11:25 AM [e-mail] spake thus:

Not sure about that. Here's why: the problem with posting links with OE is that it breaks links *in the posted message*. Thunderbird doesn't do this (I see you're using Forte Agent, and I assume Forte doesn't do this either). But what about reading messages? I don't know for sure, but my guess is that a properly-posted (i.e., non-broken) URL will read correctly even in a brain-damaged program like OE. In other words, if I post a long link, like this:

users who are reading this with OE should still be able to click on the link.

Is this correct? or does OE break links even when reading them?

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/5/2009 10:31 AM larry spake thus:

That jibes with my experience w/the Zenith DTT901. Picture quality using RF was marginal, maybe not as good as regular analog: composite video quality is much, much better.

[gfretwell]

These are going to be like the "UHF converters" they sold in the 50s. They will quickly become obsolete as the market catches up to the technology and they will be 50 cents in garage sales. I bet that may actually come sooner since a lot of people with cable or satellite bought 2 simply because they were virtually "free" with the coupon. I have cable but I got one since our cable is out during and after the most minimal tropical storm. It seems to work fine with a little UHF loop antenna.