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
Zenith DTT900 is fine. I bought 2 and like them
Is it one w/ analog passthru???
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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
And the payback period for a $500 27" generic flat panel that replaces a working-fine 27" glass Sony Trinitron is how long, exactly? Make the math easy- figure 4 hours on-time per day.
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I got the one from radio shack. digital stream. analog passthrough. works great.
On 8/28/2008 5:40 PM dpb spake thus:
According to the sheet I got from the TV converter box coupon agency, that one does have analog passthrough (both the 900 and the 901).
Thanks, I got the sheet somewhere, too, just nice to have confirmation from someone it seems to be a decent box...
I got the coupons but ain't done nuttin' w/ 'em as yet...
I'm expecting when the switchover comes to have nothing anyway as suspect the signal strength will be too low at the far fringe area we're in. I guess at that point I'll just be back to the 50s again...sometimes "progress" ain't alto I guess there's always the possibility of being surprised...
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Hang an antenna from a tethered balloon, and just crank out the rope when you want to watch TV?
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Yup, When projector lamp goes it's not xheap either. LCD panel has back lighting lamp as well. By the time you saved enough there'll be better panels out. Currently 1080P Plasma or 1080P 120Hz LCD panel and organic LED TV are at the top. All pricy.
To locate your stations and their signal strength, go to
I know _where_ they are; they're not building anything new.
The stations say they don't know if signal strength will be sufficient or not and they have no plans to do anything about outlying areas if it isn't when asked.
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"Leroy" wrote in news:xzKtk.20680$ snipped-for-privacy@nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com:
Nice link. Lots of detailed info. Thanks for posting it.
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
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
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 bastard 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
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
Jerry wrote: ...
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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