DTV Converters and Info

From AVSFORUM tests and a Consumer Reports blog, the 4 converters currently available rank as follows in terms of reception (with "1" being best):

I'll be buying based on digital reception capabilities - it doesn't make long-term sense to buy a box with analog pass-through (which will be useless in less than a year) if it cannot receive digital signals well.

Jean

To answer the last part of the question, regarding tracking url's for the rebate forms, I doubt anyone knows for sure. But I'd wager

Could you post the links? I checked the avsforum site and didn't see any front page links to the review.

I don't understand i thought the whole idea of these converters were to transfer digitally channels through an ota ( analog antennas )..why would they make the issue more confusing by making converters minus the anolog connections?

Low-power stations that a lot of bigger cities have are not required to convert to digital only. If you don't have a converter that will pass the low-powered analog signals thru, you won't get them. If you don't have such stations in your area, or don't watch them, it doesn't matter.

Translator stations (these rebroadcast some other station) are exempt too. However, there seem to be even fewer of those than low power stations.

snipped-for-privacy@invalid.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I noticed today that when I changed my TV from Ch.3 converter output to Ch.9,that the analog station was displayed,but very snowy compared to usual reception. the same happens for other channels.

Magnavox TB100MW9 converter. The MG9 has analog pass-thru. It's probably just an input relay and front panel switch that's the difference.

Heh. I was in a hurry and didn't research it enough, but -MW9 was apparently the only model the local Wally World carried, unless the boxes at the bottom of the stack were the other model. Best Buy had the Insignia model, which I passed on because it was ten bucks more. No matter- analog pass-through isn't a major problem, I just split the antenna, and feed the converter signal to the video inputs, with normal signal going to the RF. On the main TV with the satt box, DVD, VCR, etc, there was an open port on the mechanical switch box.

I'm pretty happy so far, but obviously need a better set of rabbit ears or roof antenna, to nail the channel 3 digital signal. All the others within 50 miles seem to come in okay.

aem sends...

note digital is either there or not or badly pixeled, that blocky look.

but at times when analog may have given you snow or ghosts digital may give you blank screen

Or just use a coax switch.

For the Consumer Reports blog:

The overall ranking of the 4 units is based on wading through hundreds of postings in the forum and two newsgroups. For the forum, look at the following threads:

Jean

Except in rural areas -- translators are the only transmitters we can get -- they're from 60-75 miles distant; the "real" stations are 225.

I'm figuring there's a good chance we'll be w/o any reception owing to the distance. :(

--

I don't need one, having no low power or translator stations I can get. However, I've seen them for sale in a lot of places that sell A/V accessories.

Wal-Mart has some now. I've gotten one at Lowe's. The one I use now is automatic (switching based on presence of video).

Don't spend $40 on a switch box.

Sometimes I see receivers that goes on sale for $150. You get a switch box plus a lot more. You can also look into your local craigslist for used receivers. You don't need to have extra speakers if you don't want to, just pipe the output to the TV. A lot of people are selling their otherwise fine receivers because it doesn't switch the digital video (hdmi), so you should be able to find something decent for $100 and will work well with your TV.

You can also look at

Raymond