DTV converters dont work

[paulgingrich]

I finally got one of them DTV converters. I plugged it into the outlet and turned it on. Nothing happened at all. I just get the same channels I had before. I took it back to the store and got another one. Same problem, nothing happens. I already know what I am going to do with this one. On the 4th of July I am going to take it out to our fireworks picnic, put several powerful fireworks under it and let it explode in honor of the government who sent me the $40 coupon I used to get it. It's just too bad I had to waste another $20 on this useless junk. When they shut off our tv sets on midnight next New Years eve, I'll just celebrate the new year by blowing up my tv with some more fireworks in honor of the crooks in Washington who stole our tv programs. Leave it to the government to screw up our lives.

[jthread]

If this is screwing up your life you watch too much TV. Use this as an opportunity to read a book all the way through! And you'd think GW would be more sensitive to your needs.

[Andy]

I think a book on English grammar might be a good suggestion....

[jthread]

101 I got an A and 102 I got a C. I took 102 over the summer. Anyway, I didn't know this was a test professor. In other words, f*ck off. Did you understand that?

[Claude Hopper]

Might as well blow it up, nothing but commercials on it anyway. They probably hate to interrupt their commercials with programming.

[jthread]

With all the product placement in regular programming it's hard to tell the difference between the shows and the commercials.

[freckles]

Just what did you expect from the converter box?

I understand it will allow you to continue receiving TV AFTER all TV broadcasting has gone to HD.

It will not receive more channels than you already have and it will not show them in HD unless you have an HDTV.

Don

[ransley]

Try plugging in the tv to the box

[dnoyeB]

It will receive more channels if your local stations are broadcasting more. It will receive less if they are broadcasting less.

Try to remember to put it on channel 3 if your TV works that way.

CL

[Mark Lloyd]

Apparently, a really large number of those RCA and Magnavox boxes sold at Wal-Mart (including the one I tried) were defective. I've been in

2 stores recently, and they're not selling them anymore.

[Mark Lloyd]

I don't like shows that do that.

BTW, I'm reminded of an old show called "Wild Kingdom".

[Mark Lloyd]

Which is something that it likely to never happen.

[Cheri]

And...as if all those commercials weren't bad enough, all those pop up ads during the programming is enough to make one crazy. I really don't watch much TV these days, but while we're complaining, how about all those loud, intrusive sound tracks that are so popular with just about every movie that is made, and one more...DVD's that don't allow you to FF through previews. :-)

Cheri

[MikeMarr via HomeKB.com]

Broadcasting is going over to digital, HD is an option.

[Rudy]

Its not supposed to do anything now. Next year when the analog signals cease and broadcast is only in digital, thats when you'll see what it does. If you have satellite or cable, you don't need the box anyway..You only need one for a regular (pre-digital) TV getting its signal thru an antenna.

[Mark Lloyd]

It IS supposed to do something if any stations around you are broadcasting digital (ATSC) signals. There's a lot of places that do. I'm not in a big market, but there's still 4 channels (8 if you count the subchannels). That's ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, 2 independents, and continuous weather.

BTW, the Magnavox unit I tried didn't work right (and it thinks it can get a channel that doesn't exist) but the Zenith works fine.

[Gary H]

It might work better connected to your antenna. On the ones I have, you don't get anything without an antenna connected to the DTV converter. You can most likely use the antenna you already have (that is, if you have an antenna).

Then, connect it to the TV. There's the channel3/4 output, but if possible use the better baseband connection (white/red/yellow RCA jacks).

Very few of these converters will do that.

You need better locks on your doors, where they can't break in :-)

What calendar would that be, where New Years Eve is in February?

Of course you don't have a DVD player or VCR, or even an internet connection.

How about binoculars (watch a neighbor's TV)?

That, they do.

[Harry L]

A DTV converter is a "faith based" device. You have to be 100% convinced it will work before it does anything. The fact that you're getting the old channels indicates a strong sense of doubt is interfering with the functioning of the converter. Nearly every community offers free public brainwashing services to help you get digital TV. If you need help locating a facility, post your mailing address and someone will help you.

[Bernardo Gui]

Nope. Several of our local channels are already broadcasting in digital and HD, so the set-top converters are already doing what they are designed to do.

BG

[larry moe 'n curly]

I bought four RCA converters (by Thomson) from Wal-mart, and they all work fine, whether I use the RF output or the direct video outputs. Are you sure you made the right antenna and TV connections and tuned the TV to the right channel or input? If you're using RF output and the converter box has a pass-through, you don't want the TV's antenna input connected to the pass-through or all you'll get are the analog channels.