For those unfamiliar on February 2009, analog tv will no longer work and you will need either a digital tv or a converter box. Thankfully the US Gov. has set up a program that will let you get a discount of $40 toward a converter box. So I decided to sign up and I got 2 $40 coupon for a DTV converter from the government, presumably from the 100s of dollar we pay to tax. The real price was $59 but with the $40 coupon it was obviously $19. But after tax, the total cost ended up at ~$25. So in the end a portion of their gift was sent back to them. But I digress, So here is a simple video of the un-boxing narrated by ATT Labs text to voice for bonus nerd points.

The Setup

So the setup was quite simple. They give you a quick start guide and a full manual. You will need a basic rabbit ear antenna. They give you all the needed cable. You have your choice of coaxial or RCA. If I were you I would use the RCA one, rumor and logic has it that it works better. Right after setting up it will automatically search for channel. I substantially got more channel but sadly lost one, ABC. Although mileage may vary.

The Remote

A remote and the required also comes in the box. The remote is simple to use and easy enough to use without a manual. Except for its “TV Power” button. I had to read the manual to learn how to program it, but it was quite easy to program. All you have to do is press the button and press the channel up button until your TV turns on and that’s it. No need for silly number codes. It takes a while to get use to though. I keep forgetting to turn off one of the other when I started using it.

The Remote Diagram

The Features

The box has a power and a channel button on its face and that’s about it. Most of the features are easily controlled using the buttons on the remote. The box has an on screen signal guide that can help you adjust your antenna for the most optimal signalage. The signal guide also produces beeps that will help you hear the signal if for some reason you can’t see your TV screen, like if your antenna is on your roof.

There is also the SAP button to change language (English/Spanish). There is the zoom button that changes the ratio/ size of the tv broadcast relative to your TV (cropped /squeezed /set by program/Letter Box / Program) I personally prefer cropped because I like to use all of my screen real estate. There is the display button that shows you current channel, date, time, programming details, and much more. Then there is the menu button to set up stuff like your channels, CC settings and blocking system (TV Ratings). There is also a guide button that will show you the current program and the next one for each channel. There is of course the CCD button that will select your Close Captioned settings (CC 1-4, Text 1-4, Service 1-6).

Complaints

One of the few complaints I have so far is that Changing channel lags almost for about a second which makes channel surfing almost impossible or annoying. I don’t know if this happens to all Digital converter box, but I sure don’t like it. Thankfully there is the guide button that can most of the time substitute for it. But sometimes I still like to do things the ol’ fashion way because you should never judge a program by its title. Right?

The sound is also really small. I had to pump up my TV’s volume to hear the sound. Other buyers also complains on this. So if your TV can’t increase the volume much, this converter isn’t for you.

Another minor complaint is I would like a button that turns off everything. I mean it’s not often that you will turn off your box without turning off your TV. I don’t know if that is technically possible to do simultaneously without adding another sensor, but I wouldn’t mind if it sends the signal right after each other.

Final Judgment

If you’re budget conscious or living frugally, you might want to hold off a little longer on ordering the coupon and wait until converters get even cheaper. For those who don’t mind adopting early I would consider buying and start enjoying the benefits of DTV. This box serves its purpose well enough to keep. It’s not the best certainly, but it works.

If you’re considering another converter, I suggest making sure that it has an RCA output. Also consider sticking with internet TV services like hulu, joost, bittorrent, or channels specific site. Like I said in my last post, currently I have an old computer running on Puppy linux to stream Hulu in my dinning room.

I give it a 7/10. Just average, not poor, nor excelling.

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