[DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

[Random]

Okay, okay. Leave the condescension and snickering outside of this thread.

It's now less than a year before all analog-only TVs will show nothing but snow.

And while I do not object to the option of satellite and cable services to carry digital broadcast programming to customers, there are those who still want FREE OTA TV.

So, I'm opening up this information-gathering thread on getting the best working digital-to-analog converter box for your buck (and government coupon).

Also, a place to ask weird questions like: "If I connect the [insert brand and model] converter box to my TV via coaxial/RF/antenna, will I have not only good picture (as best as analog TV can deliver) but also good stereo sound (again as best as hi-fi analog TV can deliver)?

I know through dowloading a user manual for the Insignia (coupon-eligible) converter box being sold at Best Buy, you can only get stereo sound through the TV's RCA A/V composite input. I can't sacrifice one of the inputs on my TV unless I have to spend at least $40 for a video switcher.

I also notice that some of the boxes now available don't even have RF bypass for showing analog broadcast channels (outside of vacant channel 3 or 4, depending where you live). Again, I would have to drop $ for a video switcher.

If anyone know if there are good converter boxes down the line, please post it here as well as where it is being sold in Hawai'i.

P.S. Yes, this thread accept box recommendation that can [only] be purchased online too, even though that option is not open to me personally.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

Heck if you can you want to go either HDMI, Optical or Coax digital audio and let your TV do the conversion if your TV can take a digital audio signal.

If you have an older TV with only analog AV inputs then it won't matter how good your converter box is as the reproduction is done in your TV set.

But if you're watching HD you may as well take advantage of the surround sound capabilities a particular converter box can provide. So find a converter box that will output sound digitally to your surround sound system. The two standard digital outputs are going to be either optical or coaxial to a modern surround sound system.

My TV set has a digital tuner built in for off the air digital signals and it also has a crapload of outputs (both analog and digital) to go to my Sony surround sound system that uses a Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding system.

[Random]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

If you have an older TV with only analog AV inputs then it won't matter how good your converter box is as the reproduction is done in your TV set.

What? You couldn't tell from opening this thread that I have analog-only TV?

[craigwatanabe]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

What? You couldn't tell from opening this thread that I have analog-only TV?

AHEM...there are older analog TV sets that have only RF inputs and 75-ohm at that.

[Random]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

AHEM...there are older analog TV sets that have only RF inputs and 75-ohm at that.

And there are older TV sets in my hanabutta days that only have 300-ohm flat-lead input. I don't know if they have that on TVs with hi-fi stereo sound, but since my dad's current TV (purchased in the early 90's) can pick up stereo sound even though it connects to the old antenna with 300-ohm flat lead wire (through a little converter; the TV have 75-ohm coaxial RF input), it shouldn't be a problem sending hi-fi audio signal through it.

That's why I don't understand why Insignia box can only offer mono audio through through RF connection.

[SusieMisajon]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

Wow! For once, I feel more modern than the US. My internet provider gave me a free box and fifteen meters of cable and now we have 200 TV channels...and if I want to go to the pay stations, I can do so from my internet, without the need for a satellite dish or an antennae or a new TV or a bought box.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

That's why I don't understand why Insignia box can only offer mono audio through through RF connection.

Well I guess to answer your original post, there must be better converter boxes out there. It would be ubsurd to believe that a digital converter box wouldn't output RF stereo. But then if the box were cheap enough, I guess it could happen.

Heck even the cheapest VCR's with RF passthru's allow for RF stereo so I'd assume at this point that even the RF output should carry a stereo audio signal unless the operating manual specifically indicates it won't.

[GregLee]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

Here is a thread discussing whether any of the converter boxes provides RF stereo, and the answer given is "no".

[GregLee]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

This at Wikipedia compares some converters, though it doesn't help with the question you asked.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

Here is a thread discussing whether any of the converter boxes provides RF stereo, and the answer given is "no".

One of the posters there (JK77) did indicate in his post that the Insignia can switch between stereo and mono but when using the RF connections the stereo "setting" is softer. So his statement tells me there is a stereo/mono setting on the RF output.

[GregLee]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

So his statement tells me there is a stereo/mono setting on the RF output.

It tells me that the stereo/mono setting switches between stereo and mono on the red+white RCA outputs but does not give stereo on the RF output.

[Random]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

HERE'S a matrix/table of CECB (coupon-eligible convert boxes) that have (or have not) additional features

[Random]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

Well I guess to answer your original post, there must be better converter boxes out there.

Yeah, but they're coming out later in the year.

My concern is whether our stores will carry more options for converter boxes as their stock of TV brands.

[Random]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

HERE'S the NTIA-approved list of minimum requirement for CECB Program.

Part of me think the requirement is a joke. No wonder companies won't make CECB with stereo RF output.

Sheesh! FWIW, at least the $40 coupon would offset my having to purchase a $40 video switcher.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: [DTV] Best Converter Box in Hawai'i?

It tells me that the stereo/mono setting switches between stereo and mono on the red+white RCA outputs but does not give stereo on the RF output.

This is directly from that forum, if you read it JK77 says that there is a stereo setting in the RF mode:

Yes, they will provide the separate L/R channels. The Insignia box offers the ability to change between stereo and mono, but using the RF connection, the only noticable difference is the sound is softer on the stereo setting.

So there you have it.