In less than 45 minutes I am going to hit the air for Chicago Tonight talking about yet another Digital Television story. I am going to briefly mention portable TVs, which will be greatly affected by the transition (check out my story on portable TVs, which is already on this blog).
While doing an internet search I found a converter box that is portable, and is sanctioned by the Federal Government's $40 Coupon Program. It is made by a company called Winegard. The model number is RDCT09A. You can order a $15 battery pack that you can use only with this converter box. Check it out at http://www.winegarddirect.com/viewitem.asp?p=WDRC-DT09A. If I can get permission to order one these boxes, I will try to test it out. This could save you from having to throw out your portable TVs.
While doing an internet search I found a converter box that is portable, and is sanctioned by the Federal Government's $40 Coupon Program. It is made by a company called Winegard. The model number is RDCT09A. You can order a $15 battery pack that you can use only with this converter box. Check it out at http://www.winegarddirect.com/viewitem.asp?p=WDRC-DT09A. If I can get permission to order one these boxes, I will try to test it out. This could save you from having to throw out your portable TVs.
Labels: DTV Transition
posted by Christian Farr at
4:51 PM
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3 Comments:
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I know it was probably easier for you and the staff to pick up a ready source like that CNET review than to do your own research, but the viewers ultimately lost out because CNET's selection of converters are not necessarily the brands or models that are available in our area. For instance, you went along with CNET's negative review of the Apex model DT205, when that particular one is no longer sold here. You could have found this out by assigning the research to a couple of tech savvy interns. I posit that consumers are not going to select some model based just on your reviews and then go from store to store or across the Web to find one of those for sale. Instead, most consumers would go to the stores that they already know and see if the brands and models sold there meet their needs. So why not provide your guidance to viewer/consumers with that in mind? Review the models are we can purchase in Chicago area stores.
Maybe I can save you (and any interns) a bit of shoe leather by listing what I've found available at local electronics retailers. My search began last July and I shared the knowledge I gained at that time in a series of lengthy e-mails to my friends and family. Two of these converters I've had first-hand use with too.
Best Buy - Insignia NS-DXA1-APT (It's gotten so-so reviews), and the Apex DT502 (This is the model I highly recommend. It is a totally different model than the one CNET trashed in your "review")
Circuit City - Zenith DTT900 or DTT 901 (Reviews show this to be a middle-of-the-road model)
Target - Venturer STB7766G, and the Sansonic FT-300A (Besides the newer Apex, I've installed and used this model too. It is a good, but not great model for most users)
Radio Shack - Zenith DTT900, and the Digital Stream DTX9950
Sears - Dish Networks' DTVPal
Walmart - Magnavox TB100MW9, and the RCA DTA800
Apt Electronics - Zenith DTT900 But I suspect this is a very minor part of their business.
Another big reason many of your viewers may like the Apex DT502 (besides that it's the only box available here that has a S-Video out -- your tech guys will tell you why that's a plus) is that they don't need to pay full price ($59.99) at Best Buy for it. That's because CompUSA (online only) has discounted $19.98 off of that retail price, leaving the remainder to be paid by your $40 government coupon and one penny!!:
http://www.compusa.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4266271
In this same show you also answered a inquiry about using the old analog VCR. I actually think you should get your tech folks involved and have a separate full segment on how to time-shift record the new digital signal. Right now, unless you subscribe to Tivo or another such DVR service, the options are tedious and not like the convenience we had in the analog days. And many people (like me) spent a good deal of time learning how to get "time-shift" recording to come out right. Very little of that now can be applied with the digital converter boxes in the mix. For instance, while you can still set your VCR to record at a certain time and for a set length, you can no longer coordinate that setting with any channel selection. Effectively restricting time-shift recordings to just a single set channel. There is no time-shifting (on-off-channel change) possible with any converter box that I know of). This is truly something that will stump even your most tech comfortable viewers. We all need to know the limited options we have right now until those first consumer friendly (and no subscription) digital recorders make it to market. And what do you hear from the manufacturers about when and if we can expect to see these? It is a gaping hole in the offerings at the electronics stores.
The last thing I find that WTTW seems to be avoiding in the DTV discussion is, when are the two Sunday newspapers (The Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Times) going to list the new digital channel choices that we who have already converted over are looking for. Both of their Sunday TV guides are still listing just the analog channels. Are they really going to wait until that last week to do their switchover? Is it any wonder then why the public regards them as so behind-the-times when it comes to technology we can use?
Thanks,
dimsum, Chicago
Please don't get me started on these converter boxes.
I purchased the Zenith DT9901 (lucky me). It is the best I've seen so far. It allows me to manually add a channel. The RCA I purchased does not, and it’s awful.
A friend of mine has the DIGITALSTREAM. Let me make this plain and simple...."don't buy it."
None of these three boxes picked up CBS (channel 2). Unfortunately, even when I added channel 2 on my Zenith, it, at times, would not get a signal and would black out.
I read Dimsum’s positive review regarding the DT502. But Amazon’s reviews were all negative on that model. Yes, I was careful to make sure the model number was the same.
Depending on the channel you want to see, you’ll have to constantly adjust the antenna to get a clear signal on all three boxes above.
Susie B., Chicago
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