The Digital TV (DTV) Transition coming up February 19^th, 2009 can be a bit confusing. People are unsure if their television sets will be ready for the transition or if they’ll have to upgrade their systems. Unfortunately, for some consumers, they’ll have to buy a digital converter box beforehand, so that they can continue to enjoy free over-the-air broadcast TV. In this article I’ll examine digital converter boxes, what you need to consider before buying one, and which devices people are suggesting.

Before running to your nearest Walmart and buying the first converter box you find, it’s important to figure out whether you actually need one or not. Digital TV Facts provides a great Q&A for answering questions about understanding the digital transition and about digital converter boxes.

Consumers that have satellite or cable service will not have to worry about buying a digital converter box. Satellite signals are already broadcasted in digital. Plus, cable providers are not required to convert analog signals into digital.

Furthermore, some TVs, DVDs, and VCRs already have the ability to receive digital broadcast signals. The technology that makes this possible is called a digital tuner. It takes the digital broadcast signal and converts it into something the TV can understand.

To determine if your device has a digital tuner, check the outside box or the user manual for labels or markings that say "Integrated Digital Tuner, "Digital Tuner Built-In," "Digital Receiver," "DTV," "ATSC," or "HDTV." However, if it says "Digital Monitor," "HDTV Monitor," "Digital Ready," or "HDTV Ready," this means that the device is capable of playing digital content but does not have a digital tuner already built-in.

Now that you’ve decided whether or not you need a DTV converter box, you just need to figure out which one you want to buy. Consumer Reports released a great chart comparing different devices that appeared on the government coupon based on a set of criteria.

The most important criterion to consider when buying a converter box is the picture quality. The device should be able to produce DVD-like quality on most signal strengths. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get high definition quality through a digital converter. The HD signal is converted down to standard definition signal.

In addition, you should also examine its digital tuner. Some devices offer a signal strength indicator to let the user know when it’s experiencing a weak or strong signal on the channel their viewing. Plus, even on weaker signal strengths, the tuner should be able to produce a clear continuous picture.

Furthermore, you should obviously consider the price. Most converter boxes range from $50 to $80. However there are some more higher-end models that $200 or more. They’ll offer special features, like DVD recording. Yet, these expensive models are supported by the government’s $40 coupon.

For more information about what to look for in a digital converter box and which devices people are talking about, check out the second part of this article, Digital TV converter boxes: what to look for, what to buy.

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Entry was posted on Saturday, July 5th, 2008 at 10:42 am under Technology, Tips and advice.

Read more entries by TJ Kirchner.
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