What is a Digital to Analog
Converter Box?

A digital television (DTV) Converter Box is also known as a set top box. It is an electronic device that converts the free over-the-air digital signal into an analog signal viewable on older "analog" television set.

The digital to analog set top box connects your antenna or rabbit ears to your TV set.

It will allow you to continue watching TV after February 17, 2009, the day the transition to "all digital" takes place.

If you currently use an antenna or rabbit ears to receive your over-the-air programming, you will still need it after you install a set top box.

Everyone needs a converter box in an emergency even if you have cable or satellite, unless you have a TV set with a digital tuner.

In a storm, when the cable or satellite goes out, (if you don't have a TV set with a digital tuner) you won't be able to hook up your rabbit ears to your TV set to get local weather and news without a converter.

When you lose power, a portable TV is a great choice. Old portable TVs without digital tuners won't work. You will need a new portable digital TV.

A digital to analog converter box will not give you a digital picture on an analog TV set. Analog TV sets using the set top boxes will show digital broadcasts, but not in the full picture quality of digital TV. However, your picture will be better than it was with the old analog signal.

Technically speaking about picture quality: The reason the picture quality won’t be as good on an analog TV set is because of the display resolution. Analog TV screens aren’t designed to display the same level of picture quality and resolution that is found in the digital TV signal.

A digital to analog converter box will not convert your analog TV set into a high definition TV, also known as a HDTV. You will need to buy a high definition TV set for that. Analog televisions are not capable of displaying in high-definition resolution, but the picture will generally be better with a converter.

The Federal Communications Commission has required Closed Captioning capability in digital to analog converters. This will ensure that Closed Caption services will continue to be available as the transition from analog to digital broadcasting progresses.

To help with the cost of the converter boxes, which will be about $40 to $80, each household in America can request up to two coupons worth $40 each from the government to use toward the purchase of a CECB or Coupon-Eligible Converter Box.

The Coupon Program will accept coupon requests from January 1, 2008 until March 31, 2009.

Important information regarding converter box refunds: You will not be able to receive cash or credit for the coupon amount, but you can receive cash or credit for any amount you paid out of pocket, if the store policy permits. If the retail store permits exchanges, you can exchange the box you purchased for another CECB.

We are getting many questions about the additional features on some of the boxes. Here is the link to a matrix that indicates which boxes have analog pass-through, S-video, Smart Antenna, longer EPGs etc.

Analog Pass-Through Feature

We will not post reviews of the CECBs by non-professionals because it is too subjective. You can find that type of information on Internet forums discussing the topic.

Consumer Reports has reviews of the Magnavox TB100MW9,
Insignia NS-DXA1, and Zenith DTT900.

Important information: We are getting a lot of questions about the boxes and what features they have. All CECBs must have the same basic, NTIA required features. Some of those boxes have additional features that are allowed by the NTIA.

There are many great features such a QAM tuner, Component Outputs and HDMI Connections that are NOT included in the CECBs. There are several other boxes on the market that do have these added features, but you can't use the coupons.

You may choose to purchase a non-coupon eligible converter box with additional features that do not have the NTIA limitations.  These features may include:

• QAM tuner to receive digital cable signals.
• Component output for resolutions higher than standard video.
• HDMI output for High-Definition. (HDTV)
• Digital Optical output to connect to home theater systems.
• Dolby Digital output for theater quality sound.
• Antenna (RF) pass-through to allow analog signals to the TV.
• Selectable DTV Output Formats (1080i/720p/480p/i).
• Programmable Remote Control.

Two new Zentech models will be introduced in about 6 weeks, the DF2010 (Made in China) and the DF2020 (assembled in the USA) both will have analog pass through capability.

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