DTV Converters Which One To Buy?
By Gene Harlan - WB9MMM Email: atvq@hampubs.com 5931 Alma Dr. What is the digital transition? Rockford, IL 61108
Beginning February 17, 2009, the government is requiring that digital over-the-air broadcasts replace analog broadcasts. What does that mean? After February 17, 2009, analog TVs will no longer be able to receive programming unless their owners do one of the following: 1. Subscribe to a satellite or cable TV service 2. Purchase a digital-to-analog converter box 3. Purchase a new digital TV but it was worth it. For fringe reception it can't be beat. Teamed it with a Winegard AP 8780 Chromstar 2000 preamp (28db gain on UHF and 17 on VHF). Zenith must be sure of this box because they even resurrected their old slogan on the shipping box "The Quality Goes In Before the Name Goes On". ____________________________________________
I have been looking over my choices for a digital-TV converter box and found that most of them seem to be using an LG decoder chip. Specifically, the LGDT1111D decoder is used with a Sanyo UBA800AL tuner in the Zenith DTT900, Insignia NS-DXA1, Microprose MPI-500 and Digital Stream DTX9900 and I suppose Well, by now you may have your $40 coupons from the governthe `9950 also. This latter also has analog pass through. The Zement (if not go to https://www.dtv2009.gov/ ). Pay attention to nith, Insignia and Microprose also come out of the LG factory. the fact that they expire after 90 days. Now, which one to buy? An advantage of the DTX9900 is that it has a universal remote, I started my research by paying attention to what others were say- which might come in handy. Apparently the Sanyo tuner is the most sensitive, though some boxes are using an LG TDVGing on different forums. These comments do not reflect my HD51F tuner or MicroTune MT2131. Also it would seem that thoughts, only the writers. Some comments that I ran across: the Magnavox TB100MG9, which also uses the Sanyo tuner, may __________________________________________ be the same as the Philco TB100HH9, as they are both made by Funai. At this point I am considering buying the Zenith from CirRCA Model DTA800B1 cuit City, Insignia from Best Buy, or Digital Stream from Radio Shack. They all have pretty good user review and sell for the Has anyone tried this convertor box yet? same $59.99. Will let y'all know what happens. Some of our "older" viewership stated that this thing is located at ___________________________________________ Wally World ( Walmart ) for $49.99. Tonight I saw the future, and my eyes were opened to the impact. He wanted to know how it worked before he went to buy it. He was still mad that he will have to pay $10.00 bucks for it too . Since 27 years ago he paid $2200.00 for his TV. It's ridiculous that he had to pay to watch television ..... ___________________________________________ A buddy who works for the nuclear industry has been interested in computers since high school, and ham radio in only the past three years. I looked inside his Honda Element, and found his 2-meter ham transceiver and a GPS on the dash. Between the seats I found that $49 DTV converter from Walmart. He's managed to run AC at 400 watts in the vehicle using a converter, and he's managed to get his scanner antenna to also feed the coax 'IN' of his DTV converter. The GPS monitor has a video 'IN' on the back... and voila...13 channels of TV, full-quieting, in his car!
I haven't personally tried the RCA, but others have reported it as being inferior. Stay away from Wally World, go to Circuit City or Radio Shack and pick up a Zenith DTT900, which I have personally tested. I've also tested the Channel Master CM-7000. It has S-video output as well as composite and RF outputs, the Zenith just has RF and composite video outputs. RF wise, the performance of the Zenith and the Channel Master are identical. The The audio comes in through his stereo system in the Element, and electronic program guide in the Zenith only shows the current and he's a properly trained storm chaser, and uses the DTV radar imagnext program, the Channel Master shows the current and the next es off a Green Bay station, to track storms real time! three shows. The remote control on the Zenith can be set up to turn the power on and off on most common TV sets, the Channel No ghosts, no cut-outs. 37 miles from the TV towers. Pretty impressive, and somebody's going to miniaturize this into one packMaster remote can only control the converter box. age soon, I can only imagine. ___________________________________________ Just had good luck with the newest Zenith Digital Converter Box, Mark Heller CBRE WTRW Inc. WGBW Radio Model DTT901, with analog feed through and a manufacture date of April 2008. It's eligible with the coupon, but is hard to get Two Rivers, WI due to it's popularity. I had to special order it and pay full price, Amateur Television Quarterly Page 1 www.hampubs.com
I apologize if this message is an annoyance, but the likelihood that this group is populated by cheap SOBs that don't have cable (like me) and who are geeky enough to have researched this ahead of me is too high to pass up the group as a source of information. If this is too much of an annoyance, please forgive me and delete it as deemed appropriate. The question is, which is the best (in your opinion) Digital TV Broadcast to Analog TV Converter box/device to get? I have already found this wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_CECB_units From which I have selected the Philco TB150HH9 and RCA DTA800B1 as the most likely candidates because that have "smart antenna" feature (and how can that be bad, what ever it means) and analog pass through (and how can that be bad, what ever it means).
The satellite TV people are being given 4 years to get the satellite signals converted, and that's a while. I'm also on a cable system, and in a complex where we aren't allowed dishes or antennas, and while the cable people say "don't worry about it", they haven't done anything about it yet, and we have 2 TV channels available who have converted, but they still come through in analog. They'd have to convert each channel input at the cable "head" with a converter box, or swap receivers, and it hasn't happened. We'll see what happens in the end! Dick, CET (I'm licensed TV tech!!) _________________________________________
I chose the Artec T3A Pro for one reason. It has a "barrel" type 12 vdc power outlet and the transformer is 500 ma. One of these is going into the Jeep project as a video source for the two LCD So, by best, I mean most cool features and highest sensitivity tun- ATV monitors. I was not able to find any other brand that had a DC input. er (you were getting analog broadcasts with snow but now the digital channel is crystal clear AND you are getting channels you They work great! Now to design a full time antenna for the Jeep. never even heard of before). ______________________________________________ Oh, and if its immune to TVI, that would be good to. Another place I found information was Also, if you know where your recommendation can be purchased, www.consumerreports.org . Search on "DTV converter box" please indicate said QTH. Walmart is rumored to have an RCA and you will find about 63 hits. Look for the article entitled "DTV DTA800 (however, I suspect this to be a dumber sibling of the B1 converters: Results of our tests of 14 models." unit mentioned above) and in any event, the 2 Walmart branches I ______________________________________________ went to over the past few days are sold out. My $40 government coupon is burning a hole in my pocket. So, your prompt assistance will be appreciated by me AND my over worked tailor (since I'm off the Atkins, there has been a lot of -let these out a bit-- type work) 73 WS8E ______________________________________________
And Now, The ATVQ Tests
So, after reading all the emails, what did I buy? I liked the idea of running the converter in the vehicle and decided to get the Artec T3A Pro since it had the 12 volt power plug along with the idea that a couple mention that reception is pretty good in a vehicle. The second one I got was the DTVPal by Dish Network. I thought it also had the 12 volt plug in the back (I had asked if it had a wall wart, and it did), but the wall wart that came with was 5 volt and a special plug. It also had analog pass through. So on with the features and the reviews.
First a comment.. This subject DOES impact ham radio, for in a larger city with multiple Digital TV stations, which are normally "megawatt" stations, the noise floor for VHF repeater inputs rises accordingly, for digital pulses are full of spectrum noise! In Portland, Oregon with channels 2, 6, 8, 10, and 12, and not all converted yet, it rose 20db! This translates out to a factor of some 120 times the original noise!
DTVPal by Dish Network
To answer your "which is best" question, so far I've checked Walmart and they carry only 2 kinds, and their site has customer reac- Taking this unit out of the box, I found the converter, 5 volt wall wart, cable with F connectors, remote control with batteries, and tions to what they think of each one!! the instruction book. Also, be advised that for each conventional analog channel number, there will be 4 sub channels! Thus, channel 2 dash 1, dash 2, Upon first power up it leads you to an automatic scan. I had not pointed the outside antenna to the local stations which would be dash 3, and dash 4! And in place of the square analog picture, it East, but left it where it was pointed North. Was I amazed. Not will be rectangular, by a 4 high, and by 7 wide factor. only did it pick up the local stations, but many out of Madison, WI as well. What it found were (antenna first pointed North and However, putting a Digital TV PCI card in your computer will the then towards Chicago): same thing!!
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Parental controls Block programs you deem inappropriate based on rating or channel Stereo audio output Enjoy enhanced sound when connected to your stereo TV Setup Wizard Automatic channel selection and easy setup
057-01 WBUW-HD 047-01 WMSN-TV 044-01 WSNS-DT 039-01 WQRF-DT 032-01 WFLD-DT 027-01 WKOW-DT 023-02 WIFR-Wx 023-01 WIFR-HD 021-05 WHA-HD 021-04 WPT4 021-03 WPT3 021-02 WPT2 021-01 WPT1 017-02 My Netw 017-01 WTVO-DT 015-02 WMTV-SD 015-01 WMTV-HD 013-02 TheCW 013-01 WREX-DT 005-02 NBC5WX 005-01 NBC5-DT 003-02 MyMad 003-01 WISC-DT Features claimed by the DTVPal are: Analog pass-through Switch between digital and analog channels with the push of a button On-screen program guide See what’s showing on every channel with the FREE on-screen program guide Event timer Set a timer to turn your DTVPal on and tuned to the desired channel before your favorite show starts playing Programming search Search by name for the shows you want to watch Alternative audio Receive second audio feed in alternate language (broadcaster dependent) Closed-captioning Easily turn on closed captions using your DTVPal remote control Amateur Television Quarterly
Rear Panel Features • 1 ATSC antenna input for over-the-air digital broadcasts • External power supply (”wall wart”) • A/V connections: 1 set RCA-type audio/video outputs 1 channel 3-4 modulated output
The Artec T3A-PRO
Then I hooked up the second one I bought, the Artec T3A-PRO and got the following stations:
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057-01 WBUW-HD 047-01 WMSN-TV 044-01 WSNS-DT 039-01 WQRF-DT 032-01 WFLD-DT 027-01 WKOW-DT 023-02 WIFR-Wx 023-01 WIFR-HD 017-02 My Netw 017-01 WTVO-DT 015-02 WMTV-SD 015-01 WMTV-HD 013-02 TheCW 013-01 WREX-DT 003-02 MyMad 003-01 WISC-DT Notice that it did not pick up channel 5 NBC out of Chicago and channel 21 WHA-HD out of Madison. With the DTVPal channel 5 NBC would pop in and out but it did have a picture. Features claimed by the Artec T3A-PRO are:
Signal Quality Indicator Sleep Mode For Power Saving Stereo Analog Audio Output Multi-Language Support Compact and Stylish Design Extra function Key (CH up/down, VOL up/down) Full Operation by Remote Control Tuner Input Terminal: Female 75 Ohm F-Type Connector Receiving Frequency: 57 ~ 861 MHz RF Channel: 2~69 Bandwidth: 6 MHZ Demodulator 8VSB Video Processing MPEG-2 Video Decoding (MP@ML, MP@HL) Input Format: Supports 18 Modes (1080p/1080i/720p/480p/480i) Output Format: NTSC 720x480i Composite Video Out
Tunes And Decodes All 18 Approved ATSC DTV Broadcast For- Audio Processing Dolby AC-3 Audio Decoding mats Digital Multi-Lingual Standard Definition NTSC 480i Output EPG (Electronic Program Guide) V-Chip Lock (Parental Controls) Closed Caption Closed Caption Digital CC (Comply with EIA-708-B), English/Spanish/ French Aspect Ratio Control In 4:3 And 16:9 Mode EPG On Screen Menu Current Program Display By Transparent Graphic Plane CH3/4 RF Output For Conventional Analog TV Set
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Power Input Voltage: 12V DC Power Consumption: 4.5W Max Power Adapter: Input: 100-240V~0.3A 50-60Hz, Output: 12V, 0.5A I/O Interface Top Panel: Power, Channel +/-, Volume +/Front Panel: IR Receiver, LED Indicator Rear Panel: DC in 12V RF in / Out Composite (RCA) Out (Yellow for Video Output, Red/White for Audio Output) Channel 3/4 RF Output Data Port So, why did I choose the two units as the units to test? I wanted one unit that would work from 12 volts (the Artec T3APRO) and I wanted one with analog pass through (the DTVPal). Why did I want these features? Work from 12 volts I like the idea of working mobile like what was mentioned above to watch the weather channels for storm spotters. Yes, you could do it with an inverter, but wanted to try one with 12 volts. Analog Pass Through I use a VCR to monitor our local ATV repeater (channel 57 cable - 421.25 MHz) and by having the analog pass through, I can switch back and forth without disconnecting wires or adding switches. Both units were easy to set up, but the DTVPal was the winner for me in my testing. The reason: 1. Analog pass through 2. More sensitive - picked up stations the Artec did not 3. Has on screen signal strength 4. Graphics more pleasing So, now you know which unit I favor. Below are some parting thoughts from Henry, AA9XW:
Only a tiny fraction of homes have emergency power to maintain a power hog big screen Plasma TV. DTV converter boxes will die with the power mains, along with cable TV (since a majority of that is now digital) and of course satellite TV. There will be no heroic TV weatherman sticking it out at the hurricane radar in the studio alone when everyone else has gone to shelters; no life saving information except from AM-FM radios that can hear an actual live local station that is not a satellite juke box outlet for some megabux Dallas or NYC based playlist computer. The national DEAS and WARN systems being put in by the government are only on PBS stations. The NTIA has been told to equip them with emergency power generators. That won't happen for 18 months or more. The WARN system is a low bit rate signal to take over the cell phones to relay an emergency message. But if cell service is out (Hey you folks in New Orleans, how long was cell service out .. days, weeks?) or shut down by overload or public official order what good will that do? So this might be a good time to cozy up to a local TV news station about a cooperative plan to use ham radio, ham-tv to get to analog TV sets, or set up your emergency networks for more than Field Day or an SEC event. You might want to start in Carolina where the FCC has decided to turn off analog TV during the hurricane season in September to test DTV and the effects of turning off analog. Then again, maybe write your congressman and ask them or the FCC to delay turning off analog TV until the technology for cheap portable DTV battery TV sets has saturated the market. The next big black out will be brought to you courtesy of government mandate. Make sure you have a flashlight to see your PC screen in the dark. I'm stocking up on sticks and wet blankets for smoke signals. Henry AA9XW
ATVQ
YOUR COMMUNITY IS IN JEOPARDY
On Feb 17th, 2007 essentially all TV broadcast will be digital , except for those thousands of low power stations carrying some satellite delivered religious or juke box program with no local input. That means you have likely lost ALL emergency communication from the TV broadcasters. Check it, all the DTV sets need AC power. When the AC power goes out, so does cable TV, satellite TV, over the air TV. All those millions of battery powered portable TV sets will be worthless. Might as well toss them in the trash or the ham shack. The few battery power DTV sets from RS/Best Buy don't have much range, a lousy direct conversion front end, lots of intermod and other problems. You can use the USB port on the laptop, provided you have enough batteries or external emergency power source to run it for days and a USB port DTV tuner.
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