I have just added a new digital converter to the to the trailer to avoid the Feb. rush.
The install went very well. I have added the converter inline with the trailer antenna and in parallel with my Directv. After the install I tested it out on the Phila. stations with a few surprises. While I did expect to receive the additional channel that most stations are now broadcasting, channel 3 has a total of 3 channels network, a news and a weather channel, I did not realize that all the stations in the Phila. area were not yet broadcasting in digital with enough strength for me to pick them up in Princeton, 45 miles away. I talked to the Zenith and they explained that not all stations are up to full power yet so reception will vary as I travel for a while.
Given that Zenith has built in a analog pass through in the box that allows current analog signals to pass through to the tv. Thus with the converter turn off I can receive those weaker local channels in analog format.
The attached picture shows the Directv box along with the digital box strapped in place ready to travel. One nice thing with digital box control is it will be able to control both the tv and the digital box reducing the weight in controls I haul around.
Like most everybody else I am still sitting on the middle of the fence on this one. We watch so little TV when camping and none when we boondock, I'm not sure what we are going to do. I really don't want to add yet another gizzmo to the array of stuff we already have onboard. I know the converter box is only $125 but to keep everything clen and simple we may just upgrade our flatscreen.
__________________ J. Rick Cipot Sandi Gould NEUNew England Unit Airstream Life Magazine WBCCI #3411 AIR #17099
Like most everybody else I am still sitting on the middle of the fence on this one. We watch so little TV when camping and none when we boondock, I'm not sure what we are going to do. I really don't want to add yet another gizzmo to the array of stuff we already have onboard. I know the converter box is only $125 but to keep everything clen and simple we may just upgrade our flatscreen.
Gosh, I didn't think the converter boxes were that pricey. I'd recalled hearing somewhere in the $30-$40 range, possibly with a rebate coupon from the Gov't.
Gosh, I didn't think the converter boxes were that pricey. I'd recalled hearing somewhere in the $30-$40 range, possibly with a rebate coupon from the Gov't.
The box after the is about $20.00 after the TV Converter Box Coupon that the Government is offering. 1 888 388 2009
We're pretty much in the same boat as rickandsandi: We watch little TV while on trips, and when we do, we use a tiny little 12-volt black-and-white thing with 5" screen that my parents handed down to us years ago. The digital converter would only become worthwhile if we also upgrade the TV as well, methinks.
Speaking of which, I wonder if there is a digital converter made to run on 12 volts.
Doing a little research it appears each household is entitled to one or two coupons if you do not subscribe to a cable, dish, or optic serive-
As of January 1, 2008, all U.S. households are eligible to request up to two coupons, worth $40 each, to be used toward the purchase of up to two, digital-to-analog converter boxes. For more details on the federal regulations, including the budget information, please see theTV Converter Box Coupon Program Rules.
Checking todays current costs I'm finding DTA Boxes from $49 to $70 which is lot cheaper than they were six months ago. What I also learned is that not all DTA Boxes are eligable for the $40 coupon. So now that I have spent about an hour looking into this and sure to find more red tape if I were to go any further I think we will just watch DVD's from now on.
__________________ J. Rick Cipot Sandi Gould NEUNew England Unit Airstream Life Magazine WBCCI #3411 AIR #17099
There is one unmentioned benefit in going digital -- the "extra" stations. In Miami you get, for example, channel 6 with the normal programming and channel 6-2 which is full time weather. The PBS station has three sub-channels (one is spanish). All told the broadcast spectrum has about twice the variety in digital vice analog and the full time weather is handy.
Presently on the road and have discovered that having digital available is hit or miss, some stations just aren't there yet. In addition, with digital you either have a superb, cable quality picture or an unusable, breaking up and audio-less picture - no watching a usable but less than ideal picture like you can in analog.
My Digital Stream converter cost me my $40 coupon plus $21.10 (half was shipping). It weighs about 6 ounces so weight is not a problem.
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