in search of...... any box

Have you put your address information in at the bottom of the linked page and called your nearby retail stores to find one that stocks the brand you want?

https://www.mydtv2009.gov/VendorSearch.aspx

If those phone calls don't get the results you desire try the online and/or phone sellers listed on the same page.

Almost 3,000,000 other coupons have expired without use, a loss in value of more than $117,000,000 to those holding expired coupons.

If you get a young employee on the phone who says that they have them in stock, ask that one be held behind the counter for you. Be sure to get the employee's name, then if you find that he/she wasn't truthful, ask to speak to the manager.

Have you ruled out getting from an on-line store or ebay ?

Elsewhere on this forum on-line retailers have been documented, with prices and results. You can probably find one that takes your coupons yet this week.

Can you tell us what you want?

What style of EPG do you want?

Do you need Analog PassThru or S-Video?

Is cost your main factor?

The Cheapest one I know of is the Alpha Digital AT2016
1-866-819-9888 - it is $40 before coupon per unit and $10.15 to ship two of them.

Try looking at my EPG/prices thread to find a box.

I don't have all the boxes listed - like the one mentioned above and prices are not current.

Just remember you need to start looking NOW

Some of the stores need up to three days to redeem a coupon so don't wait for the last minute or you will loose the coupons under the NTIA "use it or loose it" program.

No need to burn your gas. Just call one of the 800 numbers for telephone orders listed on the dtv2009.gov website. Most of the better rated units are available from the listed phone or internet retailers. It's the no hassle / no gas way to use your CECB coupons.

If you want excellent PQ, sensitivity & pass-thru and low price: Zenith DTT-901 (Circuit City).

If you don't need the pass-thru, but want even better PQ & sensitivity and a better guide: Channel Master CM-7000 (Fry's and online).

If you want the best guide, pass-thru, and an event timer, but don't mind inferior PQ to both of the above, and sensitivity to the CM: DTVPal (online).

Hmm, Does the Zenith DTT-901 have better sensitivity than the DTT-900? I have both the Zenith DTT-900 and the DTVPal, and the DTVPal has better sensitivity, i.e. it pulls in one more fringe station that I can't get with my DTT-900.

Well, it's pretty close between the Pal and Zenith, I guess, so I'll amend that. Tuners can give different results in different situations. But the CM clearly outperforms them both here.

I only had the DTT-900 (LG tuner), but I returned it a few weeks ago, so I don't have it right here to compare head-to-head. So I'm kinda going on memory with that part. And I guess the atmospheric conditions could be different now. But I have the other two hooked up right now.

The Zenith is definitely the best box for the money, no doubt about that. The Pal might be worth it with all those features, but the lousy PQ negates all that, IMO.

Still, if you're just using it on a small analog set, I guess the DTVPal's PQ will suffice.

If you give your general area perhaps other posters will respond with local shopping tips.

I have two Zenith DTT901 and one DTT900 purchased at Circuit City and Bi-Mart stores in Portland Oregon. Some Radio Shack and Standard TV & Appliance have or had the Zenith. (Some Radio Shacks may have the Digital Stream.) A local Magnolia Audio Video store reports having the Zenith in stock. Some local Circuit City and Radio Shack stores will special order the DTT901 and redeem your coupons now for delivery a few days later. Inquire at the Customer Service counter.

If you don't see a converter box on display, ask for it!

Some Best Buy customers report that they couldn't find the Insignia or Apex, had to ask for them, and only then did a salesman go to retrieve stock from the back room. It's the same way at my neighborhood Fred Meyer store where one lone Philco (a toy-like plastic box) was observed sitting under a HD TV. The actual stock is kept in the back room. A local KMart had a fake mock-up of their Funai-made box (Magnavox, I think) for display purposes but one had to ask for the actual product. The local WalMarts have had the Magnavox and/or RCA.

If local stores have no stock try the online and phone sellers. No need to run from here to there to find converter boxes. Other threads relate good and bad customer experiences with these sellers. Choose your product and then choose your seller.

Was at local WM the other day & they had none (normally carry magnavox). Called RS DTV line & only had DTX 9950, not sure if/when they will get Zenith 901 which is my preference (APT required). Many local retailers listed on gov site have only off brands, "that's all I can get" or "none in stock" was a common response .

I think the demand was unanticipated. Have 3 more weeks on my coupons so maybe I can find what I want. The local CC closed 2 years ago.

Anybody know a retailer online/phone that stocks DTT901 & takes coupon?

I saw Zenith/LG recent PR that implied it would soon be available in quantity, hope that happens soon.

If you post your general location perhaps other posters may respond with nearby sources for the DTT901.

With three weeks left on your coupons you need not settle for less desirable brands/models.

Watching Zenith serial number ranges it appears that more than a half million Zeniths are being produced each month.

Another thread reports that the Insignia analog pass through model (the Zenith DTT901 clone) is "coming soon" to Best Buy. In my area there are twice as many Best Buy stores as CC stores. Local Best Buy stores aren't selling converter boxes in the kind of volume that CC is so BB Insignia stock is older (pre April 2008 production with the audio problem). The CC warehouse serving our four local CC stores has 13,000 DTT901 in stock but held back from retail sale until the DTT900 models have sold out. Nevertheless the DTT901 may be special ordered at the CC Customer Service counter. Perhaps you have friends or relatives with a convenient nearby CC store.

A quick look at the NTIA website finds http://www.watchdigitaltv.com/. This online seller reports that a "limited supply" of the DTT901 will be arriving Monday, 7/14/08. This seller accepts coupons and payment through PayPal. I know nothing of this seller other than what's found on that website.

Thanks for your effort Digado. I am in central VA.

I spoke with Bruce at watchdigitaltv. Apparently he is at the end of the distribution chain, hence small number of units.

Apparently those 500K per month converters are being snapped up by the big guys or in warehouses (like you said) till the DTT900 are sold.

The DTX9950 DOES have APT (the DTX9900 did not). It operates the same as the DTT901. Box off or on standby = APT mode. Check the DTX9950 thread for more details.