Post DTV Transition CECB converter boxes availability! - Page 2

I'm betting a lot of the units available now are refurbs.

But don't retailers have a legal obligation to divulge that info? (I'm referring to customer returns, damaged shipment, etc.).

I'm guessing mfgers are cleaning out their factories unless there's enough 'closing' demand to have run another lot. I refer to cleaning out as units that didn't pass factory test, piled up, but now they've gotten around to getting them to pass (rework and hopefully not widening their test specs ). These would still be 'legally' new units.

I was calling several of my local Target stores to see if they had any CECBs (to no avail) when the last sales guy I talked to said all the stores (at least in this area) had recalled all their boxes. I then asked him if there was a problem with the models they carried and he said the recall was to try and get customers to buy TVs. What?! That's cold, man!

BTW the Targets around here carried Apex DT250As and I think a lesser model.

I believe that could be against the CECB retailer agreement with the FCC.

I have the TECB-2009 and it works quite well (though there is still some combing on the S-video output.) It's got a metal case and decent remote. I bought it a couple months ago by calling Ricki at Wahoo Tech, info below. They also have the TECB-1009.

Ricki
Wahoo Tech Inc.
1195 Warner Ave
Tustin CA 92780
Tel: 714-918-2888
Fax: 714-918-2886/7
(M): 949-350-9888
email: sales@samsonic.com

I would strongly believe that's nothing more than an hourly worker's opinion.

I certainly hope so although he sounded certain about the recall part of it. Maybe the boxes were flaky? I found it odd that he would tell me anything other than they were out of CECBs. My closest Target had stacks of 'em about a month ago, not that that means anything now.

That part is believable.

Last day to redeem coupons: Nov 9.

source: https://www.ntiadtv.gov/

I hope it's ok to ask this here.

I have digital cable (Comcast) with two 10 y/o analog tvs and one SDTV. The one analog tv needs replacing within the next 6 months. The cable box is just a standard issue box (Scientific Atlanta - Explorer 2200).

Is there any point in me getting a DTA converter box? I orginally wanted to get one in case the cable went out for a long period of time. But if one of the tvs is SDTV and the new tv will also be SDTV, do I really need a converter box? I don't have or plan on getting HDTV anytime soon unless that's the way things will be heading within the next three to five years. I don't know if HDTV should play a part in these decisions or not. Honestly, I can't figure out why the converter box thread is even posted in the HDTV forum. But then again, I'm still a newbie here.

My Digital Stream 9900 burned out after 1 year. Shipped with 6 month warranty.

They are needed for any VCR that hasn't been purchased in the last two years or so.


NO.


HDTV is already available on most OTA stations. You can have HDTV with a set that only supports up to 720P (which is what most HDTV stations are broadcasting at).

If the cable goes out the DTA will not receive anything. This is the same for any cable converter box (STB), Digital Transport Adapter (DTA) or Cable Card.

Perhaps you meant to say a Coupon Eligible Converter Box (CECB) for antenna reception?

All TVs manufactured for the US market since March 1, 2007 will have an ATSC tuner capable of receiving digital TV stations through an antenna. After an antenna is connected one will need to run a channel scan to find the ATSC broadcast sub-channels.

All HD is "digital." Not all "digital" is HD.

It should be noted that, if you want to record from more than one channel unattended to a recorder using an external, cable tuner, the DTA's do not have any built-in timer function, and cannot be controlled by any DVD/VHS recorder's IR blaster - in which case, you'd have to use one of the cable company's fuller-featured tuners that has those abilities (and that's assuming your cable company even has one).

You may or may not have to pay a rental fee for it.

Not really. But if you are subscribing to more than just Limited Basic (mainly the local channels), and you get a notice from the cable company someday saying that you will need a tuner of theirs to continue receiving the expanded lineup (due to the encryption of the digitals or elimination of the analogs), then they should offer you at least two free DTA's.

But I wouldn't worry about that until the time comes - as long as you're satisfied with what you're getting now for channels.

Funny how I hear about problems with the Digital Stream DTX9900. I have one that's on 8 hours a day everyday. It's over a year old. It works well and there are still some in Radio Shacks in the detroit area. Fry's Electronics might still have some of the CM boxes. Avoid the HD acess boxes. They get red hot and don't work well at all. I have had to deal with many of these and it was by far the worst. I have seen new TV's under $200 so it might not be an issue unless you have good analogue equipment you want to keep

I called a local Frys a few weeks ago and was told they quit carrying digital TV converter boxes since July (although I saw a Frys ad for CMs in late August).

Huh? I'm sorry, that didn't make sense to me, I must be missing something. These coupon eligible converter boxes work with the antenna, not the cable, right? So I don't really understand what you're saying. I have an analog tv and digital cable with a Comcast provided converter box. I was considering getting one of these coupon eligible converter boxes in case the cable goes out. If the cable is out I can't watch any TV unless I hookup the antenna. So far, I have not been affected by the analog to digital switch that happenedd earlier this year. It sounds as if you're saying that even though I have digital cable, that one day I'll need a special converter box to watch antenna/broadcast channels with cable tv. I'm beyond confused about that. I thought Comcast provided their converter boxes so people could watch their cable channels which include regular antenna channels.

As far as the HD thing goes, I didn't realize until after my first post that so many new tvs are HDTVs. So, just ignore what I said about HDTV.

Just to clear things up. Comcast is going all digital on their systems so eventually you will need one of THEIR converter boxes to get cable on all your TVs. Now this has nothing to do with the DTV switch that just happened It's Comcast's own thing. Getting rid of analog frees up bandwidth for more HD channels.

Now as far as your old TV if they were made before March 2007 they probably don't have built in digital tuners so if you want to watch OTA TV then you'll need a converter box designed for ATSC signals. Cable boxes are designed for QAM signals. Good luck finding a digital converter box for OTA anymore. I don't see them for sale anywhere.

you also said


I hate to tell you no one sells SDTVs anymore. Not new anyways. Any new TV you get will be HDTV. It will have have a digital tuner in it so you won't have to worry about needing a OTA converter box for that TV.


Just to be clear a SDTVs can be digital it's just they aren't made anymore. In fact there were SDTVs made with digital tuners in them. Just because a signal is digital doesn't mean it's HD. Many stations broadcasting OTA have subchannels and those subchannels are often in standard def, as in 480i. That's not HD. Most of the channels Comcast has in their digital tier are not HD. Not sure why people get confused that all digital signals are HD.

"DTA's" are what the cable company gives out when they are switching over from analog to encypted digital.

The over-the-air, ATSC, standard definition tuners that the government was subsidizing are called "CECB's" (Coupon Eligible Converter Boxes).

When you said "DTA's", I thought you were asking if you would need a cable tuner.

The trouble with acronyms
DTA
Digital To Analog
Digital Transport Adapter
Digital Television Adapter
etc.

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/DTA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DTA
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dta

Where?

The Craig and Sunkey CECB's are almost identical. The Zinwell is a good choice. Stay away from the AccessHD's. I'm not sure you would want to purchase the Magnavox units either.

Here's two more and the 2009 has S-Video. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...8#post17470928

Just went back for the link and found that below the large print "IN STOCK", they say in smaller print "back ordered":

http://www.dtvboxanswers.com/dinedt.html

Here's a link for the DTV Pal, but it isn't the Plus :

http://www.digital-tv-converter.net/...erter-box.aspx


Oops, sorry guys, I didn't spot your responses until after I relocated my post to here (decided it wasn't really in the right place):

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...18&postcount=1

I just found that the TRT 2009 does have APT (according to http://www.ezdigitaltv.com/TRT_TACB-2009.html ), Smart-Antenna, and what may be a TIMER feature (Auto Time setting). The picture shows three RF ports. Can anyone tell why? Maybe the APT?

That box looks to be loaded! Maybe they're treating the "CABLE IN" as a pass-through unless it's an optional port. Box construction makes me think of a CM-type company.

OT: Is it just me or does anyone else keep getting an annoying Security Alert to install and run Adobe Flash Player Installer every time they click on these AVS threads?

I just ran across a post by Pegasus_ above about the TRT 2009. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6#post17366296

I called the listed number and they don't seem to have much detail on the product and told me that they've had it available for about a year. They are selling it for $60.00 + shipping.

Floydage,

It must be just you.

I believe the pic on EZDigitalTV was a preliminary. the data sheet from TRT for the TACB-2009 is here

http://www.trtinfo.com/Portals/27/im...tTACB_2009.pdf

TACB-1009

http://www.trtinfo.com/Portals/27/im...tTACB_1009.pdf

It figures. It's driving me nuts. I guess I should go ahead and download it so it can tell me my old OS is incompatible with the new version of Flash ; probably why it's doing it to me.

Hey, not that it's going to matter for much longer, but when you called that number did they say they take the gov't coupons?

I'm still running 98, ME, 2000 Server, & XP.

They said they did.