>> SIGN-UP: Get breaking news sent to you
If you do not get your signal from cable, satellite or a digital television, you will need a converter box. The money for those converter boxes is still in Washington.
The economic stimulus plan contains $700 million for $40 converter box coupons, but those coupons may not be available for months. So, many people are looking for the cheapest boxes they can find.
7 on Your Side went to find out whether the inexpensive boxes work as well as the more expensive ones.
At San Francisco's Self Help for the Elderly the meeting hall was packed with those who are still not ready for the digital TV switch. Many are still waiting for those $40 converter box coupons and hope it will cover the entire price of their digital conversion.
"Low-income families living in San Francisco, they are looking for the most affordable boxes because this is an additional cost to their daily or monthly living expense that they have to allocate for," said Winnie Yu at Self Help for the Elderly.
One woman bought the lowest price box on the market for about $40 and told ABC7 it does not work.
"So, I installed the box and I wasn't able to see anything, not even pictures on the screen," recalled Hui Ying Gao.
Tom Merritt of CNET says, "It's possible you could buy a cheap box and bring it home and it won't work because of skimping on certain materials."
Merritt is an electronics expert at CNET.com, a website that recently rated DTV converter boxes. He says, as with any product, if you go low cost you might get what you pay for.
"The cheap ones might not have the right materials inside to really hold up over the years, or they just might not have the features you need, or they might be really hard to use," he warned.
The CNET tests showed one of the lowest priced boxes on the market, the Apex, did work, but it did not pull in as many channels as those costing $10 or $20 more.
On the other hand, Merritt does not recommend buying the most expensive boxes either.
"I wouldn't make it as simple as buy the cheapest box because it's cheap, or buy the most expensive box to make sure it works. Somewhere in the middle you're going to find a box that meets your needs," he recommends.
Before making a purchase, Merritt says check out product reviews and descriptions to look for good picture quality, program guide, remote control, channel reception and compatibility with your TV.
Some of the boxes that got CNET's highest ratings include the RCA DTA which sells for about $60, the Dish Network DTV Pal for also around $60, and the Winegard RCD which is selling for $65 online.
"The cheapest ones we recommend were about $60. So, if you're going below that price be really careful because it might not pull in the stations. It might not have good video quality,"
You can find many brands online but brick-and-mortar stores usually carry only one or two brands each.
During a spot check 7 On Your Side found that: Target has the RCA for $60; Kmart and Sears both carry the Dish DTV Pal for $60; and the Apex is at Best Buy for $50 and at Target for $45.
CNET expects converter box prices to drop later this year and says better models will arrive on the market as technology improves.
Related Links:
Consumer Reports DTV converter box guide
Consumer Reports DTV converter box guide
CNET DTV converter box guide
Today's latest headlines |
ABC7 News on your phone
Follow us on Twitter | Fan us on Facebook | Get our free widget
