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Improve DTV Reception - Explore Ways to Get The Best Out of Your Set
Do you still need a converter box? Is the box you got not good enough? Maybe you want to improve your reception with a HD antenna? Or maybe you just want a new TV.
The mad dash for last minute converter boxes has cleared the shelves pretty well, BUT there's still some good ones left. Click through to the Current DTV Converter Box Availability List
and get the box you want now!For DTV Antennas and HDTV Antenna accessories, click over to
the Smart Antenna Choices page.
Rather invest in a new digital television? Find recommendations for those too - just drop down the page a little further to HDTV selections.
CHOOSE AMONG THESE TOP 3 IN-STOCK CONVERTER BOXES
| CECB Cheapest | Most Desired Features | Solid Performer |
 |  |  |
| CECB Lowest Cost Closed Caption | Analog PassThru EPG Composite Video Output  | Multi Lingual Support Parental Control Analog Pass-Thru  |
One word of caution - resist the urge to buy a used box on eBay. Think about why those boxes are there for sale... Yes, maybe someone decided to buy a new digital TV and doesn't need the box anymore. But a more likely reason would be the box is junk and they're trying to unload it.
On a HDTV Budget?
Low cost, affordable digital televisions for Kitchen, Kids rooms, Bedroom, Den, Garage, and RV.
Coby 15-Inch Widescreen LCD HDTV/Monitor
Perfect for under counter in the kitchen or a shelf in with office, the Coby 15-inch Widescreen LCD HDTV/Monitor has ALL the input connections, including HDMI. Dual ATSC/NTSC tuners for Digital and Standard TV broadcast reception (DTV-ready), AV input jacks for use with media players, DVR/VCRs, video games, and more, 15-pin VGA interface for use with computer systems, Full-range stereo speakers (10W), Digital comb filter and noise reduction, V-chip parental control, Closed-Caption, and EPG support, Multi-language on-screen display and remote. This baby has it all. 
Axion 7-Inch Widescreen Portable Handheld TV
- 7-inch widescreen LCD mobile TV
- Built in NTSC/ATSC tuner for both analog & digital channels
- Brightness adjustable hi-res LCD screen
- Built-in antenna allows easy repositioning for reception
- A/V Input for external audio/video sources
- Built-in speaker
- Built-in rechargeable Lithium-Polymer battery
- Card style remote control
- Headphone jack and volume control
- External antenna provided for stronger reception
Coby 10.2-Inch Compact Flat-Panel LCD TV
A 10.2" widescreen TFT LCD color display brings bright color to computer applications, video games, and television broadcasts. Available AV input jacks allow for easy connection of media players, DVR/VCRs, video games and more. Full-range stereo speakers (6W) Digital comb filter and noise reduction V-chip parental control, Closed-Caption, and Electronic Program Guide support Multi-language on-screen display Wall-mountable design (VESA 75mm x 75mm) Display Resolution - 800 x 480 Contrast Ratio - 400 - 1 Brightness - 300 cd/m^2 Pixel Response - 30 ms DTV Input Format - 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i Video System - ATSC/QAM/NTSC Menu Language Support - English, Spanish, French Additional Functions - MTS (Stereo/SAP/Mono); Sleep Timer Audio Input - RCA Composite Audio; 3.5mm Audio Audio Output - Integrated Stereo Speakers (6W); 3.5mm Headphone Video Input - Coaxial Antenna; RCA Composite Video; 15-pin PC VGA
IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON TO ANTENNAS...
Most of America has their converter box and now needs to concentrate on getting a good antenna. The antenna is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of a television setup. If you can't get a good signal, it doesn't matter how good your converter box is. Find the BEST DTV ANTENNA PICKS available. Look for features that matter to you and meet your needs.
Digital Transition Conversion Challenges...
Digital Television Broadcasting is pretty amazing. You’ll likely receive many more stations than ever before. Your old TV will deliver clear sharp picture quality like you never experienced! You’ll get more bang for your buck with additional features like Multicast and Electronic Program Guides...You're gonna LOVE digital reception - and then again maybe you won’t.
Digital TV is great when it works but when it doesn’t it will frustrate you beyond belief. You see, digital television is an ALL or NOTHING technology. In the old days, if your signal wasn’t the best or there was some sort of interference, your picture and/or sound quality diminished. You got snow and static. Not an enjoyable experience, but you did get something.
Digital, on the other hand is less forgiving. You will either get a great picture, or none at all. DTV can compensate for some errors. It has the ability to guess as what it needs to fill in the gaps when there are small pieces of digital information missing because of interference, etc. As the signal coming to your TV starts to degrade, you will see the picture pause, or jump, or even pixelate.
However, once a certain threshold has been reached where the set can no longer guess at what is missing, the picture goes blank and sound goes dead. You see this banner scroll across your set saying “No Signal”. This will be especially true for viewers in outlying and rural areas where the broadcast tower is far away and signal strength is weak. This may also be true for folks living in an urban area where there are lots of obstructions and electro magnetic interference.
There’s actually a pretty simple solution to FIX this though. Once you make a small investment, there’s nothing more to buy. A couple month’s cable or satellite subscription fees should cover it and then you’ll be watching FREE TV.
True, you won’t have your Pay-Per-View, or Sports-Net, but you’ll be saving HUGE money. In a tight economy like the one we’re in now, this is a small tradeoff to make in order to save some precious greenbacks. Those subscription fees add up quick and no doubt, you have better places to put that hard earned cash.
To make all this work, all you really need to do is increase your signal strength. Start from the TV set and work backwards towards the antenna. As soon as you reach a level of reception you’re satisfied with, stop and savor your efforts. If the last step you did wasn’t quite enough, move to the next until you’re content.
The following chart steps you through the process.
Signal Amplifier
Step 1
Install a TV Signal Amplifier.
4 PORT HDTV DIGITAL AMPLIFIER
’Sometimes the signal coming into your home is just below the digital threshold I talked about earlier. A boost, or amplified signal may be all that is needed to bring your set back to life. This device is a high-performance 7dB amplifier designed specifically to improve the signal strength needed for UHF/VHF/FM/HDTV antenna reception. For the best results, and to prevent signal degradation, the amp should be installed where the antenna cable first enters the home. If this step is not quite good enough, proceed to step 2. Also note that this is not money thrown away. Step 2 involves getting a new antenna and this amplifier will help that do a better job so nothing is lost here.
High Gain Antenna
Step 2
Buy the BEST TV Antenna available.
Channel Master Long-Range Antenna
Without a doubt, the best and wisest thing you can do to improve your television reception is to buy the BEST antenna you can possibly afford. No other piece of equipment has more impact on your reception than the quality and calibre of your antenna. The difference between the best and cheapest is maybe $50. You don’t want to have to buy another cause the first didn’t do the trick, or work as good as you would like - costing you more than if you’d gotten the best right from the start. I’ve never been sorry for buying the best I could afford, but many times I’ve kicked myself in the keyster cause I skimped and got the cheap unit. Trust me, you won’t be sorry you got the best.
Antenna Rotor
Step 3
Add an Antenna Rotor.
Magnavox M61415 Outdoor Antenna Rotor
While the old fashioned analog signals could bounce off objects and make their way to your set, the new digital signals are a “line of sight” signal. They tend to travel in straight lines and don’t take detours. Therefore there’s one last trick left up your sleeve for getting good DTV reception - add an antenna rotor to your setup so that you can aim your antenna at the broadcast tower.This piece of equipment is one that you can shop around for and buy based on features and construction grade. If you live in an area that doesn’t get snow and ice, then a little lighter duty unit may work just fine. In addition, if you don’t need a lot of features such as location storage, remote control, or lit buttons, you can save yourself a few dollars here as well. The unit shown here is a middle of the road device that should work for most people. However, if you happen to live in a hostile area with brutal winters, be sure to get a unit capable of standing up to that abuse. You don’t want to get up on the roof in the middle of winter risking life and limb to freeze your fingers off as you replace a bum unit. Shop wisely - buy right.
Are You Ready For A New HD Television?...
Maybe this is a good time to consider migrating to the new technology in a fully committed way. Let’s face it, the new broadcasting technology is great and provides a lot of new features, but one thing it can’t do is produce Hi-Def pictures ON an older, low resolution set. You get the new signal, you’ll see the picture, but in standard resolution because your older set isn’t capable of displaying a hi-res picture. If you’re considering a new television, forgo this conversion process and take this opportunity to get a new HI-DEF (HD) set. Here is a small sample of some great sets now available. Keep in mind that some of these televisions qualify for free shipping and no sales tax which sweetens the pot even more. Save gas. Save time. Save money.BEST CHOICE - RIGHT BUY!!
JOIN THE MODERN WORLD!!
Sylvania 19-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
- HDTV Display with PC input
- Digital Tuner
- 1440 x 900 resolution
- V-Chip w Downloadable Rating
Samsung LN26A450 26-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
Samsung LN26A450 is an LCD widescreen TV that is HDTV capable and priced for your budget - under $450. With 178 degree viewing, this remarkable 26-inch widescreen TV delivers up to 1440x900 image Resolution and allows composite, component, and HDMI Connectivity for flexible use.
Sony Bravia L-Series 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV
- 32" widescreen HDTV (16:9 aspect ratio)
- Semigloss black finish with chrome accents
- Built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts
- QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box
- 1366 x 768 pixels
- 2 component video (accepts signals up to 1080i)
