Queue up for a digital set top box coupon for CT-100, etc...

[Steve D.]

Hey Pete,

That's very cool that they list the stores in your area that carry the converters. I haven't received my coupons yet. I was in my local Best Buy this morning and just for yucks asked if they had the converters. The salesperson said "not yet, but soon." I do like the features of the Magnavox (Funai) unit.

-Steve D.

[Phil Nelson]

I did a little phoning around. I live near Seattle.

Radio Shack has boxes in stock (couldn't tell me the manufacturer).

Circuit City has the Zenith box in stock.

Walmart has Magnavox and RCA boxes in stock.

Now all I need is my coupons! :-)

Phil Nelson

[ohohyodafarted]

HI Pete,

A while back I searched the Government site for the specs of the converter boxes. In order to be elligable for the $40.00 coupon from the Government, the units must all conform to a set of specifications. Among the features that I was interested in were Composite Video output and stereo output. These features were manditory (if I am not mistaken) as well as RF output selectable for chanel 3 or 4. Also, any unit which qualifies for the coupon is PROHIBITED from offering component output or digital output.

I am going to drive 4 RF modulators with two units that I am going to buy and my brother is going to give me 2 units with coupons that he is getting on my behalf. The RF modulators I am using require composite video to drive them and seperate audio too.

I will combine the RF outputs of 5 modulators (which output on chanels 3,6,8,10,12) with a 12 input combiner, and send the VHF NTSC signals via an in-house cable system. The 5th modulator will have a dvd player driving it.

Bob

[Pete Deksnis]

Originally Posted by ohohyodafarted

HI Pete,

I will combine the RF outputs of 5 modulators (which output on channels 3,6,8,10,12) with a 12 input combiner, and send the VHF NTSC signals via an in-house cable system.

Bob

Nice plan Bob, but hey, if you drop the channel 6 modulator down to 5 and the channel 3 down to 2, you'll be able to stuff yet another modulator (on channel 4) into one of those unused combiner inputs. AND if you drop the 8 to 7, the 10 to 9, and the 12 to 11, you'll be able add a channel 13 modulator for a full complement of seven VHF channels we can feed into our vintage TV sets, which of course were not designed for adjacent channel allocations.

Incidentally, I can't take the credit, that's the New York City VHF television allocation: 2,4,5,7,9,11, and 13!