Digital To Analog Converter Boxes

[Console User]

Can anyone out there tell me what the best brand of converter box to use on my Zenith and RCA Analog TV Sets? Anyone had any experience with the RCA Converter Box?

[Reece]

I have and like the Zenith box and others have agreed. Don't know about the RCA.

[sampson159]

i have a magnavox that has a "still" setting but other than that,i hate the damn thing.my zenith is the better of the boxes.

[Console User]

I have tried various ones. I keep end up going back to the Lasonic 260. The only bad thing about this one is it doesn't have many options on it like the others. The Lasonic does provide a clear crystal picture and has great detail. Anyone know why if I use a certain cable with the Lasonic it makes the picture look haywire? I can only use push on cables and not the screw on type of cable.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Reece

I have and like the Zenith box and others have agreed. Don't know about the RCA.

The Zenith and the Insignia are both made by LG and equal in performance.
The RCA is slightly more sensitive than the Magnavoxes. The Mags are totally dead in the water without the remote, as there is no buttons on the convertor box itself. You can use some of the newer universal remotes, but they lack some of the features of the original. There is more of the Magnavox boxes around, as they were only $10.00 with the coupon.

[mirayge]

There is a sub forum of HDTV technical over at AVS forums dedicated to over the air converter boxes. Channel Master (I believe has s-video) and the LG Insignia/Zenith boxes are best for long range and multipath reception. I have two Zeniths upstairs because different boxes decode at differing rates. If you don't use the same boxes on seperate televisions you get an annoying to maddening echo when they are both on. I also have an RCA box on the basement emergency television. It works fine, but I just bought it to test the 'smart antenna' input. The Zenith boxes have great tuners that are bright and output the best fake surround sound of any equipment I have when run through an audio system. I mean the center voice speaker is clear and sounds actualy seem to travel across the room. It's not true 5.1, but close enough. My Magnavox DVR/DVD recorders seem muted in comparison, but maybe that is because I use a digital coax from them to the surround sound.