Can I sign up for the digital converter coupon program for my second home?
Here’s a recently posted a question on our forums:
Hello, our family has a second home in Topock AZ. are there different boxes for different areas? If so do I need to sign up for the coupon with my other homes address? also is there a ship to address for the coupon since we are not at the AZ address all the time? we are in a remote area in AZ and only pick up about 6-8 channels clearly will the dtv box bring in more channels clearly? thank You
Hello there, and thanks for visiting,
Are there different boxes for different areas?
As long as you’re located in the United States and are using a converter box approved for the U.S., any converter box will work just fine. If you’re looking for a recommendation, I’ve seen a lot of great reviews on the Zenith DTT900 and Zenith DF2000 Digital to Analog Converter Boxes (which I use here at home as well).
Is there a ship to address for the coupon since we are not at the AZ address all the time?
I ‘m assuming here that you want to have the coupons shipped to another location for convenience (I’m on the road all of the time, and would have preferred having my coupons sent to a secondary location!), but unfortunately at this time, the government converter box coupon program will not accomodate for that.
You will only be able to ship to a residential address that will be using the coupons. If you haven’t ordered the coupons yet for your primary address, I would use that address for ordering the maximum the coupons (fyi: You can order (2) coupons per house hold).
If you’ve already ordered for your primary address, you will then need to order the coupons for your second house and have them shipped to that address.
Will the dtv box bring in more channels clearly?
The channels will be a lot clearer depending on the type of TV that you use. Even with a traditional analog television, you’ll notice a sharper - higher resolution image.
Being in a somewhat rural area, you may want to get a powered indoor/outdoor antenna. A drawback to digital television, is that the broadcast signal is a bit harder to receive than the older analog broadcast signals.
Do you already have an outdoor antenna? You can use this same antenna with your new converter box to receive DTV signals.
If not, you may want to consider hiring an antenna technician as mentioned in this post (http://www.dtvcouponhelp.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=31).
Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions,
Jay
Options for Rural DTV Viewers
Farmerswife recently posted a question on our forums:
Hi,
I am on a farm and have always gotten tv signal from an antenna, great reception. My antenna is just an indoor one, but it works great. I hooked this up and received the message No Signal
unable to tune into this channel, ect.
Looking in the book I see it is recomended to get a smart antenna. Very expensive. I have a RCA digital converter, only one the Walmart I was in sold.
Help…..
Hello there, and thanks for visiting!
Just for reference, I’m going to post some information for our viewers that do not know what a smart antenna is:
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_antenna
In 2008, the United States National Telecommunications and Information Administration began a major effort to persuade consumers to purchase digital television converter boxes.[1] Through this effort, many people have been exposed to the concept of smart antennas for the first time. In the context of consumer electronics, a “smart antenna” is one that conforms to the EIA/CEA-909 Standard Interface, such as the model DTA-5000 marketed by Sylvania.[2]
In your case, I’m thinking that you may live outside of the 30 mile perimeter (from a tv transmitter) that Smart Antennas are typically limited to.
You may want to think about adding an outdoor antenna. It doesn’t have to be mounted outside, in fact some of the models sold are actually quite compact (Like the DB2, which I have sitting behind my TV cabinet) An antenna like the above referenced one should be capable of receiving dtv signals from atleast 40 or more miles away.
Placement and direction of the antenna also plays a big role in receiving DTV signals. Have you tried rotating your existing antenna a little bit?
Websites like: http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Welcome.aspx also have a great antenna selector tool for determining the type that you may want to purchase.
Another route for consumers in a rural area would be to hire an antenna technician with the necessary equipment to dtv signals and signal quality equipment. This may not seem like a cost effective alternative, but they can take a lot of the guess work out of determining the best antenna setup that you’ll need.
Good luck, hope this helped, and let me know if you have any other questions.
Jay
If I bought a digital tv would I still need the converter box because we only have local stations?
Paige2905 recently posted a question on our forums:
At this time I have an analog tv and bought the converter box, we live in a rural area without cable or satellite, only local programs. If I bought a digital tv would I still need the converter box because we only have local stations? Or can you receive digital programming on a digital tv with only local programs?
Also, can I set up my converter box now or do I have to wait until next February?
Hello Paige2905, and thanks for visiting,
Are you going to purchase a brand new TV from a store?
If so, then yes, 99% of the new TV’s that are sold now contain digital converters. You’ll want to probably verify though just by checking if the TV contains a “ATSC Tuner” which decodes over-the-air digital television signals.
The only TV’s I’ve seen as of lately that do not contain a digital tuner are the left over “mobile” television sets sold in audio stores for cars/trucks.
Stores and manufaturers are also required to put labels on television sets that do not contain digital tuners, but a recent story ( FCC Relaxes Rules on Digital Television For Retailers ) about the feds relaxing those restrictions has caused some confusion and controversy.
If you’re buying a used TV, you just need to make sure that the television set contains an “ATSC Tuner”. You may want to check out Information about DTV and Your TV to see which years of TV’s have the best chances of containing a digital converter.
In regards to your question, can I set up my converter box now? Check out Begin Watching DTV Today for your answer.
Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.
Is it possible to use the digital converter, vcr, and tv so I can record one show and watch another or will I need two converter boxes?
deh7510 recently posted a question on our forums:
Is it possible to use the converter, vcr and tv so I can record one show and watch another? would I need two boxes? I know you need two signals this and PIP. Thank You.
You will need two converter boxes, one to view the channel you want to watch on TV, and one for the VCR set to the channel you want to record. This is because your VCR is only equipped with only a ATSC (Analog) Converter and not a digital converter.
If you decide to go this route, you’ll need to be sure and check the back of your TV for 2 total RCA (Also known as Composite) inputs. One to receive the converter input and one to receive the VCR/other converter input.
Will dtv make more stations available to me vs my old broadcast reception?
Battlecat recently posted a question on our forums:
Will dtv make more stations available to me vs my old broadcast reception?
Hey Battlecat,
Yes, more programming will be available with Digital Television. It depends on your area/state that you live in with DTV programming and channels available….but….here in Phoenix (Metro Area), Arizona, we get approximately 20 DTV channels compared to 12 analog regular channels.
A lot of the stations including NBC, ABC, and PBS carry two (three channels for PBS) of programming due to the nature of DTV using less “bandwidth” broadcasting waves.
Here’s a quote from consumerreports.org on DTV
“More channels, better quality. Digital over-the-air broadcasts can provide very high-quality picture and sound—including high-definition programming and surround sound—free of charge. You might even get more channels than you did with analog broadcasts, because many networks broadcast several subchannels with different programming than the main station. (You won’t pull in cable- and satellite-only stations such as ESPN and CNN.)”
Zenith DTT900 Converter Box
Front/Side
Rear/Input-Output
Zenith DTT900/DF2000
Do you own this converter? Are you thinking about purchasing this converter? Please post a comment or feedback at the bottom of this page.
User Manual: Zenith DTT900
Features:
NTIA Approved Coupon Eligible Converter Box (CECB)
Compatible with analog TVs with antenna-based broadcast reception
Converts digital TV broadcast signals to analog TV; displays digital TV at standard-definition (480i) screen resolution
Supports 4:3 TV aspect modes, including set by program, letterbox, cropped and squeezed; also supports 16:9 aspect modes, including set by program, 4:3, 16:9 and zoom
2-channel stereo audio support
Channel add, channel erase, channel skip, channel auto search, favorite channel and recall channel functions
On-screen trilingual (English, French and Spanish) menu display; English, French and Spanish audio options
Parental lock function helps keep children from being exposed to undesirable material
Other convenience features include electronic programming guide, program information, auto tuning, auto time setup, closed captioning and TV power on/off from remote
Inputs: 1 RF
Outputs: 1 composite video, 1 analog audio L/R, 1 RF
Includes standard remote with AAA batteries, RF/coaxial cable, stereo audio cable and composite video cable
ENERGY STAR compliant
Samsung DTBH260F Digital Converter Box
SAMSUNG brings you great flexibility for delivering FREE over-the-air digital television signals to a DTVready television or DTV-capable computer monitors. Award-winning SAMSUNG technology easily tunes and decodes all 18 ATSC Table 3 broadcast formats. With the SAMSUNG DTB-H260F, you can view HDTV, SDTV, and listen to Dolby® Digital 2.0 stereo or Dolby® Digital 5.1 surround audio through your audio system. SAMSUNG solves output worries with a wide selection of output options including 1080i, 720p or 480p/i DTV formats, and connection options including HDMI (1), Component (1),Composite (1), Audio-Right/Left, Dolby® Digital Optical. Attractive styling and affordable pricing make the SAMSUNG DTB-H260F a perfect solution.
Product Specs as Provided From The Manufacturer
HDMI with HDCP |
1 |
|---|---|
Component out (Y,PB,PR) |
1 |
SVideo Out |
1 |
Composite (RCA) Out |
1 |
Digital sound out (Optical) |
1 |
|---|---|
Analog (RCA) Out |
1 |
Supplied Accessories |
2 Component and Audio cables, AAA batteries for the remote |
|---|
Net Dimensions: (WxHxD) |
10.6″ x 1.58″ x 7.88″ |
|---|---|
Net Weight |
3.3 Lbs. |
I hooked up to the digital converter box but it could not find a signal hence no picture
J. recently posted a question:
I presently use rabbit ears for an antenna which works fine. I hooked up to the digital converter box but it could not find a signal hence no picture. It displayed the message weak signal. What options do I have?
I would recommend buying an indoor powered antenna first from a store with a good return policy. They cost anywhere from $20-$40. Installation time takes less than 5 minutes (One wire to connect to the converter), and the antenna itself is pretty easy to hide behind the TV due to its small size. Once you get everything installed, and turn the TV on, you’ll know right away if it’s the right one, or if you may want to upgrade to a larger outdoor antenna.
