Winegard RCDT09A - First Battery Powered Converter Box Available Soon
The Winegard RCDT09A will be the first digital-to-analog converter box on the market to be powered by battery, and it’s elgible for use with the $40 converter box coupon card. This is great news for consumers who use a portable analog to get news updates during power outages or emergency situations.
The RCDT09A can be operated off of standard power AC adapter, or (purchased seperately) battery pack.
The battery pack is sold separately and will require six D batteries. Winegard reports that the RCDT09A can last up to 18 hours before the batteries need to be changed.
CNet reports a huge negative for the device for those looking for overall performance:
The RCDT09A technically has an EPG, but it’s about as basic as they get. You can see program data for the show that’s currently on, and if you hit right on the directional pad you can see the programs coming next. Overall, we much prefer EPGs that let us see many programs and channels at a time, like the EPG on the Dish Network TR-40 CRA or even the simpler EPG on the RCA DTA800B1.
So it looks like the EPG (also known as an electronic program guide) is pretty limited. It’s a bit of a setback for those looking to have an all purpose converter box that can be used on the road or at home.
Considering this dtv box is the only option right now on the market for getting a portable television to convert to digital television, I think consumers can overlook the EPG.
DTV Forum - Join the Growing Community
With the recent amount of questions pouring in about DTV and the digital transtion, we here at TVConversinhelp have decided to open a new website: DTV USA Forum
Join for free, and participate in the growing community dedicated to sharing information and resources related to digital television to the following topics:
DTV 2009 (The Digital Transition) - Ask questions or comment on the switch to digital television in the following categories: Government Coupon Questions, Converter Box General Questions, Converter Box (Reviews - Ratings - Specific Questions), DTV Reception, and anything else related to DTV.
Cable and Satellite Providers - Discuss and/or ask questions about your cable or satellite provider (such as Cox Communications, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Direct TV, Dish Network, Insight Communications, and all other cable and satellite providers…)
Television Sets (DTV, HDTV, etc.) - Are you thinking about purchasing a newer television set? Get information and advice from this section on the many different types of television sets (such as flat screen televisions - LCD or Plasma - or if you’re considering a more traditional television like a rear projection crt or dlp type set, we’ve got you covered)
Home Entertanment Equipment - With the many different type of DVD players and audio home entertainment equipment on the market, it can be quite confusing to make a choice! We have a whole section of this part of the forum dedicated to video games (ie: Wii, XBOX 360, PS3, PS2, etc.) as well.
Television Show Chat - Chat about your favorite ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, or any other favorite network television show.
