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  #121  
Old 02-23-2008, 10:39 AM
sleddogman
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Has anyone noticed any outstanding differences between the boxes that are hitting the market?

Is the Radio Shack Zenith identical to the Walmart Magnavox or does it really matter?
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  #122  
Old 02-24-2008, 03:42 AM
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I saw several of the Zenith boxes at my nearby Circuit City a couple of days ago.

The Zenith and Magnavox are probably not the same. Based on other ATSC tuners I own or have used, I would recommend the Zenith since it is made by LG.
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  #123  
Old 02-25-2008, 11:38 AM
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I saw a reference somewhere in the last week to "LG Philips"-might Magnavox now be under the LG umbrella? I'd guess either that or Funai.
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  #124  
Old 02-25-2008, 11:48 AM
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All the new Magnavox stuff I see is Funai.
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  #125  
Old 02-25-2008, 11:58 AM
Bill R Bill R is offline
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LG and Philips have been working together on flat panel technology for lcd sets. The Magnavox converters are made by funai. I do not know who built the RCA converter we cary. I plan to get one of each.

Bill R
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  #126  
Old 02-25-2008, 02:00 PM
sleddogman
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill R View Post
LG and Philips have been working together on flat panel technology for lcd sets. The Magnavox converters are made by funai. I do not know who built the RCA converter we cary. I plan to get one of each.

Bill R
I also read recently that Panasonic is buying their LCD panels from Sharp to use in their LCD TVs. If you don't want to pay for an Aquos, you may want to check out a Panasonic.
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  #127  
Old 02-28-2008, 10:16 AM
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The Next Steps...

Finally, after signing up on January 1 for two voucher cards and receiving reference number 15405, the envelope from the govt. finally arrived yesterday, February 27, 2008.

Checked a Radio Shack listed on the letter and was handed a box they wanted $59.99 for. Since I had already scoped out Walmart for its Magnavox ...err, Funai, unit at $49.87, R-S lost the sale.

Much to my surprise the Funai, ...err Magnavox, has composite video and stereo audio outputs as well as the requisite RF F-connector.

As a result, what I intend to do is deliver composite video to my CT-100 and use the RF link for audio.

Should be up and running in a few days...

Pete
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File Type: jpg Converter-Box.jpg (89.4 KB, 52 views)
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  #128  
Old 02-28-2008, 05:05 PM
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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.

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  #129  
Old 02-29-2008, 01:48 PM
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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
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  #130  
Old 02-29-2008, 02:13 PM
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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
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  #131  
Old 02-29-2008, 03:39 PM
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Last edited by andy; 12-07-2021 at 01:59 PM.
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  #132  
Old 02-29-2008, 04:22 PM
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Thumbs up

I posted in the rectangular TV forum about the "Insignia" brand box I picked up yesterday. It actually works quite well. With an antenna on the roof meant for the 220MHz ham band aimed due east, I can get channel 55 Riverhead LI NY here in Oradell NJ (northeast NJ). I also get NJN channel 58 from central NJ on RF channel 8. Went back today to the Best buy to get another, but they were sold out. So I went to a Radio Shack and got a "Digitalstream" brand box. Using just a UHF hoop antenna, I can get all the NYC local stations. Next test is to try it on the ham antenna and see if it can get channel 55, as a DX test. EDIT: just did this, and the sensitivity is a little poorer than the Insignia box. Something like 5dB poorer (inserted attenuators in the antenna line next to the box, however they were meant for 50 ohm lines, so I can only say "approx 5dB" here).. Stations with choppy reception on the Digitalstream box was solid good on the Insignia box.

One good thing both boxes do is that the box's remote controls the volume inside the box, before it hits the RF or baseband outputs. For once they got it right.
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Last edited by wa2ise; 02-29-2008 at 05:48 PM. Reason: Did the comparison test with the same anttenna at near same time
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  #133  
Old 03-01-2008, 08:34 AM
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Pete Deksnis Pete Deksnis is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ohohyodafarted View Post
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!
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  #134  
Old 03-01-2008, 10:07 AM
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I applied online on January 3rd and have yet to see one, or two as the case may be. You are allowed up to two per household.
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  #135  
Old 03-01-2008, 12:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wa2ise View Post
EDIT: just did this, and the sensitivity is a little poorer than the Insignia box. Something like 5dB poorer (inserted attenuators in the antenna line next to the box, however they were meant for 50 ohm lines, so I can only say "approx 5dB" here).. Stations with choppy reception on the Digitalstream box was solid good on the Insignia box.
Your experiences match what I have read elsewhere, that the Zenith DTT900 and Insignia NS-DXA1 (Best Buy brand) box, a relabeled version of the Zenith, are the best performers among the boxes that are available so far. This is not surprising, since they are made by LG, which has had the best ATSC tuners all along. (They should, since they bought Zenith, inventor or ATSC.)
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