Consumer review for Zenith DTT900---the best digital TV converter box

Are you ready for the transition from fuzzy analog to crystal-clear digital TV broadcasting? Starting from the mid-night of Feb 17.,2009, all the free over-the-air TV in US will be broadcasted through digital signals instead of old-fashioned analog signals, which is a regulation passed by the US congress in 2005 (For more information visit www.dtvanswers.com). Since I don’t have digital-ready TV, I decided to buy a digital TV converter box (sometimes referred as digital-to-analog converter), a small device which is installed between the antenna and TV and allows conventional analog TV to receive high-quality digital programs. After detailed research on the internet, I spent $10 on a Zenith DTT900, which is the best reviewed digital TV converter among the early models to hit the market. Here are my reasons for choosing Zenith DTT900.

1. Installation is a snap. It only takes less than 3 minutes. Basically you just hook up antenna to the box and connect the output of the box to the TV. There are two formats of output connectors on Zenith DTT900. It comes with an antenna connector for coaxial cables and a composite-video output for RCA cables. I noticed that the picture quality is better when the antenna connection is used.
2. Zenith DTT900 can pick up relatively low level signals and provide continuous pictures. In the place where I live (Maryland), it gives me 9 local channels. One particularly useful feature I like is that a signal-strength meter is built into the remote control, which can assist you in finding the best position for the antenna.
3. Zenith DTT900 provides decent high-quality digital pictures, which may not as good as high-definition (HD)-TV especially on a large screen. But on my 27” sony TV, the difference is hard to tell.
4. Zenith DTT900 has a button on the remote which allows you to adjust the aspect ratio of the incoming program easily, either in HD format or standard 4:3 ratio format.
5. Another useful feature the Zenith DTT900 provides is the electronic program guide, which informs you of the title and running time of the programs in all channels. This means when you want to choose among programs, you don’t need to flip through all the channels again. How considerate is that!
6. The price is irresistible. The original price for Zenith DTT900 is $59.99 at Radio Shack or Circuit City. Since it is eligible for the government TV converter box coupon program (for more informaiton go to www.dtv2009.gov), I used the $40 government coupon. And what makes this deal sweeter is that since this coupon is considered as credit instead of discount by the store manager, I can use it with another $10 off $40 Radio Shack coupon I found in the 2008 Entertainment Book.

Overall Zenith DTT900 is a great digital-to-analog converter. But it is hard to find these days. When I purchased mine, I was told by the cashier that Zenith DTT900 is so popular that the supply from manufacturer is limited at least temporarily and most Radio Shack local stores usually carry only one in-store at a time. So if you want one, hurry up and grab one. And enjoy your crystal clear digital TV programs.

Other useful Zenith DTT900 reviews at other websites: Consumerreports,CNET, Pricegrabber, Avsforum, Circuitcity