As some of you may already know the digital tv transition is only several months away. If you’ve been to any of the local consumer electronic stores you probably have seen digital tv converters on the shelves. What these digital tv converter boxes do is simply take an over the air digital transimitted signal and convert it to analog so that is can be viewed on older analog televisions. After February 17,2009 is you have an analog tv you will need a digital tv converter to continuing viewing over the air televison.

Some of the available digital tv converters on the market are the Magnovox TB100MW9 which retail for about $50 at Wamart. Best Buy carries the popular Insignia NS-DXA1 for about $60, and Circuit City for abot $60 has the Zenith DTT900.

One thing to keep in mind regarding digital tv converters is that they really don’t do much other than convert a digital signal so that it can be viewed on an analog tv. So the only major distinguishing feature is picture quality. Though picture quality for all three is good, some differences were noted that may make you decide to buy one over the other.

So how do these 3 digital tv converter boxes match up again each other? Let take a look at the three most important characteristics and see how they compare.

Digital tuning and sensitivity: All three digital tv converters did well with strong signal as well as weka signal. All three provide an on-screen signal strength meter to hel pyou position you antenna for optimum picture. One thing to keep in mind is that any HD signal you reciev will be converted to analog.

Quality of Picture: If at all possible use some connection other that coaxial in order to get the best possible picture quality out of your digital tv converter. The Zenith and Insignia has a little bit better picture than the Magnavox, but not by much.

Extras included with the Zenith and Insignia is an electronic prgram guide. The Magnavox digital tv converter also has an elctronic guide but it isn’t as good as the other two.

If we had to recommend a resonable priced no frill digital tv converter it would be either the Zenith DTT900, or the Insignia NS-DXA1, both have a slightly better picture than the Magnavox.

In conclusion we would have to say that you really shouldn’t spend too much money on a digital tv converter as the current no frills digital tv converters will do just fine.