Which (nearly) free DTV converter box should I buy?

The transition from analog-to-digital TV is coming on February 17, 2009, and if you rely on analog over-the-air signals for your TV, you'll need to pick up a converter box. The first coupon eligible converter boxes are coming out now, and if you sign up for the free $40 coupon from the federal government, they should cost you no more than $20.

Out of the first round of boxes, the RCA DTA800 and Dish Network DTVPal are our favorites. The DTA800 has an excellent remote with jumbo-size buttons, a basic electronic program guide (EPG), solid video quality, and it even works with new Smart Antennas that automatically align themselves to get better reception. On the other hand, the Dish Network DTVPal has the best EPG by far, displaying several days worth of data in an easy-to-read layout. Coming in right behind those boxes are the Zenith DTT900 and Insignia NS-DXA1, which are essentially the same product with different names. These boxes actually have the best video quality and reception, but do lack some extra features available on the DTA800 and DTVPal. The GE 22730 Digital Converter Box comes in a distant last and should generally be avoided, as its video quality is poor, it's difficult to use, and it pulled in fewer channels than the other boxes we tested.