Zenith DTT901

Pros: good reception, works better than my HDTV digital receiver

Cons: Weak program guide

Summary: This is the converter box for you if:

* Receiving as many channels as possible is important to you
* You want to receive localized analog signals as well as digital
* You want a "for emergencies" box.

Observations:

This box has an excellent receiver. It is very sensitive and picks up many channels wonderfully (with a "rabbit ear" antenna alone). I have a digital HDTV as well - and have a wire going up to the roof. The Zenith DTV converter box receives the channels better. When I mean better, I mean it works better with lower signal strength. Channel 4 is jerky, freezes up with the HDTV. But with my old 13" standard tv, the zenith DTV converter works better - no jerkiness with a much inferior antenna (rabbit ear).

With digital, it's an all or nothing proposition. If you have enough signal, you get a picture. If you don't, you get no picture. It's the catch 22 of digital. I have found this box can receive non-jerky signals with a minimum of about 40% signal strength. This is pretty good compared to others I have seen. It can go slightly lower (depending upon the channel) - but it gets jerky when it hits under around 35%.

There is one downside to this box - the program guide is mediocre. You have to turn to a channel range before the program guide "fills in" with program data - so it's great to find out what's on next on the channel you're watching - but horrible for figuring out which channel you want to watch next. If you're a channel-flipper like me though, this isn't much of a problem.

The pass though feature works great. I have read reports that some people are having difficulty with this feature. It works only when the box is in the off mode, and only on the older coaxial cable - not the 3 RCA composite cables. So if you are using the RCA cables, you will not get pass though capability. It ONLY works using the older coaxial cable.

The remote buttons are slightly on the conservative side when it comes to size. The buttons don't bother me, but the buttons may be difficult for older folks.

Final thoughts:

Get this box if you want the most channels, with as few with a jerky picture as possible. It has a sensitive receiver and is most likely to work in the event of an emergency. You can buy this box off-line at some Circuit City stores. Check their website to find the closest store to you that carries them.

Don't get this box if you can't live without a concrete channel program guide, or are elderly and need big remote control buttons.