Entered CNET Catalog: 03/05/2008
SKU: 0719192172593
Manufacturer: Zenith Electronics Corporation
Manufacturer description
Marketing description is not available.Product summary
The good: Solid video quality and reception; easy-to-use design, especially for digital TV amateurs; good aspect ratio controls for handling wide-screen programs on standard TVs; attractive design; remote can control the TV's power.
The bad: Program guide is very basic; small remote control buttons aren't ideal for seniors; audio quality is subpar.
The bottom line: The Zenith DTT900 DTV converter box has an easy-to-use design and solid video quality, but buyers should be aware of cheaper--and possibly better--alternatives coming in the future.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 03/31/2008
Editors' note: We found the Zenith DTT900 and the Insignia NS-DXA1 have virtually identical design, features, and performance; therefore, their reviews are the same.
The FCC has pushed back the DTV transition several times already, but it looks as if it will shut off over-the-air analog TV signals on February 17, 2009. That means owners of analog TV will need to pony up for a DTV converter box if they want to continue getting their free over-the-air TV (read our Quick Guide to the DTV transition to find out if you'll be affected). Luckily, it shouldn't cost you too much, as anyone affected can apply for a $40 DTV converter box coupon from the U.S. government.
The Zenith DTT900 is one of the DTV boxes that shoppers can buy with the coupon, and it's worth a serious look. On arguably the most important features--reception and video quality--the DTT900 performs strongly, outperforming the other boxes we've looked at so far. We did have some nitpicks: the remote is too small, audio quality is subpar, and we would have liked a full-scale EPG (onscreen electronic program guide). However, these caveats are for the most part overshadowed the DTT900's other strengths and make it a good choice for your government-subsidized coupon. Our biggest hesitation is price--with a list price of $60, you'll have to kick in $20 of real money in addition to the coupon. That's compared with Echostar's upcoming DTV converter box, which--with its $40 retail price--will effectively be free. If you're itching to start watching digital over-the-air TV right away, the DTT900 is one of the better options currently available, but buyers would be wise to wait until more boxes are on the market.
Design
The Zenith DTT900's design is simple, but we liked it. The main chassis is made of black metal, accented by a plastic faceplate that has the popular glossy black look to it. The metal body makes it feel more like a more expensive item, especially considering that most other DTV boxes are made of plastic. In the center of the faceplate is a small LED light that glows blue when the device is on and red when it's off. To the right of the light are channel up and down button, and further right is the power button. Overall, the DTT900 is one of the more attractive boxes available.
The first thing you'll notice about the DTT900's included remote control is that it's small. That's unfortunate, because we actually liked the button layout on the remote, but it's not a good option for older buyers with less-than-perfect eyesight. (If you're looking for a DTV box with large remote buttons, check out the RCA DTA800.) If you can get past the small size, it's actually pretty good, with individual button rockers for volume and channel up/down, and a large directional pad up top. We liked the inclusion of a variety of buttons, such as a handy signal strength checker, the zoom button, and closed-captioning. We also liked how the remote handled digital substations--if you hit 4 on the remote, a menu pops up on the screen allowing you to choose which channel (4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 41.1, etc) you'd like to watch. Also note that it is capable of controlling a TV, although that capability is limited to turning it on and off.
Features
The DTT900 includes a very basic program. Hitting the guide button brings up the "Simple Guide," which shows what's currently on a channel and what will be on next. The EPGs on more advanced products such as TiVo or even standard digital cable boxes usually show more information, such as program data for several hours in the future for several channels at a time. It's definitely better than nothing--which may be what many buyers of this box are used to--but there's definitely room for improvement.
Aspect ratio is handled well on the DTT900. This is an important feature because the DTT900 will most commonly be used with older, analog TVs with a standard 4:3 aspect ratio, but an increasing amount of digital TV is presented in wide screen (16:9). The DTT900 has four options, which you can cycle through with the "Zoom" button on the remote.
Set by program: Presumably sets the aspect ratio as the content maker requests.
Letterbox: Keeps wide-screen programs in their original form, but adds black bars on both the top and bottom of the picture.
Cropped: Maintains the proper aspect ratio, but literally crops out of the extreme right and left sides of the picture.
Squeeze: Doesn't remove any part of the picture, but distorts the aspect ratio, making people look tall and skinny.
The DTT900 also doesn't have a problem displaying a full wide-screen image if connected to a wide-screen TV--which is a step up over the RCA DTA800.
The DTT900 has a basic set of connectivity options. There are two RF-style F connectors, which are the connecters that have the screw threads on the outside and the small hole inside. One is an antenna input and should be connected to the antenna using a coaxial cable. The other F connector says "To TV (RF)" and is a video output. This means you can send analog video and audio from the DTT900 to your TV by connecting a coaxial cable. In addition to the F connectors, the DTT900 has a composite video output along with stereo RCA analog outputs--the standard yellow, red, and white outputs. If your TV has the proper inputs, you should use this output as it offers superior audio and video quality over the RF connection.
Mostly everything you need to get the DTT900 is including in the box. There are two cables--an RF cable and a composite video cable with stereo audio cables. We definitely appreciate the composite video cable, as both the RCA DTA800 and the GE 22730 stingily only include an RF cable. A single AAA battery for the remote is also included in the box.
While the DTT900 includes all the critical features you'd want on a DTV converter box, there are some extras missing. Some of the DTV boxes--such as the RCA DTA800--include an option to use with a Smart Antenna, which is a special kind of antenna that supposedly is able to reposition itself to get the best reception. We haven't been able to test this functionality on any of the boxes yet, but the Smart Antennas we've seen are so expensive we find it hard to believe it's worth the money for connecting to such a bargain DTV box. Some users will note that the DTT900 doesn't offer analog pass-through, meaning that it would still pass analog antenna signal to a TV. While this might be useful for analog signals broadcast this year, it's not that big of an omission since that feature will be essentially useless once the FCC shuts off analog signals in February 2009. Lastly, there are a few DTV boxes--such as the Channel Master CM-7000--that feature an S-Video output, which can provide better video quality than that composite video. This should only matter if you currently have a TV that has an S-Video input.
Performance
Reception performance on the DTT900 was solid. We were able to tune into all of the major stations from our Manhattan location and we very rarely saw artifacts because of reception problems. We also tuned in from Queens, New York, and signal quality was just as good. Remember, you'll only be able to tune into the free stations broadcast over the air--that means no Comedy Central, CNN, and so on. From our Manhattan location, we were able to tune into the major networks (CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC), plus PBS, The CW, My 9, plus some religious and Spanish channels. The channels you can actually receive depends on your location, and you can use tools such as TV Fool to help determine what channels you can expect to get.
In terms of video quality, we were pretty impressed with the Zenith DTT900. Switching back and forth between the GE 22730 and the Zenith DTT900 while watching The Price is Right we saw a substantial difference. The image from the GE 22730 was filled with jaggies and other image distortions while the DTT900 looks comparatively smooth and jaggy-free. This difference was apparent on all the other channels as we flipped around, indicating it was a difference in the boxes' overall video performance and not just on a particular program.
One minor issue we did run into was some strange audio behavior, with sibilant sounds like s's having a harsh sound, occasionally sounding washed out like an overcompressed MP3. Some sleuths over at AVS Forum have isolated the issue to the left channel being the main culprit. The issue is definitely noticeable for those who are sensitive to sound quality--and if you know it's there it's easy to hear--but we're guessing many people would never know anything is wrong with the sound. While it's definitely an issue--and those sensitive to audio quality should steer clear--we're guessing many people won't mind or notice.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30out of 30 user reviews
Does all it is supposed to do and then some.
Pros: Excellent reception. This unit picks up more channels than the Magnavox untis that both died after five months. The remote works with our televeision thus eliminating the need for two remotes.
Cons: No analog pass through. Remote is small.
out of 30 user reviews
Unit is losing channels after 8 months
Pros: Was easy to install, setup and use
Cons: One of the units is losing signal strength to two of my local stations. Are parts deteriorating?
out of 30 user reviews
general overview
Pros: All metal construction. Easy setup. Easy to use. Very good at handling multipath problems common in urban areas. Runs cool.
Cons: No S-video output. Somewhat lower sensitivity to DX reception than my 3 year old HDTV tuner. On some channels, audio sounds akin to a rather highly compressed MP3 audio. On other channels, audio is fine
out of 30 user reviews
Poor audio performance; lousy program guide
Pros: Good quality reception, with almost no antenna attached on all stations in the region.
Cons: Poor audio quality, with noise when you turn it up too far. Even worse, the audio is not quite in sync with the video. The program guide only shows 2 hours of programming and on only one channel at a time.
out of 30 user reviews
Good and cheap
Pros: The price is good and the quality is good too.
Cons: The remote control.
out of 30 user reviews
The Cadillac of DTV Converter Boxes
Pros: Best in class reception, solid build, excellent options (manual tuning, EZAdd for new channels, etc.)
Cons: Not a fan of the remote. Wish it controlled TV volume.
Its 5th generation tuner (either LG or Sanyo) outshines every other box on reception and keeping signals. For one local channel here, this box is the only digital OTA tuner that will pick up and hold the station with minimal antenna and placement.
It's the only box I know of that will allow you not only to enter digital channels manually after scanning, but also has an "EZAdd" option to automatically scan any new channels. The scanning is lightning quick - under a minute, new or additional.
The review should be updated, though, as this box is now the Zenith DTT901 with analog pass-through. The Insignia version of the 901 is the NS-DXA1-APT. The Zenith and Insignia boxes are identical. They are both made by LG/Zenith.
I like this so much, I bought a second one of the same type.
out of 30 user reviews
BEWARE WARRANTY TERMS !
Pros: Converter works well after one month of usage
Cons: The remote control unit malfunctioned after 1 month of use. Customer service refuses to replace the unit under the written warranty because they claim it is considered an accessory and is only covered for 90 days. It is 104 days since I bought it.
out of 30 user reviews
Quit Working After A Month
Pros: Worked Great, But Only For a Month
Cons: Reliability Issues
out of 30 user reviews
It's ok. too Expensive!
Pros: Good Reception with coat hanger antenna!
Cons: Remote control and Audio Stereo.
out of 30 user reviews
Good box overall
Pros: Good picture & sound, easy to use, seems high quality
Cons: Sometimes breaks up even when signal shows strong, can't control TV volume directly
out of 30 user reviews
Now the Zenith DTT901
Pros: metal chassis; easy to use remote; remote turns on tv; best tuner; best picture; allows favorites
Cons: no s-video; basic channel guide; no auto-scheduling
The ability to use a single remote was more important than the ability to have an on-screen guide -- this isn't cable/satellite with hundreds of channels, after all. The number of stations I could pick up and the quality of the picture were also important factors.
The audio problems previously reported with the DTT900 are gone -- I flipped it to stereo and listened for it - completely fixed. Also fixed is that the DTT901 has audio pass-through. This is a useless feature for me, and irrelevant after February.
Changing channels is fast (another reason a guide is irrelevant). Even with 30 or so channels available, I can surf through all of them pretty quickly. I'm not actually interested in the weather and special interest (religious and all international) channels available, so there is a favorites feature that lets me surf through just the channels I'm interested in.
The remote is simple enough that my two-year-old and my mother-in-law can both operate it. In any case, there's only three buttons they press -- power, change channel, and volume.
Auto scheduling is another reason to buy the dtvpal that was useless for me. This feature pre-tunes a show so a VCR could then record it. We do not use VCRs to record tv anymore.
If your concerns are ease of use, being able to pick up the most channels, easy-to-use remote, and good picture quality, then this is a great choice.
out of 30 user reviews
Digitial Stream DTX9950 is better
Pros: A very good unit
Cons: No analog passthru
out of 30 user reviews
Terrific product
Pros: Great quality. EZ setup. No problems
Cons: Not free at 59.99
out of 30 user reviews
GET IT - Digital is the Bomb - Oh my gosh babies its a nice product
Pros: Plug into pwr, Ant, TV (coax or composite), simple set-up, WORKS GREAT, accessories, nice size, customer support number right on unit, went from 8 chan to 20, nicer picture
Cons: Well yes remote on small side. Get a universal remote. Menu is fine to most but only the most whiny
My coupons where about to expire in a month (they are only good for 90 days). So I checked reviews and availability. I decided on the Zenith (glad I did).
Most folks go down to WalMart, Radio Shack, Best Buy and get what they have (usually Magnavox, RCA, Insignia or GE). You can pay less than $60 for a box, but it's probably not going to performer as well. I had to hunt down the Zenith. It was only avaiable at HHgregg's which I never heard, but there was a store in my area, 16 miles away.
The DTT 900 criticisms of others I think are minor or nick-picky in my opinion, but they are correct. The remote is small but you are not going to want to use a basic remote in my opinion and a good universal remote is only $15-$20.
Menu? I read this is a problem? Most typical analog TV's don't have a menu or half the menu functions this does. It's not as fancy as say digital cable/Sat TV service, but than its FREE and not $79 a month.
Back to the box, yes the remote is small. Yes the menu might not be as fancy as some I guess but it WORKS and works well. Also the remote has last chan or previous apparently the RCA does not.
However most important the reciver sensitivity is excellent from what I read and by my experience. It gives a nice picture. What more do you want.
I went from 8 analog channels to 20 digital channels! The picture is as good as cable. Set up is fall of your chair simple. If the set up fails you forgot to connect the antenna or your TV is broke.
The remote has a cool signal strength button All my signals are about 80%-90% indoor rabbit ears, except two channels. The worst two are at 60-65%. The thing will beep at you if signal is below two thirds with the signal displayed. (It does not beep with the signal strength off.) Those two channels Still at 60% the picture sound is great, but they both are Spanish so I'm not too concerned.
One thing I found as others mentioned is volume is low. With BOX at 100% and TV at near 100% the sound was low. However my little TV was never a power house sound wise. Even on cable with full TV volume it was never blasting. However by going into the menu, I turned off stereo for mono and the sound is now more than acceptable. The TV is mono by the way. Also I'm using the RF cable and not the composite connections (composite video & stereo audio). It might be better with the video connections?
RF and composite video out is nice.
The big thing I looked for was sensitivity. Some other brands I read pick up less channels than other models. I'm very happy with the Zenith.
According to Antenna web I get all the "yellow" channels which are from about 5 to 25 miles. YELLOW is the way FCC and the antenna manufactures rate the "pulling power" of their antenna, for near stations (or stations targeting your area). Yellow means an indoor antenna should work. If you're in a rural area you will need a better antenna (blue, red or violet). Better antennas are always out door and for best, directional for best gain.
The antenna issue is true with any digital TV converter box. HOWEVER don't buy the "special HDTV antenna" hype. You can just use good existing VHF/UHF antennas. In fact most HDTV will be on UHF so get a good UHF antenna. The bow-tie is a good design. It will serve you well. If your antenna is outside, higher and directional that is good, better, best.
I recommend the Zenith DTT 900.
You have a choice, trash that CRT TV and get a new TV's with digital tuners, or like me keep those old analog/CRT TV's until they die. The picture is great. Also late at night my cable service goes down for maintenance quite often. Having a rabbit ear antenna and digital tuner is nice to have avaiable on my other TV's. Get'em while they are hot.
********************************************
WHY BUY? I have cable & one digital TV (and digital cable box), but my other two TV's are analog. I see the day (soon) when I'll get sick of paying $60 a month for cable. With digital over the air, I have at least 20 stations to listen to and it's FREE. Also one TV is at a remote shop away from home and that is over the air. That TV had to have a digital converter. $59-$40=$19 plus tax (they taxed the full $59) is cheaper than a new TV.
*** If your coupons expire (90 days) you are out of luck. ***
*** WARNING. There's only about 22 million coupons to hand out. 10 million have been sent out as of April 2008. When they are out, they are out. An additional 11 million will be made avaiable after Feb 2009 to homes that have absolutly NO CABLE/SAT TV. Don't wait too long. $40 off is a big discount. If you don't need'em fine but consider it now. ***
If you are waiting for a better box before Feb 2009, don't. I don't think there will be better boxes coming out in the next $6 months that break some price or performance level, so don't wait.
With a GOOD outdoor antenna even directional I could pick up the neighboring cities but really its not needed. Most stations would just be duplicates of other local affiliates.
Digital warning - Unlike analog where a weak station will still give you a pic and sound, albeit degraded or poor, with digital its all or nothing. Your Antenna is 90% of your TV!
out of 30 user reviews
reviews or product that's upsetting
Pros: I've added several more (sub) channels to my rabbit ears
Cons: No set screen size. No sound regulation, small remote, no backlight and no horrible button location,
I live in the middle of a pretty large metropolitan area. When I first got this I was excited. Digital! I didn't read much about it, I just knew I had to have it (by Feb 2k9). Okay, I read a bit but there were only 2 brands/kinds in my area and this is the one I got. Reviews were "good".
I got it...hooked it up. Awesome!! Clear signal, a couple sub-channels I've never seen. On-screen programming...Awesome!!
Who, wait. I make enough to buy a flat screen for my living room (and bedroom), but I have a tube (tv).
Okay, I have a 27" and a 19" (bedroom) in my place.
The cons begin;
Remote, not the best (light weight); bad button placement, doesn't illuminate, tough to program with your universal remote to.
System; Set by program, letter box, cropped and sqeezed...I have two TVs and neither can have a "full" picture of the television show (now) whether it's "set by program" or "cropped". I appreciate the widescreen anytime it's available, but "cropped" losses area and "set by program" loses 6" (diagonal).
I'd love to post a picture of what I see!
I had two options of DTV within 50 miles of me being in central Phoenix.
TVs, I have 1,500.
Oh, wait...instead of a fussy signal from time to time you get a frozen "pixilated" signal. Result, "no signal".
out of 30 user reviews
Crystal clear reception deep within a brick Chicago high-rise
Pros: Amazing picture and reception, simple installation
Cons: power cord is too short, no analog pass-through,
Took it home, initially tried routing it through my VCR but that didn't work so I just did it the "correct" way and routed the RF cable into the TV, and used the handy RCA cables to route the sound into my AIWA receiver. The only installation snafu I had was with power cord; it's too short so I had to put the box someplace where it would reach my power strip.
I live about 4.5 miles north of downtown Chicago where most of the transmitters are. My apartment, located in the middle of the second floor of a brick and concrete high-rise, got only so-so reception with analog rabbit ears. I got channels 2, 7, 9, 11, and 32 find, but 5 was never viewable and the rest were snowy.
Wow. Wow. The Zenith picks up crystal-clear reception on every channel except 2 (WBBM, CBS). A little Googling let me to find out that WBBM has a weak DTV signal right now so most everyone has trouble getting channel 2 with a converter box or an HDTV. I get zero signal. But when February 2009 rolls around, WBBM will supposedly shift its DTV signal from channel 3 to channel 12 and this will eliminate problems. Oh well, no Survivor for a while, I guess!
Everything else though comes in great. Occasionally I'll have to adjust the antenna for a few stations when they get "clippy." But the clarity looks better than cable and I am so glad I bought this unit instead of waiting a while longer. Two thumbs up!
out of 30 user reviews
Unit worked fine
Pros: When receiving, picture is clear, audio is very good, setup is easy, can turn the TV on and off with Zenith remote
Cons: Pixelates and loses audio occasionally, electronic program guide is very limited, can't adjust the volume too much with the converter box
The setup was easy. I used the RCA jacks (audio and video) and the supplied RCA cables to connect the Zenith to my normal old fashioned General Electric 480i TV. The RCA jacks produced NOTICABLY better audio than using the RF/Coax cable connection. I could not really tell a difference with the video quality between the RCA and the RF (Channel 3) connections. By the way, I never noticed any poor quality audio, or funny sounding “S” sounds, as some of the reviews mentioned. I was also able to simultaneously plug the RCA signals into my TV, and send the RF signal to my VCR for recording programs (obviously, the same channel is sent to the TV and VCR).
When the unit auto-searched for channels, it came up with 20 digital television channels; all of the major stations in our area. I used just an indoor rabbit ear antenna. In fact, those rabbit ears are in fact amplified, but I found a non-amplified antenna worked just about as well. I should also mention that we live on 3 acres, in the woods, completely surrounded by tall trees.
One of the good things I found was that with conventional TV broadcasts, I would have to mess with my rabbit ears to try to minimize the fuzz when I would change from one station to the next. This is not the case with the Zenith and the digital television signals. They all come in fairly well without changing the antenna at all. The picture quality is very much better than our old analog broadcasts. There is a big down side, however. With the old analog broadcasts, if the weather was worse, or airplanes passed overhead, or whatever, the picture might get a bit fuzzier, but you could still watch it. With our DTV channels, 95% of the time the signal is fine, but 5% of the time it begins to degrade, pixelated (makes those funny square blocks), and worst of all, you lose the audio track completely. This is truly frustrating. We were watching “Last Comic Standing” the other night, and it is frustrating to lose the punch lines. Another example is that we watch Family Feud, and you will lose the audio when the contestants are answering a question. It will only last for a couple of seconds at a time, but it is quite frustrating.
As for the electronic program guide, it is very poor. Even though we have always only had broadcast TV, our GE television set got an electronic program guide sent to it overnight. That guide would display all shows, up to a week in the future, and allow sorting by movies or sports, etc. It was very useful. The Zenith’s EPG lists just the current show, and the next show to come up, for each channel. Also, when you first turn on the unit, the EPG is basically blank. It tells you to “tune to that channel” to get the information. So, what I have found is that when I turn it on, I have to manually click through all 20 stations to “fill” the EPG. So, it is about as poor an EPG as I can imagine.
All in all, I suspect the Zenith does a very good job. I was so excited when I first set it up and got those crystal clear digital pictures, and the additional digital channels. The major drawback has been the occasional loss of signal and loss of audio track. It has got me thinking that I may need to re-hook up our old rooftop antenna and see if that works any better.
Here was my shopping experience: I looked all over at the retail outlets (about a dozen) in the Research Triangle Park, NC area. There really were not that many different units available. Wal-Mart had a slot for the RCA DTA800, at $49, but none available. Target had the General Electric with the poorer reviews, at $49, but I was not going to get that one. Target also had an off brand that I had not heard of, also for about $49, but I did not want to take a chance. Sears had the Magnavox, on sale for $49. Best Buy had the Insignia NS-DXA1, for $59, which is the same unit as the Zenith. One Radio Shack store said they had the Zenith, but the one I went to did not. Instead, they had the Digital Stream DTX9900 for $59. I wound up buying the Zenith at Circuit City for $59.
out of 30 user reviews
Really Nice Converter Box
Pros: Easy setup;Nice Program Guide;Remote Controls My TV;Clear Picture;Remote Has Lots of Features;Menu Is Easy To Use
Cons: Audio quality is not consistent;On/Off switch would be nice.
out of 30 user reviews
I'm impressed
Pros: great reception
Cons: little confusing on set up
Another potential con/inconvenience, is that I have to run the scan everytime I change the position of the antenna. Fortunately, it doesn't take that long to scan.
As other reviewers have said, you cannot watch one station while recording another station using this unit. Maybe that will change with future units. Probably not. Another thought is to buy two units. Haven't tried it yet, but probably will.
out of 30 user reviews
Power off issues?
Pros: Ease of setup
Cons: Power issues and small buttons for Senior
I just bought another one with the second card that I was going to use to replace hers. I set it up at my place and within a couple of hours the red light came on requiring the power button to bring it back. It has now has stayed blue for a few hours.
Do these boxes have an issue with this?
Never mind the previous question regarding the powering off. The is a 'Auto Power Off' which default to 4 hours. I just turned it off.
out of 30 user reviews
poor performance, dissatifed.
Pros: did send in signal to the TV however it blocked by DVD player
Cons: It blocked by DVD Video players signal which would not show while the DTT900 was connected to the TV.
Very dissatisfied.
out of 30 user reviews
Pretty good but sound issues are real
Pros: Found all channels and easy navigation
Cons: Hissing high frequencies
out of 30 user reviews
Does everything it's susposed to do and more.
Pros: Good remote, easy to set up, menu, handles multi-path well
Cons: None found.
Receives all DTV stations in Eastern MA and Southern NH (VHF and UHF up to 60 miles from tower) with a simple indoor loop antenna.
Able to set up and use in less than 10 minutes without even looking at user manual.
out of 30 user reviews
Doesn't sound like "Zenith"
Pros: Zoom (aspect ratio) button on remote.
Cons: Poor sound quality
out of 30 user reviews
A few quirks, but not a bad unit
Pros: Reputable name, good features, does what it's supposed to do
Cons: Small remote, weak remote transmission, no analog pass through
Connections/Setup: The connections are typical, and the menus are pretty good for getting the box configured. It does an auto scan for channels in your area.
Picture Quality/Reception: Compared to analog reception in my area, the channels I do get in digital look awesome. Not being spoiled by super high quality pictures, these look nice, but either way, adequate for day to day use. Like it’s been said, with DTV you get it or you don’t. Be forewarned that not all television stations are broadcasting full power just yet. There are two in my area that I can’t get just yet because of that, and one that cuts in and out. As for reception, I think this box does what it should.
There also is a signal meter, which shows the strength of a channel. While the graph feature is nice, it has a beeping thing that gets on my nerves…
Remote Control: It’s been said before that this remote is small. (Only a AAA battery) While that nor button layout is an issue, my main problem is that the remote seems to transmit rather weak compared to others. This can be especially annoying when switching channels with the number pad, but it might be fine for others.
Analog Passthrough/Program Guide: This unit doesn’t feature an analog passthrough, or a full program guide. I didn’t think the passthrough feature would be necessary, but it can become inconvenient not having it when you can’t get all your channels in digital just yet. The program guide was a bonus for me, so I can’t really complain, but it might be nice to have more than a now/next guide, like some other boxes have.
Again, there are a few quirks, but as long as you’re aware of them, I wouldn’t have too much problem recommending this unit.
out of 30 user reviews
Better than most currently available
Pros: Better reception than even more expensive units.
Cons: No pass-through, remote no designed well.
out of 30 user reviews
One of the best available right now
Pros: Many useful features, solid performance
Cons: Signal strength should be available on program info display
Another small convenience is that the Zenith unit comes with the proper video and coaxial cables. Setup was very quick and simple. It's practically 'plug and play'.
out of 30 user reviews
not bad for price
Pros: very cheep
Cons: sound quality stinks
they say it goes for about $60, but can be found at some stores for $50, but for the current moment there seem to be stock probles at those stores, that should change by the end of april 08
out of 30 user reviews
Wait for Later Production Version
Pros: Lots of Features compared to RCA and Magnavox
Cons: Noisy Left Channel Audio
out of 30 user reviews
Only missing an analog pass-thru
Pros: Solid construction; RF & AV cables included; great remote; Easy setup
Cons: No analog pass-thru for low-power or present analog stations
The remote has some great features not found on the competition. It has a TV power On/Off button that can be programmed for most TVs, so you only need this remote for basic TV operation. It also has a button to set the screen aspect (zoom) directly; some competitors make you go into a setup menu to change it. It only uses a single AAA battery; some competitors use 2 AA batteries in their remote.
The unit has a program guide that downloads info from the stations so you can check what's going to be on.
The set up is easy and fast -- it scans the channels much faster than anything else I've seen (HDTV or the competition).
It's cooler looking, too, with a blue LED for ON instead of last century's green LED (like some of the competition).
I also own a Magnavox TB100MW9. Both seem to pull in the channels equally well where I live. I think the Zenith has a little better picture. The features of the Zenith are definitely worth the few extra dollars compared to the Magnavox.
For me, the only drawback is the lack of an analog bypass (few units have this feature). Our local PBS outlet has almost totally different programming on the HDTV channel vs. the analog channel, so it would be great to be able to easily switch between them. Since this won't be a problem after next Feb., it isn't really that big of a drawback.
Updated on Mar 26, 2010Not that many people care at this point -- yes, there are many ways to create an analog pass-through, but that adds cost and complexity when, for a few pennies, the manufacturer could easily do this. Not everyone wants to engineer their video feed -- and you'd need two splitters, one to feed the antenna to the converter box and another to recombine the converter output with the split antenna signal. That would drop the signal to the TV by a factor of 4 which could cause bad reception, especially with any low-power analog stations that are still active. I ended up with a different box that not only has analog pass-through, but an S-video output. Wow -- a much better picture with the S-video!
