HURRY - HURRY - HURRY - STEP RIGHT UP -

GET YOUR NEW-FANGLED CONVERTER BOX -

TECHNOLOGY AWAITS YOU -

DO-IT-YOURSELF -

I DID ! AND I'M ALMOST 68 -

NOTE: see final PPS * CORRECTION!

Digital TV Report

© Tom Hyland - 08-10-08


Well, I finally did it! Bought my new, improved, High-Tech TV Conversion Box. A month or so ago, I contacted Maryland Public Television, Channel 22, and they sent me the paperwork to complete in order to start the process. Shortly after filling it out and mailing it, I then received my two Government Coupons. These are plastic cards, quite similar to a credit card, and provide you with a $40.00 CREDIT towards the purchase of the box. NOTE that each is imprinted with an EXPIRATION DATE, allowing only 90 days!

In the accompanying literature received, there is a list of local stores where the boxes are available, based on your own ZIP CODE. I happened to choose BEST BUYS as it was convenient for me.

While working one day, and driving from point A to point B, this store was on the way, so I stopped there. Walked in the door, asked a worker if they had the boxes in stock, and he guided me directly to the aisle.

There were two models on display, and plenty of boxes, and both were the same price, $59.99. After picking up and reading both boxes, I asked another employee if the one model included all the necessary hook-ups, because the imprinted box was not specific. After he assured me that everything was in there, I chose that one, made by APEX, Model DT250, Digital TV Converter Box, with Analog Pass-Through. I was in and out of the store in only ten minutes!

Interestingly, I did not notice, nor even question the total amount I was charged until just now. After looking at my receipt I just realized that I was over-charged $2.40 of Maryland State Sales Tax.
Instead of $59.99 - $40.00 credit = $19.99 + 6% Tax = $21.19 - their system charged the 6% on the gross price, then applied the $40.00 Credit, resulting in my paying $23.59.

While this is no real biggy to me personally, I can see where such a NATIONAL program could easily garner Thousands, if not Millions of Dollars, into individual State coffers. It might be WISE to question this at the Cash Register, before paying.

Now, let us consider circumstances. I cannot afford either cable or satellite dish, so I have an outside roof aerial on my trailer. Accordingly, my reception is for local channels only. This means that I have always only received about eight stations: 2 - 11 - 13 - 22 - 24 - 45 - 54 - 67 - of which, two or three were normally FUZZY at best.

After hooking up the new box, following the simple instructions, and then doing the Automatic Programming, I wound up with 19 stations in total. Of these, two are Channel 9 in D.C. - which are shown in memory, but NOT RECEIVED! Heaven Forbid that there would ever be a National Calamity - after all, Baltimore is only 45 miles away!

Of the 17 stations received, all are CLEAR AS A BELL - that is an improvement. Even CH 67, which is a local MPT station, which was the worst fuzzy one before, comes in really good.

Now, you might ask, how come 8 channels grew to 17? Several of the stations are either broadcasting more than one broadcast, or one is the new Digital, and another is still the old Analog, which I will continue to receive until February 17th, 2009, when the BIG SWITCHEROO is supposed to occur. A couple are simply WEATHER reports.

Along with this difference, I noted that several stations appear as follows: Ch 11-1 WBALDT - Ch 11-2 WBALSD - and Maryland Public Television now has THREE different broadcasts simultaneously - Ch 22-1 MPT HD - TV-Y (I guess for Youth) -
Ch 22-2 MPT-SEL - and Ch 22-3 V-Me (en Espanol) !

Interestingly again, I now have TWO SPANISH CHANNELS, both Maryland Public Television, Chs. 22 and 67 - and even after trying to DELETE them from my FAVORITES - I CAN’T - they still continue in the rotation of selections! God Bless our American Government INSTIGATORS!

Como se dice (how do you say, en Espanol) - EL SCREW-OED?

They are shoving this INSULT to our English-Speaking society DOWN OUR COLLECTIVE THROATS!

As an aside, I guess that later on, after we allow another few MILLION MUSLIM ISLAMO-FASCISTS to PROCREATE their ANCHOR BABIES that we will have ARABIC shoved down our throats also?

$%^&*&^% - 1 for ARABIC -
El Presso - DOS por ESPANOL -
(*.#(#$&%^ - 3 for CHINESE -
PRESS NINE - for ENGLISH - (if ANY are LEFT).

Now, back to our Report on the BOX - Another interesting difference is now evident - SCREEN SIZE!

I happen to have a nice Panasonic 27” Diagonal screen, but while some channels come through with full screen, others do NOT! You know how a DVD movie may tell you that it has been RE-SIZED to fit your screen - or - you can CHOOSE between FULL or WIDE? Well now, with the new box - you CAN’T -

WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get - some channels have a BLACK RECTANGLE FRAME automatically DECREASING the screen size by THREE TO SIX INCHES - AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE - DUH!

Maybe this will all be corrected some day? As with most new products they need to WORK THE BUGS OUT, right?

Okay, so now, I have hooked everything up properly, have reviewed all my new channels and reception, am quite pleased and satisfied, so let me now watch my rental movie from Netflix.

OOPS! Another difference has promptly become self-evident - the DVD Player now WON’T WORK! Is it the remote? Did the batteries go dead? NOPE! The buttons to turn on and off, and eject work okay. PLAY - FWD - REV - NOPE!

So, I rolled the TV stand forward again, moved the rocking chair out of the way, got a flashlight, got down on my belly, and started investigating. Checked all the wires and cables - OK. I did it correctly. The new stuff was right, but HELLO - in order to place the set of Y-W-R cables for Video and Audio into the back of the TV, I had to remove the set which came from the DVD player - AHA - THAT’S IT!

So, after studying the RAT’S NEST of wires for the: DVD, old VHS, and new BOX - I got a brilliant idea - OH BOY! the back of the VHS player had TWO sets of female holes for Y-W-R wires, so maybe I could use them? NOPE! NO GOOD! NO CHANGE!

Then it dawned on me - ever since I installed the DVD player when it was new, the VHS tape player has never worked properly, and I had previously given up on it. There lies the rub!

So, I pondered and thunk some more on it. IF the back of the TV itself had TWO SETS of Y-W-R female holes, then logic told me that both machines could be plugged into them. BUT IT DIDN’T!

After some more thunking, I decided on a quick easy experiment - I unplugged the new wires from the converter BOX, re-inserted the wires from the DVD, and - VOILA! MY MOVIE WORKED!

After enjoying the movie, JUNO - FANTASTIC - 10 + I swapped out the wires again, so the TV would then work again. Obviously, this process was not too efficient. There must be another answer, right?

So - I went online to RADIO SHACK and did a Search for Cables, and Adapters. Several hundred were listed - in order by Price, lowest to highest. Around the fourth, fifth, or sixth page I found it - I THINK - a Triple Phone Plug Coupler - Catalog # 274-898 - and only $6.99 - EUREKA!

CORRECTION - ABOVE WRONG! SEE * BELOW

It is now 11:30 am, Sunday morning, August 10th, 2008, and I will go purchase said item later today. If it is the solution to the problem, I shall be overcome with ecstasy - but - you will have to wait in SUSPENSE to find out!

As I end this hopefully helpful report, I can only suggest one thing -

BEFORE you rush out and buy your new SUPER-DUPER- HI-TECH-DIGITAL-CONVERTER-BOX - take a look at the back of your TV first - any chance that it is newer than mine, and the manufacturer was gracious enough to plan ahead and supply TWO sets of holes for Y-W-R wires?

IF NOT - you might want to stop by your local Radio Shack store and pick up one of them thar COUPLERS.

Save your receipt so you may get a refund - just in case I am wrong!

HAPPY DIGITALIZING ! © TKH.

P.S. - The Price of these boxes vary from store to store, and manufacturer - from a low of $40.00 to a high of $70.00 - so shop around - I didn’t.

P.P.S. - Another thing just happened - all of a sudden, my TV just stopped! After you get all hooked up, on your remote there is a button for MENU - mine was set at the SLEEP DEFAULT of 4 hours - just scroll through your choices with the arrow keys - mine is 1-2-3-4 Hours, not minutes - SELECT OFF.

P.P.S. * - CORRECTION - above-mentioned coupler is just a piece for attaching 2 sets of wires together, to make them longer.

Correct item is called an AUDIO/VIDEO SELECTOR
SWITCH - 3-in-1 costs $16.95 - I opted to spend another 5 bucks for a 4-in-1 for $21.95. There is also a 5-in-1 available at $32.95.