Digital converter box at walmart

Getting both means you'll have access to cable channels as well, even those that are in HD, and perhaps a few extra channels.

Bottom line is that you get unscrambled digital programming and bonus channels depending on your location. Picture quality will entirely depend on the converter unit's ability to acquire signal, and this is where iView's offering shines.

You can get free high definition channels with the iView STB unit. You now can choose to view TV content in your preferred format- whether it be p, p, i or p. Crystal-clear viewing at its finest. The maximum definition that the iView converter box puts out is p, which should be more than adequate for watching movies and your favorite TV series.

Access this to see a screen list of channels and shows to choose from. Digital TV technology lets local guides transmit their channel and program information for your convenience. You'll need a set-top converter unit or a digital TV to see this feature. You can use this feature to choose which shows to record. Auto Tuning scans for all available channels and finds available digital broadcasts for one-click programming.

You won't have to do extra channel up or channel down presses just to see the next channel. Once you've done a scan of all the available channels, you can record your favorite channels into the Favorites menu. This way you can jump in-between two great shows without having to go through the shows in the middle.

A customized list of channels make for better entertainment. Access this function to limit what your children can watch with a few button presses. You can disable specific channels or TV stations and set a child-safe programming via a password. You will no longer need a video player or get tangled up in the wiring when setting up a digital converter box and a DVD player at the same time. If the storage device has any media already saved on it, those media files can be played on the Iview Box.

During video playback, you can press the green SCHD button, on the remote, to cycle between preview and full-screen modes. Plug your external disk drive in to record movies and shows straight to your device. The device can also schedule recordings by pressing the green SCHD button on the remote.

From there, the channel, start time, and end time can be set and the box will automatically record and end at the scheduled times. This can also be set to record daily every day, including weekends , weekly once a week , or just once. Empire Theme by Pixel Union. Do you subscribe to digital cable or satellite TV? If you do, the box that goes on your TV handles the conversion for you. In fact, the analog-to-digital switch really affected just local broadcasters.

Satellite and cable stations don't use the same frequencies that your local network affiliates do. So if you're not using an antenna to watch TV, the switch didn't affect you.

Are you an analog cable subscriber? Here's a clue: If you plug the cable directly into the back of your television, your cable company might be offering you analog service. The FCC requires cable companies to provide analog signals for local stations that have switched to digital signals as long as they offer analog feeds for any other channel.

You may be fine for now, but if you're concerned that your TV will go dark in the future, you should contact your cable provider. There are a few exceptions to the conversion rule, though. Low-power , Class A and TV translator stations don't have to make the switch to digital just yet. These stations are usually rural or local community stations, and while they didn't have to switch in June , they'll be required to switch over in the future [source: FCC ].

If you watch one of these stations regularly, make sure to get a converter box that has analog pass-through capability, and you can continue to receive those channels.

Otherwise, you'll have to get a signal splitter and divide the signal from your antenna for digital and analog stations. At this point, you may be thinking this is all a pain in the neck. But there are some advantages for switching to a digital signal. Read more about them on the next page. Households that request these coupons may qualify for up to two coupons each. You can learn more at the program at DTV - Switching from analog to digital let broadcasters offer higher picture definition, because a digital signal can be compressed far more than an analog signal.

Compression allows stations to fit more information in the signal. That means you're getting a clearer image with digital television than you would from an analog signal.

In fact, even though digital signals get weaker with distance, just as analog signals do, digital signals won't degrade in quality. As long as you have a signal, you'll get a clear picture [source: Cringely ]. There's another advantage of having additional bandwidth available. Using digital broadcasting, local stations are able to offer more programming to their viewers than they could with an analog signal.

Multicasting , or broadcasting several shows within a single frequency. Many stations across the United States are already multicasting. If you have a digital-to-analog converter box and a terrestrial antenna, you can take advantage of your local station's multicasting, if they offer it.

Cable and satellite providers may not necessarily add the additional stations to their lineups, however, so you may not see them if you subscribe. You could also buy a new television with a digital tuner, if that's what you would prefer, though that's a more expensive option.

For more information about digital television and related topics, tune in to the links on the next page. The transition from analog to digital didn't go completely smoothly. The Community Broadcasters Association, which represents owners of low-power television stations, filed a lawsuit in that would block sales of converter boxes that block analog signals.

And though the FCC requires retailers to label televisions with analog tuners to warn consumers about the coming switch to digital TV, several major retailers have been fined for failing to label their goods properly [source: SF Gate ].

Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. TV Technology. Do I really need a digital converter box for my TV?

Digital TV Conversion " ". Do you need to send your old TV to the recycling pile, like this one in Norway? Not unless it's actually broken. Getting a Converter Box. Analog to Digital Advantages " ". Hiccups in the System. A TV or cable converter box is used as an electronic tuning device that converts channels to analog RF signals on a single channel or to a different output for digital TVs, such as HDMI.

Does a converter box need an antenna? You are going to need a broadcast TV antenna to use a converter box. There are many indoor antennas that you can choose from, but first, you need to make sure you can get a signal where you live.