converter.jpgIt has happened. Analog TV is no more – now, if you want to watch TV, you need to buy a digital TV, have cable or use a converter box with your regular TV. Being poor and cheap, the latter was really the only alternative we considered.
We got the Channel Master CM-7000 Digital to Analog TV Converter Box at Amazon.com with a government coupon. I got it because it was the best rated converter – and while we’ve had it for months, Mike only installed it Saturday, when regular TV stopped working. So far, it’s worked very well. Mike didn’t have much trouble installing it, and the reception it gets is better than what we had before with the regular antenna. The one annoying part is that you have to now use its remote to change channels (the TV has to be set at channel 4), but that remote doesn’t work with the sound, so we still have to use the regular remote for the sound. It also doesn’t use the whole surface of the TV screen to display the image – basically there is a 2″ black border around the TV program now, I don’t know if there is something that can be done about that.
But so far, I’m relatively happy. We still have another converter (which Mike bought despite the fact it got HORRIBLE reviews), that we need to install in one of the other TVs. Alas, we’re still going to end up one-TV short. It’s not a big deal, but I like having the TV on when I’m cleaning the bedroom or the kitchen.