Product Rating: 4.0
For a very long time we suggested this as one of the top three converter boxes on the market and were very happy with it's performance when hearing from customer. We still believe this but unfortunately it has sold out and you can't find it at retailers anymore. You can always check out auction sites, as it seems there are always a few floating around. As an alternative, there is the new Tivax STB-T12 which is very similar but has a few added features such as s-video output.
Product Details: Today we will be taking a look at the Tivax STB-T8 which is an updated version of the Tivax STB-T9. The new version is almost exactly the same as the old one, except for that it has been updated to include analog pass-through. As far as the picture goes it is the same as the previous version of itself. This means that it is near the top rated and is better than what you can get with most other options out there. It's not up to par with a DVD, but it's not all that far off either. As far as audio sound goes it's also excellent and rates as one of the best. Our reviews showed that at most places you can get it for $55-$65 which makes it pretty cheap.
Features: It comes with a program guide that is above average but not the most robust. Some boxes show details for shows up to 7 days in advance but you don't quite get that here with less the 24 hours in advance as the norm. When setting it up you can manually select channels or all the box to do all the work for you via its automatic tuning function. In the manual mode it has a nice signal strength meter which makes it easier to set channels. Coming with analog pass-through is what makes this box what it is. All reports have shown that it's reliable and easy to use, but then add in this must-have feature and you are good to go with this digital tv converter box. In fact, this is the one that we are recommending to all family and friends that ask us which one they should purchase.
Real User Reviews: See below for a few real reviews submitted to us from real users of this converter box. Almost all reviews we got regarding this box were very good.
Bob Said...
"Just purchased the Tivax STB-T8 and tried it out on a 4-inch analog screen (No kidding) attached to a very old wind-battered rooftop antenna. It pulled in 33 digital channels over the air. Even for central New Jersey, I thought that was a lot. The analog channels also came through even better than before. Caveats: You have to put the Tivax in standby mode in order to get the Analog pass-through. The online channel guide is minimal compared to others. Bottom line --- for $50 (- coupon) you get a great little box that gives good quality pictures even on crummy equipment."John Said...
"I bought a very high-priced digital TV Tuner about 4 years ago - and I hesitated to buy any more since I live in downtown Chicago and have buildings obstructing the antenna - so I was not expecting much. I bought the STB-T8 not expecting very much. However, this little box really brought in the signals. I am very impressed and would highly recommend this converter box as it surpassed all my expectations and I am very happy with it."Mantaman Said...
"Hello People: I just bought the Tivax stb-t8 and I love it. Once my digital antenna, HD 360 digital with built-in rotation, was installed, on a 45 foot pole it worked great. I am getting 20 digital channels and 8 analog channels. I live just north of Richmond Hill in Ontario Canada. The analog picture is great and the digital picture is better than cable. I have just ordered three more."Features & Specs
Analog Pass-Through For Low Power Stations
V-Chip Locks For Parental Control Setting
Configurable Closed Captioning - Set It How You Like It
Electronic Program Guide For Future Shows
On Box Buttons For Your Convenience
On Screen Signal Strength Meter For All Manual Tuning
Smart Antenna Port (unable to confirm)
Smart Antenna Port (unable to confirm)
Energy Star Compliant
English, French, and Spanish Language Support
Compact Size
75 ohm Connector
6.3”W x 1.8”D x 8.7”H (Approximate)
What Is Included With Your Purchase?
Converter Box
Remote Control
Remote Control Batteries
RF Cable
AV Cable
I purchased two of these after determining that the previous converter model I bought two of is not available (Dish Network TR-40). The TR-40 is a far superior unit with better guide, much faster boot up, equal sensitivity, equally good PQ and no need to go into standby in order to be in analog bypass mode. The Tivax is a real cheap-o box in comparison. I would not buy again.
ReplyDeleteThe Tivax STB-T8 is an absolutely awesome converter. It is well sized and gives out an excellent picture, not to mention that it is super easy to use.
ReplyDeleteThank you - your review sold me. I'm searching to purchase one right now.
ReplyDeleteInstalled three Tivax STB-T8 this past weekend. DITTO: User friendly, powerful, 100% better than the GE #GE23333 that I installed for a friend and was recommended by a Target sales person as the best and most often bought for the LasVegas/Henderson, NV area
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to provide your zip code in SD. I could not get anything in my area, and according to antennaweb, I should get 1 in Zip 92129.
ReplyDeleteThanks
All these boxes with remote control to turn it on consume some power. Plug into power strip w/TV set,VCR DVD players and save some real $. But you must walk over to power strip turn on TV and converter. TIVAX excellent box.
ReplyDeleteI am still reviewing boxes and was wondering if these boxes all draw the same amount of power. It bohters me that I will have yet another 24/7 power sucker to pay for. What about long term costs? How much do these thing cost us to run for 10 years non stop? How will plugging in a zillion of these things affect our power grid? I'm sure the power companies love it at least. Feedback please
ReplyDeleteThey use about 7 to 10 watts of power... about as much as a nightlight.
ReplyDeleteA good LED nightlite costs .25 cents ,one quarter, a year to run. So four boxes will be about 35 dollars a year. Luckily I found out a few boxes are energy star certified and go to very low watts ,about 2, when not in use. The rest suck power all day. but if you like paying more you can always count on the cost of electricty to go up.
ReplyDeleteHi Jay,
ReplyDeleteThanks for being energy conscientious.
If you really want to save energy, use plug strips and turn off the strip when you're done. Get one for each plug that has several items: small kitchen appliances, entertainment center, computer/office area. If you shut off all the little blinking lights and "instant on" features, you'll save big bucks in a year. My house was brilliantly constructed with one plug in each room that is controlled from a wall switch (originally intended for a table lamp). Flip: OFF.
I understand how the box works. My question is why don't they make a one house box?
ReplyDeleteI have 5 TV's all on one antenna. Could they have made a converter box for the whole
house? Is this just a way to sell more boxes? Who makes the decision on what the standard
is and what box will be sold. Is the government a part of this plan to sell more boxes
to get people to spend more on cable or new tv's or extra boxes ? I have asked online at
lots of places ( No one will answer me ) Thanks
Please reply with any comment.
Leon--
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to have a single converter box for the entire house. The problem has to do with the number of channels to be converted.
With a converter box per TV the box only needs 1 receiver and 1 transmitter (channel 3). The box only converts the channel you're watching.
With a single "household" converter box (for your 5 TVs) th box would have to receive and re-transmit all stations. So if you have 10 TV stations in your area, the box would need 10 receivers and 10 transmitters.
Hope this helps.
--mark
You are right...you will only see the channel on all TV's that the box is tuned to. However, if you live in the house alone, and strictly want one box for all TV's located throughout your house, then install the converter box into the master cable system in the house, connect all TV's to that system, and buy a Terk IR transmitter with one base receiver and one Terk remote IR Transmitter. Put the Terk base IR receiver in front of the converter box, and use the other Terk IR transmitter, and the converter box IR remote to take with you to anywhere your TV's are. Make sure you tune all your TV's to channel three or four, so that when they are turned on, they automatically start on that channel, which is the one the converter box transmits through the house cable system. You can now change channels from any TV in your house by using the Terk remote transmitter and your converter box remote, plus your own TV remote as well as the box remote. Just remember... you have to carry two devices with you... the Terk IR transmitter, and your one converter box remote. The Terk transmittter probably can reach from all points of the house.
ReplyDeleteActually, they could have made a box that simply takes the first digital channel, converts it to analog, and then puts it on analog channel 2, the second digital channel on analog channel 3, the third on analog channel 4, etc. This would have cost hundreds of dollars per unit and it's unlikely that many people would bother to buy it.
ReplyDeleteEveryone here are making it more complicated than they are.
ReplyDeleteBendiana makes more sense and was right.
Leon, it's all about the no. of tuners so you can watch diff. channels from diff. TVs at the same time. Which means you watch 1 program & your wife can watch a diff. program on another TV at the same time. When you buy TVs they all have 1-tuner inside individually. (So you're not thinking of just buying a car without an engine just because you already have 1 car. You're not thinkin' of moving that 1 engine all the time don't you?) Not unless like Bendiana said, if you want all your TVs shows the same program.
By the way, I myself am not a big fan of the gov't medling with peoples lives. But in this case they actually helping us. What would you like to pay, $60-$80 or $10-$20 'coz of the coupons. Otherwise you'll have to buy a new TV for hundreds of $$. We all have to give credit where credit is due. And we can't stop progress either. Everyones' going digital (Japan had been for the last several years). Do you want to stay analog?
I hope these helps.
Tivax STB-T8, say something nice? Can't do it.
ReplyDeleteSent it back for repair after a few days. Will not hold channels and the delay between channels is frustrating.Remote is small and buttons to close together. Waste of money.
Agreed. Digital is the wave and the converter box keeps pace with technological advancements and allows all those with the older technology to keep right on living like they used to, only better and best of all for free. Unless you have Fios then the converter box/digital capable antenna is your best bet for the best picture quality and continued return on investment on your equipment.
ReplyDeleteMy STB-T8 woke me up at 6 AM today (first full day of use) beeping like an alarm clock, with the red Standby LED blinking to the same rythm. Why? How do I make sure that it never happens again? There is no information that this box could have that warrents a mandatory wake-up.
ReplyDeleteJust got this converter box and so far I'm not too happy with it. The cord is too short to reach to my outlet (which great idea on here to unplug power strip)so I'll need an extension cord. Also, my pass through channels are now snowy. I thought they'd all be available, but looks like I'll have to keep switching the box on/off to get the channels I want. Can't get the closed caption off either and I hate that it scrolls over about half the screen. Maybe I'll have to break down and get a new TV.
ReplyDeleteI bought a T8. Initially I was optimistic about it's operation. But, now I am ready to toss it.... It loses channels constantly. one minute it's fine, then all of a sudden gone, and then there may be different channels in their place. I bought a 15db line amp. While it seems to have leveled out the incoming signals, then I can watch the drop off and the channels still disappear. Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteCan the digital TV converter box work with a cable signal or with a direct-tv signal? In other words, can I use the digital TV converter box as a cable box or a direct-tv box?
ReplyDeleteI have had a Tivax STB-T8 for over a year now . It regularily invents its own channel numbers but won't show any TV shows on the stations it invents. Then when you click on the "info" or "guide" buttons to see the supposed show information for the invented channel it suddenly jumps to a real station .
ReplyDeleteIt also goes into a locked up "nothings going to work mode " when I turn my TV on if its already turned on before the TV. It then will not show digital TV and it blocks and distorts regular analog TV so much that it is almost unwatchable . The only way to remedy it when it is in "nothings going to work mode" , is to go over and unplug it and plug it back in or shut off my TV and turn my TV back on after I have waited for a long enough period . Then it will turn on by itself when the TV is being turned on and work without me hitting it's remote control power button at all . What a piece of junk .