As of this update this product is out of stock and no longer available at nearly all retail locations and over the Internet. It's a good TV converter box for the digital transition and comes at an acceptable, if not slightly overprice cost but you could do a lot worse. As an alternative, since it is out of stock you should consider one of the other top rated ones from our TV converter box reviews page. There you can find a full index of all of the ones we have reviewed sorted by 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tier. Click on any of the links provided and it will take you directly to the a full review.
Product Details: When looking into this box we didn't know what exactly to expect. We knew that Winegard made some antennas but besides that they were relatively unknown. We were skeptical, if not biased against them. In the end we were pleasantly surprised. This little box provide pretty darn good pixel quality, although not quite on par with the very best. We put it in the 2nd tier in this regard. It's still a major upgrade over analog quality, just not the best out there. When testing the audio sound that this box put out it was the same story. It rated very very well, but just below the top few on the market. Again, still a big upgrade over analog, and pretty clear. At a price of $65 you can get it for $25 after using your government coupon. Again, as with some other boxes, this isn't a bad price, but there are clearly other similar options out there that are in the $40-$50 price range. It's tough to recommend when you know that you can get the same thing for less, but the reality is that you could do a lot worse too. This converter box is currently out of stock and as a result you will need to consider alternatives such as the Tivax STB-T8.
Product Details: When looking into this box we didn't know what exactly to expect. We knew that Winegard made some antennas but besides that they were relatively unknown. We were skeptical, if not biased against them. In the end we were pleasantly surprised. This little box provide pretty darn good pixel quality, although not quite on par with the very best. We put it in the 2nd tier in this regard. It's still a major upgrade over analog quality, just not the best out there. When testing the audio sound that this box put out it was the same story. It rated very very well, but just below the top few on the market. Again, still a big upgrade over analog, and pretty clear. At a price of $65 you can get it for $25 after using your government coupon. Again, as with some other boxes, this isn't a bad price, but there are clearly other similar options out there that are in the $40-$50 price range. It's tough to recommend when you know that you can get the same thing for less, but the reality is that you could do a lot worse too. This converter box is currently out of stock and as a result you will need to consider alternatives such as the Tivax STB-T8.
Features are where it's at and this converter box them. Not the best ones out there but enough to satisfy the majority of people. It comes with a typical, if not average electronic programming guide. This guide provides its viewers with the ability to see show titles, descriptions, and total air time. It however provides minimal information for upcoming broadcasts that haven't yet started. One thing this box has that we haven't seen with hardly any is an auto aspect ratio. With most boxes you have to manually change the aspect ratio setting based on what channel you are watching but this one does it all for you automatically. As is the case with almost all other boxes you can tune your channels automatically or manually be adding one at a time. It comes with another fairly rare feature, an on screen signal strength meter that allows for easier tuning. The power adapter is also detachable which we have found to be quite rare with converter boxes. It also comes with analog pass-through.
As a whole this converter box surprised us with it's overall function, easier of use, and wide range of features. It's a bit more expensive that we'd like to think it should be but it will more than get the job done for those that are making the digital switch.
Features & Specs
Analog Pass-Through
V-Chip Lock Parental Control Setting
Configurable Closed Captioning
Electronic Program Guide
On Screen Signal Strength Meter
Energy Star Compliant
What Is Included With Your Purchase?
Converter Box
Remote Control
Remote Control Batteries
RF Cable
Detachable Power Cord
