RCA DTA800B Digital TV Converter Box Reviews

Product Rating: 2.0

This box was average at best and RCA realized that and quickly came out with an upgrade version. It's updated version is the RCA DTA800B1 and it comes with many of the features that were missing including analog pass-through. There have been reports of problems in picking up channels with this converter box. As with all converter boxes on the market you will need to get a high quality digital antenna to fix this issue.

Product Details: The picture quality for this product is reported as being in the "2nd tier" when compared to it's counterparts. This means that there are other TV converter boxes out there that provide better picture quality but that this one is still an upgrade from analog TV broadcasts picture quality. The sound quality for it is considered to be excellent! It sells for $50-$60 depending on where you buy it from. Unfortunately, it is no longer available but as an alternative you can check it's updated version listed above. Another good idea may be to check out our converter box reviews index and purchase one of the top rated ones.

Features: it comes with a program guide that displays the current show title, current show run time, and the upcoming show, for all channels. The program guide also includes a show description for the currently tuned show. You cannot set channels individually this c, the only option is the auto scan function. This could be an issue if there is a channel you know exists and there's just enough static that it won't pick up the channel automatically. In this case there would be no way to add it to your tuned channels. It does however come with a universal remote, which is nice, and also adjustable font settings for closed captioning. This converter box does not come with the three required aspect ratio settings or analog pass-through.

Overall this converter box has good picture and sound quality but is lacking important features that are needed by most people making the transition. If you are in the market for a box we suggest that you consider an alternative that comes with more features.

Updated March 2014

Real User Reviews: As you can see below this box certainly has some customers that are unhappy with it. We did receive a couple positives but very few people came to the rescue to defend this box. It seems, even those that got it working well, eventually saw it fail somewhere around the 1 year mark.

Anonymous Said...

"I have this box, and worked perfectly about a year AND 1 MONTH which makes it warranty non refundable how lucky me! Now its dead, the input jack must be broken, it only gets like 20% of the signal, that makes it hard to watch the channels that only got 20 to 30% of strength and the ones that were at 80 to 90% just now get 20%. So if your still thinking of getting this model think twice I don't think it will be wise for me to try and repair it for just to work some time and fail again. Gonna buy a new one and not an RCA, which I'm disappointment with. Good luck everyone who buys one of these boxes."

Rob Said...

"Purchased two of these with our coupons and neither one work properly. They both have different problems. For one the volume doesn't work and the other one will not tune in the channels the other one does. Same TV and same box, go figure. We purchased an Insignia brand and were totally satisfied. The antenna works with the Insignia brand and not the RCA. Unfortunately Insignia is no longer shipping to stores. I think this whole thing is a crock and just a way to extort money from the poor."

Specs
Parental Control Setting
Configurable Closed Captioning
Electronic Program Guide
Smart Antenna Compatible
English, French, and Spanish Language Support
Compact Size

What Is Included With Your Purchase?
Converter Box
Remote Control
Power Cord
RF Coaxial Cable

Zenith DTT900 Digital TV Converter Box Reviews

Product Rating: 3.5

The original Zenith DTT900 is lacking the extremely important analog pass-through but Zenith has realized there shortcomings and it has been upgraded to the Zenith DTT901 which does include this feature. Outside of missing the analog pass-through feature this is one of the best boxes that money can buy.

Product Details: The picture quality this one puts out is just as good as any other converter box on the market. It has been reported to provide an excellent picture that is only the smallest step below DVD picture quality. The sound quality of the DTT901 converter box has also be reported to be very very good, as good or better than most other TV converter boxes, and an upgrade for analog TV sound. During the transition it sold for around $60 but with it in short supply it now sells for around $90, which is pretty fair considering its high quality.

Features: It comes loaded with a bunch of features. It comes with a program guide that displays the show title, show run time for the current show, and the upcoming show for all channels. It also has a manual and automatic aspect ratio functions. This converter box also comes with a universal remote that will work for in tandem with your television. It also provides users the ability to manually set each channel or use the auto scan function. It does not come with analog pass-through.

Overall the Zenith DTT900 has some of the best feature sets and highest picture/sound quality but it is lacking analog pass-through. If you want this box go with its upgrade version that includes the pass-through function.

Update March 2014

Real User Reviews: For the most part we have received excellent feedback from consumers regarding this converter box. The reception is great, it seems to last, and it is easy to use. The only thing missing here is the analog pass through function.

SwLewis Said...

"This box is used with my old Samsung 19-inch TV. The Zenith comes with some nice basic features. The remote can turn off your TV, which I happen to like. The guide shows the current show and next only, but you can arrow through all the channels.

With rabbit ears and 12 miles from towers, the reception is just fine. The box itself has air vents on all sides (heat kills boxes), made with a metal case, and has buttons on the face to change channels and power.

Overall, this has been a sturdy, reliable DTV converter box. The only major problen is that you can hardly find them anymore. Best Buy has sold the Insignia brand, which is the generic version of the Zenith box, but those are getting scarce as well.

I am starting to think that the DTV box manufacturers are keeping supplies deliberately low on purpose."

Anonymous Said...

"I like this converter box, though the remote's design isn't completely friendly and the onscreen graphics seem to be something out of the 1980's. The best thing is the box runs very cool, which means you can leave it on 24/7 without worrying if it will burn itself up.As a comparison, the Digital Stream DTX9950 which is sold at Radio Shack gets very hot while in operation."

Specs
Parental Control Setting

Configurable Closed Captioning

Electronic Program Guide

Energy Star Compliant

English, French, and Spanish Language Support

What Is Included With Your Purchase?

Zenith DTT900 Converter Box

Universal Remote Control

Remote Control Batteries

RF Coaxial Cable

AV Cable

Artec T3A Pro Digital TV Converter Box Reviews

Product Rating: 2.5

Update February 2014: This TV converter box has now been upgrade many different times. It appears as though the company can't simply settle on a box that comes with all features so they keep adding them slowly as they see fit but strangely taking other features away at the same time. The upgrade versions in order from earliest to latest models are the Artec T3AP, Artec T3AP Pro, Artec T3AP-LL, and Artec T3AP-LS.

Product Details: It has been reported to have a picture quality that is in the "2nd tier". This means that its picture quality is very good, an upgrade from analog TV, but not quite as good as what you could get with the very best on the market. The audio quality that you get with it is also very good. Its sound quality rates up there with the best on the market and is better than most analog broadcasts, in fact it is so good that it rivals DVD sound quality. This box is typically sold for $40-$50 depending on where you purchase it from. This converter box is no longer available at most retailers but you may be able to snatch one up on eBay. As an alternative you can purchase one of its upgrade versions listed above.

Features: It comes with an above average program guide that shows the program title, total run time for the current show, and total run time for the next show. It also comes with an auto aspect ratio function so you don't have to manually set it yourself. With this box you can also manually set each channel or use the scan function, a feature that we've seen with every other one to date. Finally it has its own settings for contrast, brightness, and hue. It however does not come with analog pass-through.

Overall it is a pretty good converter box but is missing the key analog pass-through. When it 1st came out it was one of the top boxes but it has been superseded by four or five other Artec models. We do not recommend this box due to this and suggest that your purchase one of its updated models. You can find new versions for the same price that include analog pass-through and other important features as well.

Update March 2014

Real User Reviews: Unfortunately at this point in time no users have come forward with their reviews of this product. A quick glance at Amazon also shows only 3 reviews. Two consumers gave it 4/5 stars and the other gave it 2/5.

Specs
V-Chip Lock Parental Control Setting
Configurable Closed Captioning
Electronic Program Guide
On Screen Signal Strength Meter
English, French, and Spanish Language Support
Compact Size

What Is Included With Your Purchase?
Converter Box
Remote Control
RF Coaxial Cable
Power Cord

Tivax STB-T9 Digital TV Converter Box Reviews

Product Rating: 3.5

Update October 2008: The Tivax STB-T9 has been upgrade to the Tivax STB-T8 which includes analog pass-through. This one is now sold out and unavailable at most online and retail stores. If you are lucky enough to find it on eBay is may be worth grabbing quickly before it's gone forever

At first we were pretty upset when we heard that this one was out of stock but then we found out it was simply because they are keeping things simple at Tivax. Instead of coming out with a ton of different version they simply upgraded this one to include a few key features that were missing and then took the inferior box out of production. Way to go, a company that finally gets it.

Product Details: The Tivax STB-T9 is one the best converter boxes money can buy when comparing picture quality. This box has gives out a DVD quality picture that is a huge upgrade over analog TV. Besides this our reviews also revealed that it also has very good sound quality. It clearly puts out much better sound quality than you would get when watching in analog, but its sound quality not above and beyond what you get with most other converter boxes. This little guy can be purchased online for between $45-$60 depending on the timing of your purchase. Overall it provides a picture upgrade and a slight sound upgrade over the traditional viewing experience that you would be use to getting over the analog airwaves.

Features: This converter box provides a better than average programming guide that shows each channels future show lineups for a couple of hours in advance. A guide that you would not ordinarily get without it. It also allows users to manually set one digital channel at a time or scan for all digital channels at once. If no signal is found but a user knows that one exists they can use the on-screen signal strength meter to monitor the strength while adjusting their digital TV antenna to pick up the channel. Lastly, the menu and controls area also allows you to change the font, font size, and font color for your closed captioning text.

This Tivax box comes out as a winner when compared to all other government certified boxes due to its good picture and sound quality. The only major issue it is that it does not come with analog pass-through. Without the pass-through function you could be susceptible to losing some channels that aren't required to make the transition. If you are looking for a similar converter box to the Tivax STB-T9 but need analog pass-through then you should get the new Tivax STB-T8.

Update February 2014

Real User Review: A site visitor, Karen recently used the information on our blog to make a decision about which converter box was right for her. She went with the Tivax STB-T9 and has been using it for several weeks now. You can read the messages below that she has sent me about here experiences with her new box and digital television in general.

Karen said...

"Thank you for your website reviews. We have relied heavily on them in making a decision as to which converter to purchase. Our coupon expiration was closing in so after endless attempts to buy in local stores and then making even more daily phone calls to see if they had received any converters, we decided to buy online. According to your info and availability, we ordered the Tivax STB-T9 today. With a cost difference of $8.95 after the government coupon (and before shipping) it seemed like a good choice."

She also said...

"Well hi Jesse, I received my Tivax converter yesterday as did my neighbors. It was simple to hook up. The manual that came with it was very helpful. We receive our TV reception with rabbit ears to which we have added a booster. I routed the Tivax through the booster to the TV. I lost one channel that had been very weak but gained two more channels. The reception is must better on all of the channels then it had been. The pictures are very clear and the sound good. I did find that I had to boost my sound all the way up on the TV remote to get more play in the Tivax remote. This is vital in our house because my husband is very hard of hearing. My only complaint is the small remote but I knew that when I purchased it and it is easy to program and operate. I am VERY HAPPY with my purchase and would recommend it to anyone."

Big City User Said...

"Thank you for this website for all of the information provided on many converter boxes. I used all of the information from the official write-ups to determine my final choice. 

I bought this box because of the write-up here and postive reviews on CNET and Amazon. I was concerned about the negative reviews that were quite extreme but took a chance on the Tivax. It seemed to be the lesser evil of all converter boxes.  

I have owned this since May 2009. I watch TV on weekday evenings for multiple hours and it is on for 6 hours plus at least 1 day on the weekend. So comments are based on mid-to-heavy usage.
I also live in a major city to put in context for reception purposes. 

Summary: Great picture quality, good sound, great reception - used to receive 9 channels with rabbit ears, now I receive over 30 channels. 

Box: Sleek and small 

Remote: Cheap look and feeling. Has short reception - not very tolerant of clicking at angles. The remote has to be pointed directly at the unit. I have dropped it a few times, but it continues to work. 

function: When changing channels it does take time for the new channel to show up on screen, but not an issue for me. People have complained about this, but COME ON PEOPLE. What do you expect from a converter box?? If you want better, get cable. 

I did have the box shut down on me repeatedly one day. I unplugged it and let it rest for a day and it's been fine ever since. I think it was due to voltage burst; so make sure you use a strip. I haven't experienced any of the issus that some of the users have. No other issues for the 7-8 months of use. 

It does what it's supposed to well. It is not high-tech; so don't expect it to be." 

Specs
V-Chip Lock Parental Control Setting
Configurable Closed Captioning
Electronic Program Guide
On Box Buttons
On Screen Signal Strength Meter
Smart Antenna Port (unable to confirm)
Energy Star Compliant
English, French, and Spanish Language Support
Compact Size
75 ohm Connector
6.50”W x 2”D x 8.5”H (Approximate)

What Is Included With Your Purchase?
Tivax Converter Box
Remote Control
Remote Control Batteries
RF Cable
AV Cable
Attached Power Cord