We don't watch enough TV at our house to justify cable or satellite. After reading all the horror stories about the digital converter boxes I was expecting the worst. I got my coupon and bought my Zenith DTT901 converter from "Modern TV" in San Jose, a small non-big-box shop where they actually repaired "television sets", as they were called, 40 years ago.
I hooked it up to the directional antenna on our roof in place of our VCR tuner, turned it on, and laughed when the automatic setup said that it found 46 channels. But it was true! Of course, that means we're actually getting only the same 15 stations, each with 3-5 subchannels, including a useless traffic cam perched on a freeway intersection that I'll never use on my bicycle. But they all have perfect picture quality, and stereo sound. Even Mrs. Krinock was happy and I'm completely amazed.
The only trouble I had was that the factory wrapped the battery cell for the remote control in a nearly-invisible cellophane wrapper. Nothing in the instruction sheet told you to remove the wrapper. I wonder how many people take these back to stores because the remote controls don't work?
Also, it is rather disappointing to see that, besides manufacturing in China, the unit was designed and marketed by LG Electronics of Korea. The box still says The quality goes in before the name goes on, just like they did when Zenith was manufacturing in Chicago. But the name has gone on indeed. Fifty years ago, this nation was manufacturing. Fifteen years ago we were designing. Until recently we were financing. Today, we're just renting out our old names.
Jerry Krinock