Does Our RV Need A Digital TV Converter box?
by Dolly
(Pomona, NJ ,USA)
I'm still confused about the digital TV thing. Our 2006 unit is cable and internet ready, but if we are not at a campground do we need a converter to pick up TV signals after Feb?
Important Update 05/26/09: Towards the bottom of this page are whole bunch of links that give you instructions on how to install a Digital to Analog TV Converter Box
in your RV or home, How to get a better signal to your converter box, etc.
ANSWER: Greetings Dolly Thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.
There is a lot of confusion about the change to Digital broadcast TV scheduled to take place on June 12, 2009.
If you do not have a TV with a digital tuner, you will not be able to receive any stations when using an antenna, all you will get is snow. If you are at a campground with cable TV, you will be able to receive TV, whether your TV has a digital tuner or an analog tuner. Since your RV is a 2006 model, there is a pretty good chance that you will need a Digital TV Converter Box for each TV in your RV to watch TV using an antenna.
Let me take this opportunity to give you my personal recommendation for a Digital TV Converter Box if you end up needing one. My personal recommendation is the Tivax STB-T8 Digital to Analog TV Converter Box
(Important Update The Tivax Digital TV Converter Box is now in short supply and is not always available, The Zinwell ZAT-970A Digital to Analog TV Converter Box is readily available and has all of the features of the Tvax Digital TV Converter Box and is also very highly rated by its owners). It was rated as a "Best Buy" by Consumer Reports and it seems to pull in more channels than other DTV boxes I have tried. It also has analog pass through which is a must have option for any DTV Converter Box you buy. This Digital TV Converter Box is also eligible for the government sponsored TV Converter Box Coupon Program, which gives you $40.00 off of the price of eligible DTV Converter Boxes.
Now continuing on; the government required that all TVs sold after March 1, 2007, had to have digital tuners. Your TVs in your RV were manufactured before that.
You say that your RV is "cable and internet ready". Unfortunately that does not mean that it is Digital TV ready. It simply means that the cable and wiring to hook up your TV and computer were included when they constructed the unit.
The first thing I would do is find the owner's manual for your TV/TVs. The manual will tell you specifically if it has a digital tuner. If you do not see anything in the manual about a digital tuner, then you will need a Digital to Analog TV Converter Box.
If you are still are not sure, try to find the model number of your TV (this is sometimes hard in an RV because the TVs are usually built into a cabinet). Once you find the model number, go to the TV Manufacturers website and look up the specifications for your TV. If the Specs do not mention "digital tuner" then, you will need a converter box.
A Digital TV Converter Box can cost as little as $40.00 to well over $100.00 (depending on the extra bells and whistles the box comes with).
Now, here is the GOOD NEWS. There is a government funded program to help offset the cost of purchasing a Digital TV Converter Box for TVs without digital tuners.
This program is called the "TV Converter Box Coupon Program". When you go to their website you fill out a simple form and you can receive up to two coupons valued at $40.00 each towards the purchase of a converter box.
These coupons look like credit cards and are accepted at places such as Best Buy, etc. Here is the catch; these coupons are only good for 90 days after the date they were mailed to you. There is a limit of 2 coupons per household.
The website to get the coupons is located here:
https://www.dtv2009.gov/
We have also added a ton of information on our website about the Digital TV Changeover, please read the answers to the questions below to get even more information.
How Can We Improve The Digital TV Reception In Our RV?
The Digital TV Converter Box In Our Camper Will Not Work.
Did We Purchase The Right Digital TV Converter Box For Our RV?
I Just Purchased A New TV For My RV Do I Still Need A Digital TV Converter Box?
The Digital TV Converter Box In My Motorhome Is Causing A Hum In My TV's Sound
How Do I Install a Digital TV Transport Adapter In My RV?
Hooking Up Digital TV Converter Box In Conjunction With Satellite Receiver In An RV
We Want To Watch TV In Our RV Going Down The Road Can We Do That?
We Are Getting Terrible Reception On Our RV's TVs, How Can We Fix It?
We Want To Install DIRECTV in Our RV, But We Have Wiring Problems
Should I Put A Plasma or LCD TV In My RV?
How Do I Install A Digital TV Converter Box In My RV?
I certainly hope that we have given you the information you needed.
RVing Al
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