SD DTV Converters
 

This is a thread dedicated to listing and reviewing DTV Converters

If you need help with antenna or DTV Converter selection, operation or trouble shooting, please read through the Guidelines when asking for help Then, as directed, post your request in the Help With Reception forum.

My reference to Amazon pricing is not an endorsement of amazon.com, Other vendors such as solidsignal.com, summitsource.com, 3starinc.com, frys.com, newegg.com, bestbuy.com... and on and on... are all worth considering when shopping.

Zenith DTT901
 

I have owned a Zenith DTT901 for several years.

It tends to be capable of tuning and locking on signals that other tuners have a bit more difficulty with.

The electronic program guide (EPG) is full featured, better than that of the more expensive flat screen HD TVs elsewhere in the house.

The DTT901 will accept direct manual channel input. Channels can be 'learned' by automated scan or added and deleted manually.

The unit remembers screen format settings for each channel. A feature not seen an all DTV converters and TVs.

I was able to use a government provided coupon when I purchased the unit which made my cost less than $15 as I recall. Sadly, over the last several months, the price has steadily climbed to a point that makes this converter very difficult to recommend. DTT901 at Amazon I would willing pay more for the DTT-901 than similar products, but not 4 or 5 times more.

I have the product manual in PDF format but it is too large to attach to this thread.

Channel Master CM-700X
 

The CM-7000 is no longer stocked as "NEW" at the Chanel Master store. You may be able to find an "Open Box Special" or if you can find one used, it is known as one of the higher quality STB/DTV converters from the $40 government coupon days. It was one of the few STBs with S-Video output. (I don't understand why Channel Master used confusingly similar model numbers for different products. I am not referring to the CM-7000PAL in this case.)

The CM-7001 supersedes.

With HD capability and HDMI interface the CM-7001 is worth looking at though the price is about $130.

The CM-7001 is reported to have minimal EPG functionality.

The ChannelMaster CM-7000PAL Antenna Compatible DVR is a DVR that is designed to tune and/or record up to two ATSC TV sub-channels simultaneously. The ChannelMaster CM-7001 Antenna and Cable Tuner is just that, an ATSC OTA/ClearQAM cable tuner. It is only a tuner. The CM7001 cannot supersede the CM7000PAL because it cannot record video. The STB that supersedes the CM7000PAL is the ChannelMaser TV CM 7400 HD DVR with no subscription fees. The CM7400 is an ATSC/ClearQAM OTA/unscrambled cable DVR. It also supports Internet-based content from Vudu, Picasa, and Flickr. Unlike the CM7001, the CM7400 does everything that the CM7000PAL does and more for a slightly higher purchase price.

The downside to the CM7400 is that it is not yet on the market [as of December 16, 2011]. The first units are scheduled to ship on December 22, 2011.

@ MisterMe, please note my clarifying edit to post #3. I was referring to the CM-7000, not the CM-7000PAL.

Perhaps a thread re. PVR/DVR hardware is in order.

Cheers