With so many digital TV converter boxes to choose from, it may be hard to determine which one is best for you. The Different Guide Institute tests and reviews more than 1,000 products every year, ranging from household and appliances to consumer electronics and toys. Each year, the Institute also tests digital TV converters. This year, we've tested 10 of the best digital TV converter boxes on the market.
Digital TV converter boxes (or digital TV tuners) allow you to watch over-the-air (OTA) digital broadcast TV signals without subscribing to cable or satellite. The boxes allow you to receive digital broadcasts from stations that broadcast in digital. Most digital TV converter boxes are small, compact units that plug into your cable or satellite box and connect to your TV. These boxes help you watch TV shows and movies in high definition.
Not surprisingly, many of the digital TV converter boxes we tested were nearly identical, but we did find a few differences that set one model apart from the rest. When choosing a digital TV converter box, you should consider the features of the box, including the number of tuners, the number of tuners with HD, whether the box is HD-ready and the box's power requirements.
We test digital TV converter boxes in our Different Guide Labs. After evaluating and rating performance, our Institute Lab experts also evaluate ease of use, such as ease of set up and clean up, and ease of use with streaming, such as ease of use with streaming devices, such as Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, and Xbox.
Different Guide editors independently choose recommendations. Purchases made through our links may earn us commissions.
Top 10 TV Converter Boxes - A Helpful Guide on How to Find the Best Converter Box for Cable TV
The world of TV has changed dramatically in recent years. While the big three TV manufacturers were focused on selling LCD and Plasma TVs, the market has dramatically shifted. Today, more and more consumers are moving towards Smart TVs, which feature a wide range of applications. Smart TVs have become the lifestyle accessory that everyone wants to own, with multiple models from Samsung, LG, Sony, and other top brands. While Smart TVs are fast becoming the norm, there are still plenty of consumers, who do not own one. They probably own an older TV, which is still capable of displaying analog signals. These TVs do not come with built-in WiFi and this makes it difficult for cable companies to offer cable internet and cable TV packages. The solution to this problem is to buy a TV converter box. These devices can plug directly into the TV's HDMI port, allowing you to receive cable signals. Most TV converters also come with a WiFi adapter, which allows you to connect to the internet. However, not all TV converters are created equal. There are dozens of brands and dozens of models of TV converters. Many of these devices can feature hundreds of channels, while some of them are completely useless.
What is an enet digital tv converter?
An enet digital tv converter is a small box that you plug into your television. It converts analog tv signals to digital tv signals. An enet digital tv converter converts analog signals to digital signals. With an analog television, you are only able to receive a signal directly to your screen. With an enet digital tv converter, however, you are able to receive digital tv signals to all of your televisions in your home. An enet digital tv converter box must be connected to an antenna in order to receive digital tv signals. If you have a satellite dish, your television must be analog in order to receive digital tv signals. An enet digital tv converter box will convert analog signals to digital signals. This means that if you have an analog television, you must use an enet digital tv converter box in order to receive digital tv signals.
What are the advantages of using an enet digital tv converter?
Enet Digital TV Converters allow you to connect your analog TV to a High Definition TV. Most analog TVs can only receive digital signals, so converting them is necessary. Benefits of using a digital converter box include:
High Definition viewing Many analog TVs have poor sound quality and pixel resolution. These issues can make it difficult to watch your favorite shows in full quality.
Increased reception Analog TVs tend to receive less signals from the airwaves, so you may not be able to view as many channels as you would like. A digital converter box can boost the number of channels you receive.
Reliability and ease of use Digital converters boxes are generally more reliable than analog TV converters because they are less likely to break down. Unlike analog TV converters, they are simple to use, so there are no complex settings to fiddle around with.
Lower cost Digital converter box cost is significantly lower than analog TV converter cost, and analog TV converters need to be replaced or repaired more frequently.
Ease of setup Digital converter boxes don't require special cabling or extra equipment. Simply plug them in, point your antenna to the converter box, and enjoy high-definition TV.
What are the different types of enet digital tv converters?
An enet digital tv converter is a device that is used to transfer analog signals (such as those from an antenna) to digital signals (such as those from a satellite) so you can watch them on your television. There are a number of different types of enet digital tv converters, including over-the-air boosters, over-the-air signal converters, and cable and satellite signal converters.
Over-the-air boosters An over-the-air booster converts an analog signal to a digital signal that can then be sent through your television's built-in tuner.
Over-the-air signal converters An over-the-air signal converter converts an analog signal to a digital signal that can be transmitted over radio waves, which allow you to receive and view your signal through a television antenna.
Cable and satellite signal converters A cable and satellite signal converter converts an analog signal to a digital signal that can be transmitted through cable or satellite signals.
Automatic tuners Automatic tuners allow you to watch over-the-air signals on digital devices such as computers.
Manual tuners Manual tuners allow you to watch over-the-air signals on an analog device such as a television set.
Video grabbers A video grabber allows you to record over-the-air signals onto digital devices.
Which type of enet digital tv converter should I buy?
An enet digital tv converter allows you to watch digital broadcasts, which are only available on the enet digital tv converter. There are several different types of enet digital tv converters to choose from. The most commonly used type of converter is the DTV (digital tv) converter box, which plugs into an outlet and converts the enet digital tv signal. A satellite enet digital tv converter may be used if your home has cable or satellite television. This type of converter is connected to a satellite dish, which then receives the enet digital tv signal. An antenna enet digital tv converter can also be used to receive enet digital tv signals. This device receives enet digital tv broadcasts by scanning the air and selecting the channels that receive the most signals.
What are the steps to using an enet digital tv converter?
When shopping for an enet digital tv converter, there are several things you should consider. The first thing you should determine is whether or not you need an indoor or outdoor antenna. An indoor antenna will give you better reception, but if you live in an urban area, you might not have enough distance from tall buildings to get a good signal. An outdoor antenna, on the other hand, will give you better reception in even the busiest of areas. The next thing you need to consider when buying an enet digital tv converter is its frequency. In the United States, there are two primary frequencies that television signals are transmitted on: VHF and UHF. You should always make sure your enet digital tv converter support both frequencies. You also need to decide how many TV channels you want to receive from your new converter box. While some converters support as many as 26 channels, most only support 12. Consider what channels you watch the most, and purchase an enet digital tv converter that supports those channels. Finally, consider how much storage space you'll need for all of your downloaded content. Most converters support only 2TB of storage, so you may want to look into companies that offer larger storage capacities.
Conclusion
In this post, we'll cover the top 10 TV converter boxes. These TV converter boxes are all highly-rated and reliable, making them one of the best TV converters available.
