AfterDawn: News

Wal-Mart to sell Magnavox DTV converter for under $50

As we recently reported, the end of analog TV in the U.S. is approaching and the fact that the government is sponsoring a fair share of the coupon-eligible box prices doesn't remove the need to compare these devices, quite the opposite.

Wal-Mart has decided to be one of the first to open an extensive sales with a pretty nice deal. Get your own Magnavox DTV converter for a mere $49.87. It is one of the approximately 30 boxes that are currently coupon-eligible, so after the $40 coupon it costs you around as much as a bag of sand.



The complete model name should be Magnavox TB100MW9 since there are no other coupon-eligible Magnavox converters on the NTIA's (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) official CECB (Coupon Eligible Converter Boxes) list.

You can apply for coupons online at http://www.dtv2009.gov/

All CECB certified DTV converters:
https://www.afterdawn.com/hardware/category.cfm/dtv_converters?feature_627=1

All DTV converters:
https://www.afterdawn.com/hardware/category.cfm/dtv_converters


Written by: Matti Robinson @ 11 Feb 2008 11:05

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• 5 comments

• silk42

  I'm not going to look, but when do we start seeing these on ebay? I figure many people will apply for the $40 coupon and then turn around and sell the converter on ebay to make some quick money.

  11.2.2008 17:09 #1

• Griobhtha

  AD is incorrect, as are many others, to report "the end of analog TV". In fact, only terrestrial (wireless) signals are required to go digital. Cable TV delivery is unaffected by the new requirements, and providers such as Comcast show no intention of stopping analog cable transmission.
  
  However, if you have recorded episodes of cable transmissions from a year ago, compare them to current transmissions of the same content and you'll discover that cable companies are degrading (downsampling) the digital and HD signals provided to them as default by the content producers. Artifacts indicative of poor conversion are meant to induce customers to switch to more expensive digital cable plans. And in the case of HD, at least with Comcast (and just like AT&T with default telephone ID components (Caller ID)), the HD content is blocked (downgraded) (even with digital cable) unless the customer chooses to fork over an additional monthly fee for the HD which the content producers provided in the first place.

  16.2.2008 10:54 #2

• borhan9

  I like this idea and i love the price i find it too be very good for people to make the transition.

  7.4.2008 05:52 #3

• BorgMyst

  I have purchased 2 of these units with the Government provided coupons and was one of the first public to get them. I have been using them since March when Wal-mart didn't know how to even use the coupon. They worked good from the start but 4 months later (Now July 7, 2008) my Magnavox tb100mw9 has started to show signs of bad engineering. 1. It shuts off for no reason. 2. It says "No signal" but audio keeps playing. While other unit works fine. 3. The screen goes black and says noting. All of this while the unit is not overheating with a fan blowing over it with cool temperatures. I called "FUNAI CORPORATION" a.k.a. Magnavox Customer Care and was told I should unplug the box for a half hour. I told them I tried all that and it still has this problem. They said I should take my reciept and go back to wal-mart or call back and set up a service with Funai. In this case I would be out of T.V. for 4-6 weeks while they service the unit. I have figured out what the problem might be caused by: Audio output in initial setup was set to both rca & RF output but I have nothing attached to RF output. So I turned off RF and the fault seems to be defeated. None the less this is a bad engeneering on their part.
  Other negative feature is the remote control being the only way to turn the unit on and control the unit (There are no buttons on the unit.) just the hard power switch. They have made the unit remote without any compatibility with existing universal remotes. That sucks. Not to mention the barrage of DTV switchover commercials thru Digital channels. Why are they telling us? Don't they know that we know? After all we are watching their DTV channel remember! Over all this switchover is designed to annoy us just enough to purchase more expensive equipment and nothing more. And when there is some interference we get pixelated paused garbage. At least before when there was interference we could still watch TV blury and all we were still able to watch the show. DTV looks better but I've got to say that I am not happy with this device.

  7.7.2008 16:33 #4

• dp70

  And on the lighter side, I just returned (07/07 1600 hrs) from my Sam's Club in Kenner, LA where the Magnavox set top converter box is priced at $44.95 before the $40.00 "coupon" is credited.
  
  DP70

  7.7.2008 17:04 #5