I hooked the [analog to digital] converter up to my tv in a conversion van,using an inverter,and the picture broke up and eventually was lost.Some of the channels pictures had a one inch border around it.This converter was an insingna from best buys.Next I hooked a Magnavox [from walmart] to a tv in the house with rabbit ears and it did exactly what the converter did in the van.I ask a clerk at radio shack and he said it was to early.
It sounds like you bought a defective converter box.
You should have some sort of on screen display to program the box. But at the minimum there should be a way to program the box for your local HD channels.
Do you know anyone else with a HD set in your area? You can find out how many HD channels are out there. Every month or two, more HD stations come online.
It is possible that you live in an area with no HD stations. But the San Jose area should have over a dozen HD stations running right now. If the converter box is not picking up any of them, then return it and get another brand or at least a box that has been tested.
Because the retail price of these things is limited to only about $45, they probably only cost Best Buy $12 - $14, and the manufacture has to build them for less, so the distributor can take $3 profit too.
Fred.
Money can't buy happiness but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche or Country Coach
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Digital signals are different from analog. When the analog signal gets weak you can still watch it even if the picture is bad. With Digital if the signal gets weak it pixelates out and then just goes blank. Try going to your "menu" and chose a SCAN function. Scan for channels in your area. I would think an urban area would have several by now. My converter also has a choice of regular or "letterbox" - that might cause the border at top and bottom ??? You might hook up to an antenae and do the SCAN function. You need a clear path for your signal - NOT in a basement, etc. If that doesn't work I would take the unit back and try another.
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