Got an old analog TV that you'd like to keep using as the rest of the world converts to digital? You need a digital converter box. These units take local digital broadcasts, whether HD or not, and convert them to an analog signal that older TVs can decipher and display. The Apex DT250 Digital Converter Box, available for $59.99 (list), is an easy-to-set-up solution. (It's more affordable if you qualify for the $40 government rebates being issued for the purchase of DTV converter boxes.) The box has more connection options than the Zenith DTT900, but you'll need an HDTV indoor antenna to receive usable signal. This isn't included, but you can find one at Radio Shack for as little as $11. Simply connect the cables and perform an auto-scan of the available channels and you're ready to watch digital TV.

The Apex DT250 measures 1.6 by 9 by 6.1 inches (HWD) and weighs 2 pounds. The rear panel houses all of the connections, which are, from left to right, antenna in (coaxial), TV out (coaxial), composite video out, S-Video out, stereo audio RCA outputs, and a smart antenna connector. The competing Zenith DTT900 offers neither S-Video nor the smart antenna option, so this is a big point in favor of the Apex.

What the actual converted signal looks like depends much more on your antenna and the quality of your television than the internal guts of the converter box itself. Obviously, HD signal will not be HD on an older television, but one thing you'll notice immediately is that it's still sharper than the previous signal you were getting. When your antenna tunes the station perfectly, it will probably be the best-looking signal you've ever seen on your old TV—about as crisp as a DVD would look on the same screen.

Beside connectivity options, the real differences between the converter boxes out there are the interfaces and the remotes. I found the Apex's menu intuitive and easy to use. It has options for blocking channels, adjusting closed-caption settings, setting a sleep timer, changing the aspect ratio and time zone, and setting up a smart antenna. This is where you auto-scan for channels, which then fill up your channel options, with no dead channels in between. Still, I preferred the Zenith DTT900's menu, which was a bit easier on the eyes, slightly more intuitive, and armed with a better auto set-up.

Like the Zenith box, the DT250 comes with a large, useful remote, and that's how you interact with the menu. The Apex's remote takes two AAA batteries to the Zenith's one. Under the power and mute buttons is the numeric keypad for manual entry of channels. Next are CCD, menu, exit, recall, display, and navigational/volume controls. Below those controls are "fav" navigation buttons, along with guide, signal, zoom, and MTS controls. The CCD button allows for switching between available closed-caption modes. Exit removes text from the screen and returns to the regular viewing mode, while Recall takes you to the previously viewed channel.

Display offers information on the current program, such as running time, the current time, TV rating, and signal strength of the channel. The Guide button offers a schedule of programming for the particular channel you're watching. The "fav" buttons allow you to surf channels you've designated as favorites, the signal button shows the current channel's signal strength, and the MTS button allows for a second audio channel with alternative dialog if it's available in your area. It's a good solid remote, but it's only as good as the menu it connects you to, and so Zenith wins again.

Usability honors, therefore, go to the Zenith. The Zenith, however, lacks a smart antenna connection and has no S-Video output. These are important features; having them makes the Apex DT250 a better, more flexible option, and therefore it scores a bit higher than the Zenith does.