In February 2009, Uncle Sam mandates that the networks turn off their NTSC analog television signals in favor of digital broadcasts. If you want to watch a digital signal on your old analog TV, you'll need to get a digital TV converter box, like the RCA DTA800. This device takes the digital broadcast and turns it into a signal your analog TV can display. The government offers $40 rebates to most people who need a DTV converter box (go to www.dtv2009.gov to see if you qualify), and the DTA800 is on the list of approved boxes. It's a snap to set up, and it's got some good features, like smart-antenna input. But the RCA unit's $54.99 direct price does not include all the cables you might need.

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There are plenty of DTV converter boxes out there, but it turns out that the boxes are all remarkably similar. The main differences are in setup, interface, and connectivity, and the DTA800 falls somewhere in the middle on all these factors. Connections on the back panel of the box are, from left to right: antenna in, coaxial out (this sends the signal to your TV), composite video out, and stereo RCA outputs. Last is the "smart antenna" input, which is not included with the Zenith DTT900 or the Insignia NS-DXA1-APT, but is with the Apex DT250. The Apex box also has an S-Video output, which the DTA800B1 lacks. Thus, if connectivity options top your priority list, the Apex is a better choice, and it's also a bit cheaper.

A word about antennas before continuing: They are required, and there's no government rebate for them. The cheapest one I found was an $11 HDTV antenna from Radio Shack, which also sells more expensive and involved models. You won't get an HD-quality picture from your analog set, of course, but it will look better than the picture from the analog signal you've been used to: think DVD quality. "Smart antennas" do a much better job of tuning to get