Zenith DTT901

Critics say that the Zenith DTT901 digital converter box offers a great balance of performance and features. Picture quality is solid, but it's a small step behind that of the very best DTV converter boxes. Reviews say the remote is undersized but laid out well. The electronic program guide is better than most and easy to use. The tuner is outstanding, outperforming most competing DTV converter boxes in pulling in stations. Analog pass-through is included, though that feature is most useful if you can receive low-power analog stations, which will be remaining on the air even after full-power stations switch to digital broadcasting by June 2009. Smart antenna support is missing, but critics say that's not a deal killer. The box is also sold as the Insignia NS-DXA1 APT (*est. $60). If you want the very best in picture quality, the Channel Master CM-7000 ($70) delivers in that regard, but it can be hard to find and is missing some features. The Zenith DTT901/ Insignia NS-DXA1 APT converter box is eligible for a rebate under the government's coupon program.

There are a number of places where you can read good reviews of the Zenith DTT901 digital converter. CNet.com doesn't review the most DTV converter boxes, but it does a good job delving into the strengths and weaknesses of the five top contenders. HDTVExpert.com's Peter Putman also delivers an in-depth exploration of the boxes. Consumer Reports includes the Zenith DTT901 in its report on digital converter boxes. The Zenith DTT901 is the subject of a fair amount of user discussion at AVSForum.com, where owners vote it one of the top DTV converters currently available. More user feedback can be found at BestBuy.com and Amazon.com.