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What is the average lifespan of a TV commercial?

What's the lifespan of TV converter boxes?

  • My converter box just all-of-a-sudden didn't work last night for my analog TV. I purchased one at Best Buy when the DC metro area was forced to go to digital TV. I *think* this was in 2010. The box sold retail for $80 and I had a 50% off coupon. Does anyone know how long these things last? I have it hooked to an analog television and it has been working fine, with its remote, and then last night I wasn't able to watch my favorite shows anymore. Tinkering around hasn't helped. I don't even know if the digital converter boxes are still sold. Any help? Thanks.

  • Answer:

    Note that you certainly don't have to get cable to solve this. In addition to the (continuing) option of buying a converter (a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CECB), you can just get a new TV and hook your antenna directly to that. You can even get a used TV -- all TVs from 2007 or later have built-in digital tuners. How many months of cable bills would it take to spend the money you could have spent on a small flat screen TV? You can get a ~25" TV for about $200, and that is almost certainly going to give you a BIGGER image than the old analog CRT you are hanging on to, especially when you factor in that you're watching so much 16:9 material letterboxed onto your 4:3 display. The analog shutdown occurred in June 2009. Go buy a $200 TV.

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Converter boxes are still sold, yes. I saw some on a shelf literally just last night at Micro Center, and I seem to recall seeing them on Amazon. As for lifespan, I had the remote control die and was able to replace just that part on Amazon. Then the TV went, naturally, so I finally caved and bought a new TV last December.

pmurray63

I had two in a three-span and when the second one bit the dust, I just broke down and got cable. I still see many available for sale at Best Buy.

nubianinthedesert

Thanks so much for all the help.

noelpratt2nd

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