RCA DTA800 Digital to Analog TV Converter Box
The DTA800 receives over-the-air TV broadcasts and converts them to analog signals that your current TV can display. The DTA800 receives over-the-air TV broadcasts and converts them to analog signals that your current TV can display.
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Short Lived
It had some problems from the beginning. It would receive one station with all the program data and a good signal, but still could not assemble a picture. Sometimes there would be audio, sometimes not. I thought it was the station, so I waited. A month later, it could not produce a picture or audio from any station. It will be my cost to send it in, so I may just scrap it. I have the Zenith now, and it is made better, has very nice menus, and more features. Time will tell on this one too.
1 Star Boycott all converter boxes. Boycott TV in Feb.
I just spent about two hours trying to get this converter box working with two different televisions. I could get no signal whatsoever through either TV (I have a strong signal through a rooftop antenna). It looks as if it will be virtually impossible to record programs on a VCR, but I’ll never know because my plan right now is to return this and forget about tv. Read more books and use high speed Internet for late-breaking news.
1 Star Junk Quality: Two out of Three Failed
I bought two of these. One failed, bought another and that failed, too. When they work, they actually work pretty well and are easy to use. Nice picture, too. But because they seem to fail so readily don’t be surprised if yours goes bad. And they are pain to exchange if you buy them with the vouchers. One Walmart insisted on keeping my voucher when I bought one; another Walmart insisted that I should have kept my voucher in order to exchange the dead box. What a hassle. Good luck.
5 Stars Great value, great TV, get a good antenna
Have now guided multiple elderly (and not so elderly) family members in the purchase of this easy to use box. All of us have enjoyed the easy to use remote and the box’s ability to lay flat or upright. Excellent reception and sound and doesn’t overheat like the Magnavox did. People should use Antenna Web or TV Fool to know where to aim their antenna, and purchase what they recommend (TV Fool is better with terrain and if you need to have antenna elevated). Upstairs I use an eight year old Jasco Optima (GE make equivalent now) for stations up 45miles away, but down one flight have to use a Radio Shack 15-1892 directional amplified to get ‘violet uhf’ for the station 45 miles away. Unlike snowy screens on analog TV’s if signal strength is <14% you get nothing. Roof top aerials may not work unless amplified with low noise next to antenna. Also digital reception easily blocked or messed up by metal in walls. Best if antenna is by window if inside or if outside aimed in best direction. RCA will release their 'Smart Antenna' this Fall of 2008; it will plug in the back of RCA DTA 800 boxes and automatically orient itself for best signal.
2 Stars Lost half my stations
I lost half of all the TV stations I had with this unit. It does pick up some stations I never had, (Worthless “religion” stations) but its missing a couple major stations. Apparantly, you need a really good antenna or you need to make sure your getting strong signals. Otherwise, your TV is going to skip channels. And as another reviewer said, you cant manually add stations. I get all the stations back when I remove the DTV converter box and plug the antenna straight into the TV.