Some DTV Converter Boxes Failure-Prone, But Most Perform Well

Nearly a year after the analog TV cutoff, some consumers who made the switch to DTV with a government-subsidized converter box have complained their set-top suddenly stopped working. Reviews for some boxes still being sold online vary, with some buyers claiming certain brands of boxes broke down within six months of installation.

Overall, more than 50 million boxes were sold during the switchover period, and they have worked well, a CEA spokeswoman said. “We've talked to manufacturers and tried to stay in the loop on this,” she said. “We're not getting the calls. These are not devices that were intended to be used for six months and tossed.” Some boxes suffered high failure rates, retailers said. MicroGem boxes were especially problematic, said Tim Angsten, owner of Hansen’s TV Appliance in Waupaca, Wis. The manufacturer honored the devices’ warranties, he said. MicroGem didn’t respond to our queries.

Apex models DT502 and DT250, both still for sale at retailers such as Best Buy, got very poor reviews online. “Seven or eight months after purchase, the box ceased to function,” a review of the DT250 that was characteristic of others read. Apex Digital is aware of the problem and working to fix it in future models, said Sal Fiore, a product and marketing analyst with the company.

The problem appears to be related to the chipset used in the boxes, which had a tendency to overheat, Fiore said. “These things generate enough heat to where there are issues,” he said. “Trying to understand the issues and why the units die, even before the year is out, has been a major concern.” He said Apex is working with other chip makers to find a better replacement that won’t increase the price of the boxes. Though the government no longer subsidizes the boxes, Apex will still sell them in the U.S. and is gearing up for DTV transitions in Canada and Mexico, he said. “We're looking to make sure that as we move forward with this and move into Canada and eventually Mexico that we minimize these issues."

Other brands had fewer problems, retailers said. Philco and LG boxes accounted for very few returns, said Bruce Swanwick, sales manager for Wettstein’s in La Crosse, Wis. “We did not have a lot of failure,” he said. LG sold millions of converter boxes under the Zenith brand and also supplied Best Buy with boxes for sale under the chain’s Insignia brand, Vice President John Taylor said. “The product quality has been excellent and we have had very few service issues."

With the coupon program over, retail supply is shrinking and availability is an issue, Taylor said. “If consumers need to replace a box, this was a finite program that was driven largely by the coupons,” he said. “When the coupon program ran out and the transition was over, the supply dwindled very fast at retail."

Converters are still available through some retailers and on eBay, where an aftermarket has sprung up for new and refurbished boxes. Demand for boxes on eBay has been surprisingly high, said Patrick Yagh, president of SonicTronix.com, which sells converter boxes and other electronics on the site. “The last month it slowed down a little bit, but it’s picking up again,” he said. Prices are also increasing, he said. Refurbished boxes that once sold at less than $20 each are now going for $25-$28, he said. “Since the economy is tough, people don’t want to buy new digital TVs, so they're buying the converter for about $20 to $30."

Other retailers said the boxes they sold functioned well, but buyers still complained. “I've had nothing but complaints against them, but not from defects,” said David Smith, president of Farrar’s Home Center in Columbus, Ga. “Ninety percent of the people that needed them are seniors and they just don’t know how to operate them."

That has led some box owners to abandon them and just get a new DTV set, said Stan Winrich, owner of Digital Pro of Waupaca, Wis. “They might not necessarily go for a $2,000 TV, but they can get a digital ready TV and they don’t have to deal with a remote for the box, the remote for the TV” and managing the volume controls between the two, which can be challenging for senior citizens, he said.

More boxes are failing, said Winrich, who installs outdoor antennas for people who live on the fringes of TV service areas. “I've actually had people who have maligned my antenna installations,” he said. “They finally call me, I come back out, and it’s the box.”