digital converter box -- surprising performance

[George Allen]

A bit off topic, but DTV coverage has been on past threads.  I just 
used my DTV box coupons by mail order [just before they expired] to 
buy 2 different models for different features.  First one is here, a 
Magnavox TB100MGB, $80 before coupon and shipping.  The web site 
specs said it had analog pass-thru, which is why I bought it.  But it 
doesn't - it has both RF and RCA cable video out, but that ain't pass 
thru as I understand it...

That said, the tuner is wicked.  With just a junk pair of vhf wabbit 
ears tossed onto the shelf, this thing got every Boston DTV channel 
and then some the first time [no fussing with wabbits].  I'm in 
Swampscott near the coast [ http://hazecam.net/boston.html ] and can 
see the Needham towers, but this was on the opposite side of the 
house, looking east.  This box beat the crap out of my LCD DTV from 
1.5 years ago - a cheap 32" Mag [Staples black-friday special] that I 
have a powered inside antenna [$50] on, looking out the window at the 
towers.  That setup has a hard time getting 25.1, 38.1, and 56.1 even 
with the Terc antenna [it can sort of get those with lots of 
fussing].  But 68.x comes booming thru, as do 2-4-5-7.

So...  Either ATSC tuners have come a long way in < 2 years, or I 
bought a hot product [not a silicon tuner btw] by chance.  Next DTV 
box is a Channel Master CM-70 - it has s-video out but no 
pass-thru.  $75 before coupon without shipping.  Too bad they dumb 
these down to allow only 480i...
    -- George