To answer this you need to know if the TV has a digital tuner (also called a digital receiver.) If it does, then you do not need a converter box for your TV. Prices range from $30 – $80 for a DTV converter box based on the quality of the brand. It translates the digital signals being picked up by the antenna into an analog signal that can be received by your TV tuner. Although the ads say that the Miracle ClearView TV box is certified by the NTIA, it isn’t on the list of certified boxes.A digital converter box is a device that connects to your existing analog TV and your antenna. The agency is investigating to determine if the company has violated any program rules or federal laws, Sedmak said. In the spring, the company was removed from a list of retailers certified to accept the government’s converter box coupons because its advertising was misleading because it was selling the boxes under the Universal TechTronics name, NTIA spokesman Todd Sedmak said. The NTIA also has had problems with Heat Surge. The group has reported problems before with the company, which also does business as Heat Surge, distributing electric fireplaces with ‘Authentic Amish Crafted Premium Wood Mantles’ (There is no claim of Amish workmanship on the converter boxes.) 1, and this is the first large-scale scam the Better Business Bureau has seen, Preszler said. The converter box program, run by the National Telecommunication and Information Administration, began Jan. and the state of Ohio (if you’ve seen others, let us know in the comments below). The Better Business Bureau has seen the ad appear in newspapers in Portland, Ore. and features that smiling older gentleman displaying his actual warranty certificates (download a more readable copy of the whole ad here). The ad is designed to look like a news article. ‘They’re really targeting the senior citizens who are going to be confused and not up-to-date on the technology,’’ said Alison Preszler, a spokeswoman for the Council of Better Business Bureaus. After 72 hours, the total goes up to $97.30. If ordered within 72 hours of the ad’s publication, the box costs $68.30 (including shipping), according to the company. The group noted that, including shipping and handling, each box ends up costing significantly more than if you used a $40 government coupon for any of several converter box models that sell for from $49 to $59. The ads are ‘a bait-and-switch tactic that prey on consumers’ lack of knowledge’ about the conversion, the Better Business Bureau said in a recent warning.

Analog to digital converter box