Is a converter box the same thing as an RF modulator?

Question

I've got a Magnavox RF modulator pm61151 that I bought a few years ago because my TV couldn't accept the digital signal from a DVD player. It also allows me to switch from TV to DVD player to VCR player. But what I want to know is does the conversion of digital signal to analog apply to the antenna output or is it only for the DVD output? I don't know if this unit covers me for the switch to TV digital broadcasting or not.

Answer 1

These two are completely different animals.

An RF modulator takes the output of your DVD, which is probably composite (red, white, yellow connectors) and converts it to one of the TV channel's frequencies, either channel 3 or 4, so that you can display the image. If you had composite inputs (or component), you wouldn't need the modulator.

And yes, the DTV converter box will cover you for the DTV transition, as long as you can get decent reception over your antenna. Check antennaweb.org to see what kind of antenna you'll need.

By the way, your DVD does not output a digital signal. It is analog so that your (non-digital) TV can display it.

The digital TV converter box takes an over-the-air (antenna) signal from stations broadcasting in ATSC digital, and converts it to an NTSC (standard analog TV) signal. To do this it must demodulate the digital signal, decompress the Mpeg-2 data stream, and rescale the image (which may be HD) for display on your analog TV. This is quite a feat for a box that sells for $40-$60.