We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Technology

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Digital Converter?

By K. Schurman
Updated: Feb 19, 2024

A digital converter box is a piece of electronic equipment that converts a television signal into a program that you can view on your TV. A digital converter box can involve converting digital over-the-air signals into a frequency the TV can display, or it can involve converting signals from satellite or cable providers into signals the TV can display. Any TV signal must be converted to a frequency that will work on the television, and the conversion sometimes occurs with tuners built into the TV and sometimes with converter boxes.

The use of digital converter boxes has increased partly because of the increase in the number of channels and services available from satellite and cable television providers. For many customers, a digital converter box, sometimes called a set-top box, provides access to items such as video on demand services and digital programming guides, in addition to standard programming. The computer equipment in digital converter boxes sometimes allows two-way communication between the customer and the signal provider.

A digital converter box has become a must-have piece of hardware for many people who receive television channels through an over-the-air antenna. Beginning in February 2009, the Federal Communications Commission ordered all local television stations to begin broadcasting only in digital signals, ending decades of broadcasting analog signals. If a customer did not have a digital tuner in his TV, the customer either needed to purchase a digital converter box to receive the digital television signals or to purchase a new television containing a built-in digital tuner.

Essentially, the digital converter box takes the digital over-the-air signal and converts it to an analog signal that the old TV can display. Older televisions rarely contain built-in digital tuners. A digital signal is a series of zeroes and ones, the same as binary computer language, while an analog signal is a series of radio waves. A digital signal is clearer and sharper than an analog signal, most of the time. In most instances, when people use the term digital converter box, they are referring to this type of equipment for displaying over-the-air signals. With the converter box used to broadcast signals from cable and satellite providers, the term set-top box is used more often than digital converter box.

The size of a digital converter box depends on the functions it performs. A digital converter box that only converts digital over-the-air signals into a format that an old TV can display can be small, about one-fourth of the size of a laptop computer. Set-top boxes that include digital video recorder capabilities, meanwhile, are much larger, perhaps as large as two laptops stacked on top of one another.

WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.