Washington — LG Electronic’s Zenith unit said Wednesday that it is now sponsoring a pair of Web sites established to guide consumers through the process of connecting a set-top TV converter box to their analog TV sets.
The Web sites — www.connectyourbox.com and www.conectesuconvertidor.com — launched today to answer common questions about setting up the boxes.
Zenith, which is the manufacturer of some of the most popular converter boxes on the market, helped established the sites after taking thousands of support calls from confused consumers.
“We’re taking thousands of phone calls each day from consumers who have purchased the Zenith DTT901 converter box but don’t understand how best to connect it to their analog TV,” said Zenith senior VP Richard Lewis. “And while it’s not difficult to hook up a converter box to an analog TV, more than one out of four callers had connectivity questions, which is similar to what the FCC is experiencing with its DTV Hotline.
“The new ConnectYourBox.com and ConecteSuConvertidor.com Web sites are specifically designed to answer the most common questions, providing step-by-step instructions with photos on how to connect an analog-to-digital TV converter box to an existing TV set,” Lewis continued. “And a lot of people have questions about how to keep using an old VCR — we cover that as well.”
Some of the most common questions received by Zenith at its (877) 9-ZENITH hotline are, “What kind of cables should I use?” and, “How, exactly, do I connect my converter box to a TV or VCR?”
The site offers clear instructions for using either a coaxial cable or standard audio/video cables to connect a digital TV converter box to a set. Both the English- and Spanish-language sites include a step-by-step tutorial on how to connect and use a VCR with a digital TV box.
Other topics addressed on the sites include a reminder that all people will need to scan and rescan their digital channels, because some digital TV stations are moving to new broadcast frequencies in May and June.
The sites also link to other resources, including www.antennaweb.org, for answers to questions about signal reception and what type of antenna to use.
Zenith is urging analog TV viewers to install their boxes now so they can begin enjoying the improved picture and sound of digital broadcasts and avoid possible confusion about receiving the new digital channels on June 12, when all full-power TV broadcasters are required to make the final transition to all-digital service.
