The 7 Best Digital TV Converters
Updated by · How we research
An old TV with only an antenna jack needs a box with channel 3 or 4 output. We compared seven converters; the Mediasonic HomeWorx HW250STB leads. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
A converter box is a digital tuner in its own case, so a TV built before 2007 can pick up free broadcast channels again with an antenna. Check your set's jacks first: an old tube TV with only a screw-on coax input needs a box that outputs on channel 3 or 4. These picks suit cabins, kitchens and spare TVs.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The Mediasonic HomeWorx HW250STB leads now, chiefly because it can feed almost any set: HDMI, red, white and yellow cables, or coax on channel 3 or 4, all from one metal box. Six of the eight boxes ranked here before have vanished. The eXuby Converter, Ubisheng U-003, ViewTV AT-300, ViewTV AT-263, Nunet ATSC and Koramzi CB-107 are no longer sold, so they're out.
The Mediasonic HomeWorx HW130STB and iView 3300STB stay. New picks include the iView 3500STBA III, from the line readers search for most, the ZJBOX MA7 stick for wall-mounted sets, and the ADTH NextGen TV Box for areas that already get NextGen TV.
Nobody has run a lab comparison of these boxes since the 2009 switch to digital broadcasting, so we went to makers' spec pages, the jacks shown on each back panel, and years of owner reports about boxes that quit after a few months. That last pattern shows up across every brand here, which is why the warranty and the power adapter matter.
Earlier notes
January 26, 2021, by Kaivaan Kermani:
Antennas themselves won’t discriminate between digital and analog channels, though most OTA channels have switched to digital format in recent years, meaning that they tend to broadcast on the UHF band, and the way they send data is also different, and a lot more efficient – data is sent in packages and takes up less bandwidth than analog transmission.
As analog TVs can only display 480i, the maximum support resolution may largely be irrelevant in the vast majority of applications, unless you're using a computer monitor or other digital display. That’s why I’ve focused less on including models based on their display specs and other technical features, and more based on durability and removing models with other issues, as poorly designed devices are often prone to overheating, and is one of the reasons I’ve removed the Leelbox models, despite being fond of the brand myself, and added off-brand models like the Ubisheng U-003 instead. Common secondary features of DTAs (Digital TV Adapters) – also commonly known as converter boxes or decoder boxes – include recording and scheduling capabilities, a built-in clock, program guide, and support for closed captions and multiple languages – in fact, these are virtually standard on these devices, though the level of sophistication of each of these features may vary from model to model.
December 31, 2019, by Kaivaan Kermani:
The first model I removed during this update was the highly overpriced and clearly outdated Zinwell ZAT-970A. All modern digital TV converters can (and should) at least feature a USB slot to enable playback and recording via an external hard drive, and also be able to support 1080P and Dolby Digital audio.
These features are pretty standard nowadays, and unfortunately, the Zinwell doesn’t have any of these. This is one of those examples where you have to exercise some discrimination, since most of the positive hype and customer feedback surrounding this model still exists on the internet and continues to influence people about the choice of this product based on a time when it probably was a much ‘better’ model, relatively speaking.
Aside from removing the Zinwell, I’ve removed some of our older picks, like the Boostwave Converter, 1byOne ATSC and iView 3500STBII and replaced them with 3 excellent models that offer similar features and have been released within the past year - the Leelbox S3, the Sindave Converter and the Leelbox F6.
Start With The Jacks On Your TV
If the TV has red, white and yellow jacks, a box with composite output gives a cleaner picture than the coax route.
Turn the TV around before you shop. A set made before 2007 may have only a round, screw-on coax jack marked ANT or VHF/UHF. That TV can't use an HDMI-only box or a stick. It needs a converter with an RF modulator, which sends the picture into the coax jack on channel 3 or 4, the way a VCR did. The iView converter box range lists which of its models have that channel 3/4 output, and the Mediasonic HomeWorx HW250STB and HW130STB have it too.
If the TV has red, white and yellow jacks, a box with composite output gives a cleaner picture than the coax route. Flat screens and computer monitors with HDMI can use any box here. Picture quality tops out at what the TV can show: a 1080p signal on a tube TV still looks like standard definition, letterboxed or cropped depending on the aspect setting in the box's menu.
Check that the box is an ATSC tuner sold for the U.S., Canada or Mexico. Boxes built for Europe or Asia use DVB-T and won't find a single U.S. station, and some low-priced listings mix them up.
Antennas, Signal And NextGen TV
A converter box doesn't receive anything by itself. It needs an antenna, and the antenna and your location decide how many channels you get. The FCC's DTV reception maps show which stations reach your address and how strong they are, which tells you whether an indoor antenna is enough or you need one on the roof. After moving the antenna, run a new channel scan.
Stations are adding a new standard, ATSC 3.0, sold as NextGen TV. It can carry 4K pictures and better sound, but none of the ATSC 1.0 boxes on this list can decode it. For now, stations that switch must keep the older signal on the air through simulcast arrangements, according to the FCC's NextGen TV guide. The FCC is still weighing when that requirement could end, and no shutoff date had been set as of late 2026. The NextGen TV consumer site has a station finder. Some NextGen channels are encrypted, so a 3.0 box needs approved security support to show them.
None of these boxes replaces a cable box. Clear QAM support only picks up unscrambled cable channels, and most providers scramble nearly everything.
Recording, Power And Reliability
Most of these boxes record, but only to a drive you plug into the USB port. Makers generally recommend a hard drive over a flash drive, and many need it formatted as FAT32 with an MBR partition, which caps a single file at 4GB. Mediasonic limits the HW250STB and HW130STB to drives of 2TB, while iView and ZJBOX list support up to 4TB. There's no channel guide that sets up series recordings the way a TiVo or Tablo does; you set timers by hand.
Power is the weak point across the category. Cheap wall adapters are the most common failure, and a large hard drive drawing power through the USB port can push a small adapter past its limit. Use the adapter that came with the box or a certified replacement with the same voltage, and give a big hard drive its own power supply. A Reddit cord-cutters thread collects owner experience with standalone tuners and DVRs.
We checked every brand on this list against the CPSC recall database and found no recalls. The old 2009 government coupon program for converter boxes is long over, so ignore any offer that claims otherwise.
How we researched this
We compared 18 converter boxes, sticks and NextGen TV tuners, read the makers' spec pages and back-panel photos for the seven finalists, looked for independent tests (the last ones date from the 2009 switch to digital), studied owner feedback patterns, and checked every brand against the CPSC recall database. Updated October 26, 2026 by Ezvid Wiki Editors.
Frequently asked questions
What does a digital TV converter box do?
It's a digital tuner in a separate box. It takes the free signal from an antenna and turns it into a picture an older TV, monitor or projector without a digital tuner can show.
Do digital converter boxes still work in 2026?
Yes. U.S. stations still broadcast the ATSC 1.0 signal these boxes use, even where they've added NextGen TV. The FCC hasn't set a date to end it.
Do I need an antenna with a converter box?
Yes. The box only tunes and decodes. An indoor or rooftop antenna brings in the signal, and your distance from the towers decides how many channels you get.
Will a converter box work with cable or satellite?
No. Boxes with Clear QAM can show unscrambled cable channels, but they can't replace a cable or satellite box, and most cable channels are scrambled.
Can I record shows with a converter box?
Most models here record to a USB hard drive you supply. You set timers by hand; there's no series recording guide like a TiVo or Tablo.
Will these boxes get NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0)?
Only the ADTH NextGen TV Box on this list tunes ATSC 3.0. The others receive the older ATSC 1.0 signal only.
