RadioShack Offers DTV Converter with Analog

It may sound like an oxymoron, but RadioShack's DTV converter box with analog pass through makes it possible to keep watching stations that will switch over late in the game, or never switch at all.

With the impending doom of analog television, many smart TV watchers are taking the government’s advice and buying digital-to-analog converter boxes in preparation for the switch to digital-only broadcasting. But what if your favorite station hasn’t switched on a digital broadcast yet? To give TV viewers the option of DTV without snatching a way the old standby while it still works, RadioShack has found a simple fix: a digital converter box with analog pass-through.

The DTX9950 makes it possible to catch both analog and digital broadcasts without resorting to an A/B switch and using two different tuners. Not only does this give consumers the option of watching analog TV right up to its February 17 date of execution, then seamlessly switching over, it will also allow access to the few stations that will still broadcast in analog after the switch (mostly low-power community access channels.)

Buyers can snag the DTX9950 through one of RadioShack’s many retail stores or its online catalog for $59.99. And since it’s approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, buyers can use those $40 government rebates to bring it down to $19.99.