But back to the Zenith set-top converter box. It also features on-screen menus and a simple electronic program guide….something you never had before in analog, non-cable, non-satellite broadcasting. In addition to V-Chip parental control, the Zenith converter box provides advanced digital closed captions, including the capability to choose from multiple fonts, sizes, colors, backgrounds and more. The remote control includes a “cc” button for easy caption access. The Zenith box also features flexible 4:3 and 16:9 display formats, with one-button “zoom” control on the remote to adjust the image’s aspect ratio. To save energy, the Zenith box can be set to shut off automatically after four hours.

I swear this old Sharp set never looked this good when new. And when I temporarily set it up in the living room on my Westinghouse Digital HDTV set, it was…a really sharp picture. I assume when the transition is complete, the Zenith box will be able to receive even more stations….especially the “multicast” channels delivered by many digital TV broadcasters without a subscription fee.

I tried the new website supporting this box Zenith.com/dtv and it was unusually easy to understand unlike many other manufacturer supported sites…The site also has some terrific detail (updated) all the time about the DTV transition in general, but DTT901 owners may call Zenith’s toll-free consumer hotline (1-877-9ZENITH) for set-up and operation assistance.

While Zenith (now owned by LG Electronics) was one of the pioneers of electronics in the 1930s and thrived for a half century, this set-top box division, has made the luster, quality and ease of use of the famous brand live once again. Only this time on top of the TV instead of inside it…

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