KWorld External ATSC/QAM TVBox HDMI Edition
The KWorld External TVBox HDMI Edition is a digital television tuner that brings DTV to your HDMI or DVI capable monitor for low cost DTV.
Ease of Use, Performance: 23/25
Look & Feel: 23/25
Features 24/25
How much I enjoy 23/25
Total: 93/100
Have you ever wondered about using that fancy monitor for HDTV or didn’t have the money to buy a nice HDTV but do have a nice monitor? I have struggled with purchasing an HDTV ever since the conversion to digital and even now, a year after DTV overtook America I still have not purchased my own.
My living room is dominated by a small 19 inch HDTV my son bought and is allowing us to use till we end up buying our own and this thing is not big enough. Purchasing a decent sized HDTV can run from $500 on upward and even the smaller ones for bedrooms, kitchens or that home office can be costly.
My sons 19 inch Westinghouse cost $300 and it works well enough but is a bottom of the line television compared to the other ones I have seen. A good monitor for the same size costs at least half that and when considering the purchase of the KWorld TVBox you can really save some money.
The KWorld TVBox HDMI Edition costs about $100 and combined with a good monitor you can have high definition television for less than about $250. If you already have an HDMI or DVI capable monitor your all set to turn that monitor into a part time television easily and quickly.
This is one of the best ways I have found to get television after the DTV conversion without spending those large sums of money for a new digital television. I currently have an old CRT television in my bedroom with one of those converter boxes and an old CRT monitor in my basement with a converter and a VGA converter to get that antenna signal to the monitor for my exercise room.
I use two monitors in my home office and when I want to watch television, movies or work on my computer I can now use the KWorld TVBox and watch TDV as well. The KWorld External ATSC/QAM TVBox not only has a connection to go to your HDMI or DVI monitor using the DVI out from the TVBox but you also have a pass through so you can use the box and not have to disconnect anything to use your computer.
The KWorld External TVBox has the input and output DVI connections, analog audio input and output and an RCA antenna connection on the back. The side has a set of component outputs and a pair of RCA analog audio outputs for connection to a monitor or even television using this if you have an older TV.
You can use the KWorld TVBox as a converter using a regular television or to a set top box but the main feature for the converter box is to get HDTV on your monitor using the DVI output. You can convert the DVI externally using the included DVI to HDMI adapter and the box also comes with a few other adapters.
The DVI or HDMI edition that KWorld sells differs in the adapters sold with the TVBox so if you have or want the additional adapters for converting and connecting to HDMI I would recommend that version. The DVI version does not come with the HDMI DVI cable or the adapter and this is the only thing that the two versions differ in.
Included in the package is three adapters; DVI female to VGA male, HDMI female to DVI-D male and VGA female to DVI-I female for plenty of connection options. Also in the box is the TVBox itself, a stereo audio cable, DVI-I cable, ATSC Antenna, DVI-D to HDMI cable, power adapter, remote control, user manual and two AAA batteries.
Connecting the box depends on your situation and I would highly recommend you do some research before purchasing this if you have an older VGA monitor as it may not be compatible with older sets. I think this may have something to do with the DVI output only being digital and the older monitors are looking for an analog signal for an input.
If you purchase this with a current or new monitor and especially anything LCD this should not be a problem as the two monitors I did not get working are older CRT ones. I was able to get the KWorld TVBox working on three monitors including two widescreen and a Zenith 4:3 monitor with the DVI connection only.
For some reason the VGA would not work and again I think this is the digital signal and the fact that the monitor uses only analog for the VGA. This is an older LCD monitor so pretty much any monitor should work as long as it is a DVI connection or a newer VGA monitor.
The KWorld TVBox does a great job of getting my local digital television signals in with no problems for all my channels but this would also depend on your particular area and settings. I am using an antenna in my attic and have spliced off the line coming from the antenna to the other sets in my house and have no problems with signal quality or the channels I get.
The KWorld TVBox also has the pass through feature where you can plug a DVI input and use the box as a switcher between a computer or DVD player and the digital television. I have used the feature for both my regular testing computer and a DVD player with the pass through feature and it works great.
I can easily have my computer connected and when I want to watch a quick show or the news on DTV I simply switch the remote from one to the other. I can also watch a DVD movie using a separate DVD player and the HDMI to DVI cable that is included to watch a movie through the TVBox.
The KWorld TVBox also has a USB connection on the front to view pictures and listen to MP3 songs which also works very well for a quick slideshow to show off your creative side of photography to the family. Listening to MP3 songs worked just fine without any problems and the remote makes it easy to control your music collection on a USB drive.
You can play MP3 songs or view JPEG pictures by choosing them individually or run through them one after the other in a slideshow or collection of songs. The slideshow is easy to play and to play songs from one to the next you simply use the controls as pointed out in the manual.
The manual is something you’re going to want to keep handy for these little extra features and setting up the stations, it does come in handy if you want to use the subtitle features or the parental controls. The KWorld TXBox has full parental control using TV ratings to block inappropriate content according to its rating.
The TVBox also has an EPG guide that works well for the antenna based channels I was receiving and also has a handy signal bar so you can see how good a signal you’re getting from your antenna. The EPG works like a charm and really adds to the features of the TVBox but only gets a three hour window of shows.
The TVBox from KWorld costs about $100 and has plenty of features to make it worthwhile if you already have a monitor that has DVI or HDMI connections and you want to use it for digital television viewing when you’re not using it for a computer monitor. You can also purchase a monitor and get digital television with some good features for about $100 less than an inexpensive digital TV costs on its own.
While this may not be a replacement for a full digital television for those that can’t afford one any other way this is certainly an option and one I am going to use. As soon as I get a new larger digital TV for my living room and give my son back his 19 inch television for his computer I can get back my Zenith 17 inch monitor and use it for a television in my wife’s craft room.
I know it’s a bit confusing but the KWorld External ATSC/QAM TVBox can make watching television not only a less expensive affair but one that works equally well with or without a computer connected through the TVBox. I highly recommend the KWorld External ATSC/QAM TVBox HDMI Edition for a great way to get digital television using a DVI or HDMI monitor without the expensive of a digital TV set.