Chances are if you pay any shred of attention to tech news (and by reading this blog you do) lately you know about that analog to digital television switch happening in Feb. 2009. A number of companies are selling converter boxes to help the most basic of television users, with a new set top box just debuting from Zenith.

The Zenith DTT901, priced at around $60 before that $40 government coupon for digital upgrading, includes analog pass-through for picking up low-power TV stations such as community access channels. Zenith says this box is no larger than a hardback book.

Wal-Mart has brought its huge retail muscle into the DTV conversion game set to happen in Feb. 2009 by unveiling at its 3,400 stores a converter. The price you ask? After the $40 digital converter box coupon you can get from the government, the cost is a mere $9.87.

That is right - just under $10 (converter box prices at $49.87 without). That is a slap in the price face of Best Buy, which is selling its boxes for around $20 with the coupon. Wal-Mart is pimping a box done up by Magnavox for its offering, whereas Best Buy is going with its private label brand.

Best Buy is getting all set to unleash its digital converter boxes on the shopping masses as America counts down towards the government mandated DTV transition occurring in 2009. It will have in stores on Feb. 17 the new Insignia Digital-to-Analog Converter for Analog TVs - also known as the NS-DXA1.

The NS-DXA1 is pricing at around $60 at Best Buy, but coupons being made available from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) knock $40 off of that. These boxes change “over-the-air broadcast signals to a readable analog format for TVs that rely solely on over-the-air broadcasts for content as opposed to receiving programming through a cable or satellite subscription.” They measure 8.5- x 6-inches and are eco-friendly.