Meritline Using Misleading "Free HDMI" Cable To Sell Digital TV Converter With No HDMI Output?
Matthew emailed us with an interesting link to a Meritline offer that he says is making the rounds on deal sites. The Airlink digital-to-analog converter box is a fairly generic offer, but Meritline is offering a free HDMI cable with it. The only problem is, there's no place on the box to use the cable. If you just see "free HDMI cable" and don't read the specs closely, you'll be in for a rotten surprise when the box arrives. But hey, free cable.
http://dealnews.com/Airlink101-Digital-to-Analog-Converter-Box-for-0-free-shipping/292372.html
I recently came across this ad for a digital converter box which uses language to suggest that it has HDMI capabilities. They suggest this by saying that they will ship a free hdmi cable with purchase of the unit.
What makes this a concern is that there are many people out there that are looking for digital converter boxes with more capabilities than RF out. There are many LCD televisions out there that do not have an ATSC tuner thus they would need another way to receive digital broadcasts via sources like DVI or component.
What Meritline is doing is cashing in on this unending quest by a small group of people by including the words HDMI with search terms for the converter box. Upon inspection of the box, it has no HDMI output capabilities.
The deal circuit has picked up the item and results are at the top of google searches.
We don't know if Meritline is doing this intentionally or not, but be sure to read the specs of any converter box closely before buying one.
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Comments:
My new Dell came with a complimentary copy of iLife.... sweet, sounds like I am in the same boat.
Maybe you should plug this into your VCR with HDMI. Do they make VCR's w/HDMI?
@Sean Salisbury Steak:
Yeah. It still outputs via HDMI. The signal processor even "upconverts" it some, not that it makes a huge difference. I tried finding a standalone VHS player but it was way more of a challenge than I figured it would be
Angry letter to the FTC in 3..2...
Yeah, that may be a bad deal, but the $4.99 iPod sync cable with composite video output was an awesome deal. Bought two from them. Saw the same thing in the store the other day for $49.99.
This is a completely unfair article. The OP never advised Meritline of the error and never gave them a chance to correct it.
I have ordered from Meritline many times. They are extremely reliable and nice. I have never seen them do anything misleading or dodgey. The one time I had to contact them for something they credited me immediately.
It's probably an error.
But is it a Monster cable?
Hmm. I'm torn on this one. They're selling a digital-to-analog converter box, common reason would conclude that you don't need an HDMI cable to connect a digital converter box to an analog T.V. And what the heck, a free HDMI cable is - well, worth it's price. I also noticed that they're accepting the government's $40 coupon, so you can get the converter box and free cable for $0 if you have one of the government coupons. They even provide a link to get the coupon. Doesn't seem like much is lost here.
I guess they could maybe put a comment on the page "HDMI cable does not work with or needed for converter box" and they'd be in the clear.
Yeah, I bought something from Meritline before but never again. Sure, the prices are good, as long as you don't mind cheap-o sweatshop generic accessories that never match the product description or picture on the site. Monoprice all the way for me.
Good lord, you just people FIND things to whine about.
What is the problem, You get a free HDMI cable. Here is a little tidbit of info I picked up from my last few years in school for EE. This is only known to a few people and I'm going to share it with you. Please be very discrete in who you pass this info on to because I wouldn't want it to get into the wrong hand. HDMI is digital. By this classification you never need to buy a digital to analog converter if your TV accepted HDMI. I know its a lot to wrap your mind around but think about it for a second and it'll all be clear.
Also, there is this thing called a return policy, try it sometime. Additionally f you are stupid enough not to know your TV doesnt accept HDMI maybe you deserve to get a free HDMI cable with a product you would have bought anyway beacuse you are required to have one in 2 months...wait...
Seriously, please stop whining about every tiny little mistake companies make, all it does is make your site look petty and idiotic.
Maybe I'm missing something?
If you need an HDMI cable to connect your Digital-to-Analog converter box to your TV, then you're doing it wrong. You wouldn't need the converter box at all.
So they're basically just giving an HDMI cable to people without HDTVs to taunt them.
@humphrmi: Well, sure I suppose. But the problem here is that the two don't actually play nice together.
I thought the coupon boxes can't output HD format? IE its unlikely you'll find one with hdmi or component because they are required by law to output SD only. I have one that outputs composite though. I know there were some heavy restrictions on the features on these boxes in addition to the SD thing.
Non-story. They are giving a free HDMI cable with ANY Airlink brand convertor.
Given that most retailers seem to want to sell you an HDMI cable for $80, this isn't a bad deal for those who don't know to look for the $10 ones.
I don't think this was an intentional deception. Personally, I believe that either:
A) Whoever thought of this didn't know what they were doing and thought that this DTV converter box was HD, so an HDMI cable would work for it; or
B) They have so many cheap HDMI cables laying around (they sell them for a couple of dollars) that this was just a cheap giveaway that wouldn't hurt their bottom line.
I ordered this deal, because it was better than any deal out there. Every electronics store is selling (near) free converter boxes, but Meritline was able to throw in $30 in freebies. Sure, the HDMI cable won't work with the converter box, but I don't recall them saying it would. It's just a $5 bonus to make their deal better than all the others.
If the hot nurse at the student health center gives me a free condom, does that mean she has to help me use it?
Who cares? It isn't like they are charging for the cable anywhere in the price (since the boxes are completely free). I could understand whining if they were trying to add it in the price somewhere or trying to mail you a free used kleenex and apple core, but what is the big deal? A little odd? yes. Consumerist worthy? I don't think so.
I don't really see a problem with this.
It's only misleading if the advertisement says the free cable is for use WITH the box.
If someone offers a free gallon jug of mayo with every can of sliced pineapple purchased, are you going to assume they should be eaten TOGETHER? O_o
Or what if your favorite electronics store gives away a free bottle of pop with every electronics purchase? Are you going to be an idiot and assume you're supposed to pour the pop INTO the device?
My question is, why wasn't at least a LITTLE RESEARCH done on the purchase done before jumping on it?
A little advise (some of these apply better than others):
- Caveat emptor.
- Beggars can't be choosers.
- Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
and most importantly...
- At least TRY to not be an idiot consumer (who ruins free giveaways for the rest of us).
@Mykie Gunderson: Zing!
I'm still using the composite cord for my Wii. I only have one component-in on my TV and my Xbox is using that. Now, if only I traded in my Xbox for an Elite, and then bought the component.. and with this I would have a free HDMI cord for that Xbox! Plus a TV converter box....
@zigziggityzoo: My HDTV doesn't have any sort of digital tuner, as far as I can tell. I'm debating on whether or not I'll actually go through the effort of getting a coupon for a converter. The only TV I really watch is SNL and the Office, and SNL's been going downhill for a while and I can always watch the Office on NBC.com.
Well, I think it's kind of misleading for sure, but I'm the kind of guy who reads the box thoroughly and reads reviews before he purchases an electronics product.
Case in (similar) point. Yesterday I was checking out some mid-range graphics cards from both ATI and Nvidia an both mentioned "HDMI" compatibility. One box even mentioned it twice. There was no HDMI output on the actual cards, just DVI, VGA and S-video. The nVidia card did have an ancillary graph that listed "HDMI support" with the caveat that you needed an "adaptor" no information given on how you'd find such an adaptor and whether or not said adaptor would result in quality downgrade. I'd say that's out-and-outright lying.
@twophrasebark: Another Meritline lover here. Hands-down the cheapest, best place to get recordable media. For cable though, go with monoprice.com
Clearly, cases like this indicate we need to delay the digital transition again in order to educate the OP and any other consumers who may be confused about converter box purchases. People just haven't had enough notice!
@howie_in_az: I was going that way also. But the box is the shitty one and I would imagine they will then try to upgrade you to the HD box. That is what Cablevision vision does.
Buy from them all the time. Lets face it, if you need the box and have a coupon great deal. The cable is a nice thing they are sending you. Given yes it does not have the out put but then again I have not seen a box like this that does have a HDMI.
The goverment coupon program actually specifically excludes boxes with high definition capable outputs from being eligible for the coupon discounts. That's why all the boxes have only composite, RF, or S-Video connectors.
They did this to avoid people like me using their $40 coupons to buy TiVo boxes and the like.
If you're dumb enough to think you need a converter when your tv has HDMI inputs, I think you deserve to be suckered.
@FideltyGalunga: Hate to burst you're bubble, but alot of older HD sets have HDMI inputs and no digital tuner.
@Robert Stevens: As I said above, alot of older HD sets DID NOT have a digital tuner. Take my old Sony HD CRT for example it has HDMI and Component inputs, and two analog OTA tuners. It was manufactured in 2005 I believe. You would probably be hard pressed to find an HDTV on the market today without one.
Meritline is a SCUM company. They screwed me out of $70+ in affiliate commissions (most likely hundreds of dollars since their tracking broke.) Stay away from them!
That'd be like selling a Wii with a free extra controller...
...for a PS3.
You stay classy, Meritline.