bicker

Do keep in mind that there are different kinds of "converters". The ones most discussed in this forum are the over-the-air digital-to-analog converters. You connect an antenna to them to receive your local broadcast channels.

Cable converters are completely different; they are not interchangeable at all. Cable converters are not available for sale in the United States any longer. A few were available a couple of years ago, but no one bought them, so manufacturers don't bother offering them anymore. Instead, they sell them to cable companies, who rent them to you, their subscribers.

It sounds like you're already getting cable in your bedroom -- probably the unencrypted analog channels they offer, typically the local broadcast channels, and maybe a couple of extras. You may also get analog cable channels up to perhaps Channel 96 or so. However, more and more, cable channels between Channel 30 and 96 are being encrypted to prevent cable theft, and/or moved to digital to fit more channels in the available bandwidth. If you television in your bedroom is an analog television, you won't receive cable channels transmitted in digital; and unless your television has a CableCARD slot, with a CableCARD from your cable company, in it, you won't get encrypted channels.

A cable converter rented from your cable company will resolve either or both of those limitations. Essentially, if you get a cable converter for your television in your bedroom, you will get the same channels on that television as you get on your living room television.