DTV Converter Features I want with it

[lacywest]

Okay ... I have Directv and at the moment it is turned off ... too many bills to pay.

I still use my HR 10 250 to watch Hi Def because I have an antenna mounted on a 15 foot pole on my chimney.

The PVR is turned off [I cannot record] until I pay my bill ... but I still get to see the TV shows in my area in HD and I can rewind and fast forward while the show is playing.

I also ... get by using my Panasonic EH50 ... 100 GB hard drive ... I use the TV Guide feature to program shows to record ... daily ... weekly ... etc ... etc. But that TV Guide feature is going to end in February ... gosh darn it.

And I can program a TV show to record manually but I wont have any info displayed telling what show I've recorded until I watch the show and then I edit the info manually.

Okay guys ... I need some info about these DTV converters.

Dont need analog pass thru.

I want for audio ... left and right audio ... that seems to be a given.

Video output ... I wont be happy with composite only ... I want S-VHS.

Next ... I want a 7 Day or more EPG.

The 7 Day EPG is very important to me ... I want the DTV converter to be able to change at 8PM to Knight Rider on NBC on Wednesday night and at 9PM change the channel to the FOX Channel to display the TV show ... Lie To Me.

The above mentioned is an example ... there are many TV shows ... my wife and I watch ... that is just an example.

I can program the Panasonic EH50 to record for 2 hours and record both shows ... and then use the submenu button to edit both shows as two individual shows.

Does this not make sense .... of course I want a DTV box that has good digital reception but I also want S-VHS video output and at least a 7 Day EPG.

So guys .... what info do you have .... if it doesn't have ... good reception ... 7 Day EPG and S-VHS output ... I'm not interested in that model.

It would seem quite a few of you guys here ... want the same features I want ... so I figure some of you already know what models are available.

I did a search on the Internet but info is very very vague.

Dont need to mention using a PC ... I am already doing that [I use the ATI HDTV Wonder card and I am getting mixed results ... system locking up ... etc ... etc] but I need something for my bedroom setup.

[usually_quiet]

So far there is no box with all the features you want.

For S-Video you have 2 choices, the Channel master CM-7000 and the Apex DT502 (or one of its predecessors). The MaxMedia box with S-Video hasn't come out and may not be a real product.

I have the CM 7000 and like it very much for recording OTA digital, although it lacks timers and won't stay on for more than 4 hours. If you have a recorder with an IR blaster, it can work with the CM-7000. I think I saw some information about that at the AVS forums. The tuner is pretty good and seems to keep up rather well with a fluctuating signal,

The Apex is generally considered to be of lesser quality by the members of the AVS Forums, but Consumer Reports liked it.

If you need timers, the Zinwell ZAT950A is the one you want, though it has no S-Video. The video and tuners are supposed to be good, but I think it uses a 24 hour clock, and I don't think timed recordings can be set up via the program guide. I don't remember whether the guide itself is good or poor, but Zinwell should have a user manual on their webiste. What imakes this box the best choice is the ability to set the clock manually.

I have the DTVPal, the other box with timers. Compared to the Channel Master, the picture quality is mediocre, and the tuner is not as quite as good . The program guide is great, and can handle up to 7 days. It's the one thing I love about it. (Well, its great when the needed information is present in the signal, but often times that isn't available and there is never 7 days worth of info.) The program guide can be used to set the timers. The catch is that there is no way to set the internal clock manually, and the time sent in the signal can be off by a few minutes or a few hours.


Some useful links:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/tvs-services/digital-tv-conve...es-ratings.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_CECB_units

[lacywest]

Geez ... you would think the features I want would be ... must have to be included ... am I really asking for too much

[jagabo]

The Samsung DTBH260F sounds like it has what you want.

[usually_quiet]

The Samsung DTBH260F sounds like it has what you want.

Yes, that looks to be able to handle everything, but because it includes some prohibited fatures, it is not elegible for the coupon program, and costs between $140 and $160. The pdf manual is here: http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/200610/20061012132223296_1012_DTB-H260F_M...0414A_book.pdf

The Samsung's program guide is built from PSIP data, like my DTVPal's guide. How extensive it will be depends upon the data it gets. Right now, that may not be much. For me it is 12 hours at best, and even then a lot of entries only say "DTV Program". Things may be better elsewhere, or worse. Hopefully it will improve at some point in the near furture, but in the short term it is hard to say how useful the guide will be.

[edDV]

If all you want is SD why not get a DVD recorder with an ATSC tuner?

Or get an ASTC tuner for a computer.

[usually_quiet]

Geez ... you would think the features I want would be ... must have to be included ... am I really asking for too much

I also find it disappointing that none of the coupon-elegible converter boxes have all the features you are looking for, even though all of them are allowed, but given the nature of the coupon program it is understandable.

These boxes are only intended to provide a low-cost digital tuner for analog TVs in households that rely on antennas for viewing. Although CECBs may be used with recording devices, features that make them more useful for such devices were not considered essential by the people running the program.

The majority of analog TVs now in use only have composite or coax inputs. Given that CECBs have to be relatively inexpensive, it does make sense that few offer S-Video connections.

The DTVPal has perhaps been the biggest disapointment of all. One of the things it was supposed to do is allow analog devices with functionality dependent on TVGOS to retain the use of those features. Nobody has been able to get that to work. The best explanation I have seem was that the digital TVGOS data the DTVPal is designed to convert is to be a suppliment to the existing digital TVGOS data, and Gemstar hasn't yet implimented their part of the solution.

[lacywest]

If all you want is SD why not get a DVD recorder with an ATSC tuner?

Or get an ASTC tuner for a computer.

I already have a ATI HDTV Wonder PCI card mounted in my PC in the garage.

My monitor is a Sony 31" LCD HDTV.

I have a 80 GB hard drive for my C Drive and I just put in a 40 GB [ 2 Days ago ] that has Win Vista Ultimate on it.

I have CyberLink PowerCinema 6.0 installed and it works very nicely. I am currently trying out Beyond TV on the WIN XP boot system. The TS and TP video files are recorded to a 500GB Seagate HD.

I forgot to turn it off last night and Beyond TV was left recording all night ... for 11 hours ... I had a 65 GB video file ... filled with ... Paid Programming shows

I did try out WIN XP Media Center Edition and then I remembered that MS MCE is on Vista Ultimate so I took MS MCE 2005 off and installed Vista Ultimate instead.

At first I had a 30 GB partition on my C Drive for adding the Dual Boot OS ... but I decided that Vista should have it's own Hard Drive so I dug into my stash of extra hard drives lying around and mounted a 40GB harddrive.

I'm thinking ... if I mounted another 40GB would MS MCE 2005 work also as a ... ??? ... TRI - Boot system ...

I'm curious to see if it would work.

The ATI HDTV Wonder card is working on all the systems I did have installed or do have installed.

The TS files that CyberLink PowerCinema makes are able to be edited and down converted with Cyberlink PowerDirector 7 ... I shrunk the 6 Gig TS file to 250 megs Divx file.

So ... I am doing this already on the PC in the garage ... but I want something in my bedroom ... yes ... yes ... I can put a PC in my bedroom but I have cats and they love walking around behind my Panasonic 42" Plasma HDTV.

I can just imagine what cords they will yank on ... when I try to pull them out from behind my TV.

You guys would love to see and hear the sound system in my bedroom ... Pioneer VSX-817 Receiver and Acoustic Research speakers mounted on the walls ... two Design Acoustic's 10" passive subwoofers ... one for the left side speakers and one for the right side speakers. And a Jensen 10" powered subwoofer[the one that farts] and a Advent 12" powered subwoofer ... both are connected to the Pioneer's LFE output. The center channel speaker is the Acoustic Research ARVP42C ... two 5" speakers and a 1" soft dome.

My wife is constantly grabbing the Remote and turning it down. Good solid bass that does not have a boomy sound.

The AR speakers mounted on the walls are the ... Acoustic Research PL100 ... very thin ... and once they have been running for awhile ... sound very good.

Specs ...

ACOUSTIC RESEARCH Ultra Slim PL100 On-Wall Plasma Style Speakers with Powered Subwoofers
All extruded aluminum cabinets Tower, center channel, and satellite driver complement: 120Hz-30Hz +/-3 db, 90db sensitivity Tower: 25 1/4" x 4 1/4" x 2"; Soft-dome tweeter: 4 1/4" x 12 1/4" x 2"; Subwoofer: 15 1/4" x 11" x 16" Powered 8" subwoofer 100 Watt RMS internal amp with 32Hz-150Hz +/-3db and crossover freq. 50Hz-150Hz Recommended Amp power: 10-100 Watts

I did not use the subwoofer that came with them ... very small amplifier inside.

Links

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370132461751&ih=024&category=3276&s...Name=WDVW&rd=1

http://www.shop.com/ACOUSTIC_RESEARCH_Ultra_Slim_PL100_On_Wall_Plasma_ Style_Speakers_with_Powered_Subwoofers-149758913-p!.shtml

When I bought the PL 100s ... I got two sets ... I still have one set in a box ... not opened up. I found a good deal on the Internet and paid $307 for two sets at Buy.com.

Thank you for the input and advice ... I will check out the ... Samsung DTBH260F.

I am not ready to retire my Panasonic EH50 DVD Recorders ... I have 4 of them ... I am happy and pleased with them. I am currently only using two of them ... other two are on standby.

In the living room I am using a Panasonic DMR EZ27 with a Digital tuner built in but it only has a DVD burner in it ... no hard drive. I have to use it to feed the Sony 51" HDTV ... it cannot receive a Digital signal. Works fine with Directv. But I bought it the Summer of 2005 and it needs to be tuned / serviced ... picture is not what it used to be ... it is a Projector type TV.

In case someone is interested ... my ZIP Code is 93230 ... and I have my antenna mounted on a 15 foot pole ... attached to my chimney ... I have the highest antenna in my neighborhood ... no trees or buildings blocking the direction I am aiming at.

[lacywest]

The Samsung DTBH260F sounds like it has what you want.

Yes, that looks to be able to handle everything, but because it includes some prohibited fatures, it is not elegible for the coupon program, and costs between $140 and $160. The pdf manual is here: http://downloadcenter.samsung.com/content/UM/200610/20061012132223296_1012_DTB-H260F_M...0414A_book.pdf

The Samsung's program guide is built from PSIP data, like my DTVPal's guide. How extensive it will be depends upon the data it gets. Right now, that may not be much. For me it is 12 hours at best, and even then a lot of entries only say "DTV Program". Things may be better elsewhere, or worse. Hopefully it will improve at some point in the near furture, but in the short term it is hard to say how useful the guide will be.

The CyberLink PowerCinema uses PSIP data ... works okay ... not really great. The EPG for Beyond TV is good and the EPG for MS Media Center Edition 2005 is decent too. The EPG on Vista Ultimate is also decent.

[usually_quiet]

It appears that the Samsung DTBH260F may not have everything you want after all. (Though as consolation it does provide much better audio connections than any CECB can give you.)

Last night, I neglected to check on the number of days/hours covered by the Samsung's EPG. Today I tried to do that but couldn't find any information about it in Samsung's own specs or the user manual. However, when I read the the section on the EPG in the Samsung's manual I saw this: "The On-Screen Menu is displayed only when the COMPONENT jacks or HDMI jack on the rear of your Set-Top Box are properly connected" So it appears that the EPG is unavailable when using an S-Video connection.

The CyberLink PowerCinema uses PSIP data ... works okay ... not really great. The EPG for Beyond TV is good and the EPG for MS Media Center Edition 2005 is decent too. The EPG on Vista Ultimate is also decent.

I thought they all received their EPG data via the Internet, not directly from PSIP data in the ATSC signal. According to CyberLink's website, PowerCinema can also use TeleText, but that's not available in North America.

[lacywest]

"The On-Screen Menu is displayed only when the COMPONENT jacks or HDMI jack on the rear of your Set-Top Box are properly connected" So it appears that the EPG is unavailable when using an S-Video connection.

Yes I saw that ... that would mean grabbing my TV Remote and viewing the EPG using the second inputs on my Panasonic HDTV.

The Apex one might be the direction to go ... I checked reviews on the Samsung ... seems to have power supply problem ... quite a few people have said in their reviews the Samsung died a year or two later.

In my Computer Room ... a bedroom in the center of the house ... I have another 2 PCs and Directv is connected in their. And the Video output from that HR10-250 is sent to the S-VHS input of my ATI AIW X800XT ... was sent there ... I had terrible squiggly lines ... I tried the Composite input and image was clear ... wasn't going the way I imagined but at least it looked okay ... I did make some video captures ... of two movies I recorded to the harddrive in of the HR10 250 ... slight hassle ... editing and such ... etc ... etc.

The results of the image from using a composite video connection was not too bad ... doing it this way. I will probably take the AIW X800XT video card out [at the moment haven't decided what video card to replace it with] or leave it but I will install a ATI HDTV Wonder Card in there and see how the image looks when I use the S-VHS input that it provides.

Back to my bedroom setup ... the two passive subwoofers ... are the Design Acoustics PS-10 ... about 22" tall & 11" wide and 17 inches deep ... would not be hard to have a PC tower sitting on top of one of them. I have some ACER PCs ... and would not be difficult [already done it] to take the mobo out and replace it with a better M-ATX mobo ... I've got a MSI K9A2GM ... should work nicely for building a HTPC in my bedroom.

Only hassle using the ACER tower is the wiring from the front panel ... the HHD LED wiring ... the PW switch wiring ... I have to cut and splice the wires ... the ACER using a solid plug connector to connect to the mobo. Which means I have to find a PC tower lying around willing to give up its front panel wiring to fix the problem.

One bitch ... these M-ATX mobos ... they usually only have two PCI sockets to work with ... 2 is cutting it kind of close if your wanting to add some extra stuff in them ... sound card ... more USB ports ... another HDTV capture card ... etc ... etc. I also have two MyHD cards ... currently not being used.

[usually_quiet]

The Apex DT502 may be fine. Based on the Apex's user manual, its EPG is nicer the Channel Master's, and can cover more than 12 hours.

If the Apex's tuner or picture isn't satisfactory you can buy a Channel Master CM-7000 later. They have come way down in price recently. I find the fonts the Channel Master uses are too small and hard to read on a small TV, but that's the only complaint I have about it.