We Are Pulling The Plug......Finally ATSC Box

[whirlcool]

Last night we were watching some DVD'ed television episodes. I noticed that when commercials came on instead of the usual 3-4 minute commercial interruption these commercial interruptions were now 5-6 minutes. Even though we skip through them most of the time it is aggravating. At least they are no longer booming. This has been bugging me more and more lately. Do the over the air stations have commercials this frequently?

We then reviewed our use of DirecTV. We honestly only watch the locals and about 6 other sat stations. That's it. Most of the shows we like can be watched for free in the Internet for free with less commercial interruption.

So we will need to get a converter box for our 2003 Sony 36" Trinitron television.
Can anyone offer any suggestions about these boxes like which are the best ones? Which ones offer the best reception, etc. The plug gets pulled by DirecTV at the end of the month.

 

[danemodsandy]

DigitalStream:

At every Radio Shack, not expensive, very reliable and doesn't get cantankerous when used with universal remotes.

By the way, I applaud your decision. I can't tell you how often someone's eyes bug out of their head when I mention I don't have cable. Like, "What planet are you from?"

On a couple of occasions, I've been happy to tell the young whippersnappers in question that over-the-air was how everyone got television for more than fifty years. They can't grasp the concept that the commercials were what paid for everything, LOL!

 

[rp2813]

I heard about the new series, "The Bridge" on FX while listening to NPR this week, so I decided to tune in.  I was four minutes late, and hit a commercial break that went on forever.  I thought, well, it's the first one and they're getting quite a few out of the way.  Nooooooo.  After a little more than five minutes, another break, and the commercials went on forever.  The process repeated itself one more time before I shut off the TV and decided that FX isn't worth the aggravation.

 

And I thought Bravo was bad!

 

As far as a converter box goes, be sure it can control the on/off function of the TV or you'll be using two remotes.  Most boxes do not have a 120V AC cord, and thus are not capable of providing an outlet for the TV to plug into.  To get around this, my cheap Zenith boxes offer a way to program the remote to turn the TV on and off.   My only complaint is that if I turn the TV on first and then the box, the TV gets snow and very loud white noise because the box hasn't "warmed up" yet.  I've learned to turn on the box first and wait a few seconds before powering up the TV.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Sadly, yes, the regular channels, just like cable channels now have commercial breaks that are longer than the program intervals between them. One thing stays the same, however: the talent behind the commercials is no better than the talent behind the programs.

One commercial from years ago stands out for actually being pleasant to watch. It was for CISCO Systems and featured a young woman and her dog in a convertible pulling up to a stop sign in a small town and they both look around. Not a word was spoken. The dog made a very small sound, but that was it and then they pulled away.

 

[mattl]

You might consider something like this. Would not be without one any more...

http://www.channelmasterstore.com/HD_DVR_with_no_subscription_p/cm7400.htm

 

[mattl]

Also, I have no idea what kind of equipment you have but a WD media streamer or a roku can provide you with massive amounts to programming at minimal cost. Amazon prime is $79/year, netflix $8/mo plus there are any number of free content providers available on roku. Vudu has a lot of new movies and tv series available at moderate cost too.

I'd go that route too, there are others available too if you have a usenet account, but I like several SAT channels too and it's just easier. I do have streaming boxes roku, WD and Seagate at all my tvs and sometimes I like to do a netflix marathon and watch all the show of a series in a few sittings. I'm kind of getting into Orange is the New Black, and may watch all of them next week.

 

[kb0nes]

Allen,

We are living a parallel universe, I am slipping off the fence as far as kicking DirecTV to the curb too. I just don't watch much off the bird, the small amounts of TV I do watch are either from the Internet (Apple TV) or direct broadcast from the local stations, usually our PBS affiliate here.

Originally I went out and physically cut the Comcast cable from the house with hedge clippers back about 2002. It was a very liberating experience and it saved a LOT of money over the past 11 years compared to cable. I also LOVE that I am my own tech. So long as the satellite is still in orbit and transmitting then the rest is under my control, no waiting for a service tech etc.

Since I don't watch a lot of TV I never bothered to upgrade my standard definition Sony Sat receivers. About a month ago I was notified that DirecTV was discontinuing the MPG stream that my receiver needs
I will have to upgrade so it looks like I will have to spend an additional $10 a month for HD and sign a new contract, AND they claim I can't install it myself! I think I'm done with them...

So on to your question, when I was using a DTV converter box I had the Zenith DTT900's. Me and a few tech buddies had kinda determined these were the ones to get back when the changeover was done. Of course today things may be different, and the Zenith may no longer be available. I was always impressed with the receiver in it. I'm 23 miles from Shoreview, MN where all our TV originates from and I can get P5 picture quality from all channels but one with a 9" piece of wire stuck into the "F" connector on the box! Amazingly this is from inside an aluminum sided home on the ground floor!

Personally I'd replace the CRT TV though but that is me. I pretty much can't stand standard definition anymore and the old tube TV's are just too power hungry compared to the new LED backlit LCD's.

 

[rp2813]

Phil, that is the same Zenith box as the two I have.  I'm 50 miles from the transmission tower where the signals for most of the local stations originate from, and am pulling them in with a small indoor "bowtie" UHF antenna on one set, and an ancient roof antenna with crumbling nearly 50-year old 300 ohm leads (it's a toss-up whether they're even connected to the antenna anymore) on the other.

 

I couldn't get that level of reception using an indoor antenna when the signals were still analog.  I was also amazed when I first saw one of these Zenith boxes working fine with a pair of rabbit ears.  We were told before the switch to digital that our rabbit ears and old rooftop antennas wouldn't work.  That, in my experience, has been proven to be total B.S. at least with the Zenith system.  The reception is nothing short of amazing. 

 

Allen, one of my Zenith boxes was given to me by a friend who no longer had a use for it, and the other, as I advised above, was found on CL for $10.  Just look under the the "electronics" heading and use search term "converter."  It took me a couple of months to find one priced lower than I could buy new and it required a bit of sifting, but every time I checked there were at least a couple of them listed.  I lucked out with the one I found being another Zenith.  I wasn't looking for that particular make, but it seems to be one of the better boxes out there.

 

[sudsmaster]

I dumped TV cable about 2004. I couldn't see paying for commercials I can see for free over the air.

I was an early adopter of ATSC, using a Panasonic DVD Recorder with dual ATSC/NTSC tuners to access over the air digital broadcasts before converter boxes became available. After a while I got a couple of Digitalstream converter boxes. They work ok but I've since retired them because I upgraded all the TV's (4) to flat panel with built-in ATSC tuners. Two of them are under 30" and were relatively cheap ($220 and $250).

I did have some issues with the Digital stream remote controlling an older TV set reliably. I switched to the remote from the other converter and that seemed to correct the problem for a while. Then I simply upgraded the TV.

You might consider getting a flat panel with the money you'll be saving by not shelling out each month for the satellite service.

The only stuff I usually miss not getting is AMC - for Breaking Bad and Mad Men, etc. But I just buy the DVD sets when they are available each year - and it's still cheaper than paying for cable or satellite each month.

You might try looking for a converter box that has component video or SVHS outputs. But I really think you should save your pennies and get a flat panel. The broadcast quality of 1080i will blow you away after years of watching SD CRT TV.

 

[whirlcool]

Wow, what great advice from everyone! I most certainly appreciate all of you.

The reason that we haven't bought a new flat panel LCD set is because the Sony Trinitron we have is still in perfect working order. It has an outstanding picture and sound. It also has Antenna, composite and S-Video inputs. It sits in a custom made wall unit that was custom designed for this television. So we'd have to modify/deconstruct the wall unit to fit in a new sized television. One day we'll upgrade. But the set we have now can handle large screen formatting.

Another reason we are keeping it right now is that the cost of living has accelerated beyond what my expectations were when I retired. We are not living very extravagantly but yet there is less and less money left over each month. We've cut the telephone land line and am now on cell phones, refinanced the house, etc.

When the DirecTV bill came last month showing the expanded basic service (no pay channels) was $93.00 that was another "last straw". We have called DirecTV to complain and they'll lower the bill to $53.00 for one month then it goes up to $68.00 the next month, $78.00 the month after that and now it's up to this.

We know quite a few people who have cut the cable/sat television for the same reasons.

Anyway we are about 65 miles from the transmitters. I'll look at the Zenith if I can find one. Once again thank you all so much!

 

[whirlcool]

DirecTV & Dish Network Merger

This would only be good for the two companies. For the consumer, prices would definitely spiral completely out of control!

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-11/liberty-s-john-malone-urges-ergen-to-merge-dish-with-directv.html

 

[spookiness]

Get a DVR with a Digital Tuner

Go to Walmart.com and look for Magnavox DVR/DVD units with Tuners. This solves your tuner box problem, and allows you to record programs from "off-the-air", as well as pause live programs, play DVDs, as well as record and edit DVDs. The program recording is like old VCRs, you record based on time/date/channel.

I've had one for 2 or 3 years now and love it. There are a couple different models with different hard drive sizes, price about $250. There is extensive information on a thread at AVS Forum.com, a video/home theater forum. LOTS of information about the capabilities and tech tips of this little-known device.

Another option is that most TIVO boxes will record over-the-air, and also have "smart TV" features, such as Netflix streaming and video on demand. You still pay the monthly charge, which is about $15. The main difference is you get the directory/ programming menu and can search for programs, like how a cableco DVR box works, whereas with the Magnavox units programming is done strictly by time/date.

 

[kb0nes]

Bear in mind that when the Digital TV changeover happened most stations shifted to different RF channels, typically into the UHF spectrum. The channels are still identified by their our "virtual" channel numbers but they are now on different frequencies. For instance our local analog channel 2 is now digital on UHF channel 17 but identifies as virtual channel 2-1 etc now. The receiver will scan for channels and figure this all out for you luckily.

The reason I mention this is that you may need a different antenna, it depends on what the TV channel assignments were like in your area in the past. In many markets a few stations retained or moved back down into the higher VHF channels also. The change in frequencies is a large part why many people complain (or praise) the reception changes due to DTV. Just be aware of it. At >70 miles out you will likely need an outdoor antenna...

Go here and punch in your Zipcode and it will give you an idea of your local channels and their signal strengths and if they are VHF or UHF to help you choose an antenna:

http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/

 

[whirlcool]

Thanks for that link! I checked out my area and found...
All stations but one come in as Green - Strong. Only one station comes in as Yellow - Moderate.

I can find the Zenith units still in box, new on Ebay for a reasonable price. But it doesn't have S-Video out. It has just composite and coax in.

I am currently running S-Video into the television from the DTV DVD box. The quality between the composite and S-video inputs is amazing.

There is an Apex 250A that has S-video output I am wondering about the quality of the box and the reception quality. Does anyone have one of these?

It seems that the reviews of most boxes are marginal at best. A lot of people have no problems and others have many problems. I am pretty well versed in antenna systems and am thinking about installing one in out attic. We have the space for one right above where the television is and a cable run from attic to den where the television is. I could put one on the roof, but the rood is pretty steep. It's about 45 degrees in most places.

 

[coldspot]

There are 2 new box;s on the market and there not bad at all. I have a iview 3500 the other is the HomeWorx HW-150PVR. You can use a hard drive woth them and they are total worth the price. Yes some reviews are bad but most are from people that do not understand over the air vs cable qam.

Link to iview
http://www.amazon.com/iView-3500STB...&qid=1373757117&sr=1-1&keywords=iview+3500stb

link to the homeworx about if not the same box
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CXAE92K

avs forum talking about this box
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1465875/iview-3500stb-tuner-dvr-owners-thread

 

[whirlcool]

That Homeworkx box looks to be just the ticket. I have a 1TB external HDD, so it should work fine with this box. But does it have a S-Video jack on it?

Thanks for the links, they were very informative.

 

[sudsmaster]

Yes, the Magnavox DVR/DVD recorder seems like a nice unit. I picked up an older one off Craigslist last year. Smaller hard drive (300 GB, I think) but same general idea. I get the impression it will probably need a firmware upgrade, which apparently aren't hard to find (I've had to upgrade my Panasonic DVD recorders as well).

I also picked up an older TIVO from Craigslist last year, with the idea to use it for broadcast, but after I realized it simply will not work without a subscription it's been sitting unused since then.

Not quite off the grid here, but cutting the cable umbilical cord is something I've never really regretted.

Next up, probably, is the land line for the phone. I might go to Comcast for the internet connection and maybe use OOMA for phone. I got zapped to the tune of about $20 last month for some long faxes I had to send down to LA. Ridiculous.

 

[sudsmaster]

PS-Unfortunately you missed on the the gubmint rebates for converter boxes that were offered back around 2010. Something like $40 off each box. I think that offer has expired by now, though.

 

[danemodsandy]

What I Hate About Cable....

....Is that you must take dozens of channels you don't want to get those you do.

I personally could be happy with just Turner Classic Movies in addition to my local channels, but is this possible? Noooooooooooooooooo.

So, no cable for me. I'm not paying for dozens of "reality" shows and bad made-for-cable miniseries just to get one channel I really want.