First Look: Dish Network's DTVPal Digital Converter

[TGIF]

Now, some actually helpful suggestions:
...

Thanks for a masterful summation of the problem! Your patience and persistence chasing this down has been an amazing feat to read though.

Of course, between the timer issue and comments about the picture quality not being up to snuff (too soft), I'm back to square one trying to figure out what to buy in the next 9 weeks before my coupon expires for use with a 3 year old 21" SD CRT TV, composite input. (Or is this issue of sharpness really only a problem on HDTVs, which won't show up on my SDTV?)

One question: with all of the hard work that you have done isolating and documenting this problem, have you communicated this to Dish so that there is a chance of it getting fixed?

Thanks again for all of the time and hard work you've put into this.

Best regards,

TGIF

 

[pabeader]

it's easy, buy a Pal

 

[navychop]

Well, I changed the remote address on the 508 from 11 to 9. Didn't make any difference. The DTVPal power button cycles the power on the 508. I guess I'll have to block the sensor with an index card. 6 layers of blue tape made no difference.

 

[TheKrell]

Well, I changed the remote address on the 508 from 11 to 9. Didn't make any difference. The DTVPal power button cycles the power on the 508.

Did you try programming the 508's remote to control the DTVpal?

 

[DallasGuy]

it's easy, buy a Pal

Sounds like you work for Dish. I'm not sure how you can actually recommend that someone buy a product with so many problems with it. The timers are actually pretty useless to me right now since they don't work correctly....and the timers is the only functionality that caused me to buy the DTVPal vs. something else.

 

[Corgan]

I'm resizing photos as we speak. Will have them up in 15 or so.

 

[Corgan]

Alright. So as asked. I've taken apart the DTVPal. I did the best I could with what I had, at the moment.

>> PHOTO ONE

The DTVPal.

>> PHOTO TWO

On the back of the DTVPal, between the RF connectors on the left and the audio connectors, and to the right of the composite connector, you will see small rectangular cutouts. By pushing inside of these cutouts with a screwdriver, the top half of the DTVPal becomes undone.

Warning: the plastic inside and around the cutout (as you may see) is very easy to bend. Be careful, if aesthetics matter to you.

>> PHOTO THREE (LARGE)

The inside of the DTVPal. Lighting isn't great, but hopefully you can see the things in which you are interested.

 

[Smith P.]

Thank you. Good picture, especially last one.

If some of owners would connect RS232 to it ...

 

[pabeader]

Sounds like you work for Dish. I'm not sure how you can actually recommend that someone buy a product with so many problems with it. The timers are actually pretty useless to me right now since they don't work correctly....and the timers is the only functionality that caused me to buy the DTVPal vs. something else.

simple. i think that the Pal is the best CECB for the money. i have no trouble with the timers, and the picture is superior to anything else i've seen.

 

[Anole]

... and the picture is superior to anything else i've seen.

Good to hear.
Which CECBs have you auditioned?
What sort of TV set (size, age, etc, and viewing distance)
... and connection (RF vs RCA composite) have you used?
Also, zip code and antenna type would be helpful.


I was so disappointed with my first CECB...
... but that was because I went down from my usual 42" to a 27"...
... which was several more feet away! -
I'm going to have to come up with a more realistic test...
... such as close-viewing in a bedroom, which would be a real-world test
... before I can pass judgment on my CECB.

 

[Malouff]

Anole,

Looks like you were correct about the Channel Master CM-7000
It does let you set the clock or has the Auto setting that would make it like the DTVPal - rely on PSIP time


Why are you disapointed with the Channel Master CM-7000?

 

[navychop]

Did you try programming the 508's remote to control the DTVpal?

Not sure how I could do that, since it isn't a learning remote. I guess the codes might match a pre-programmed one. Didn't someone say they were SA codes or some such?

Anyway, it would probably just confuse my MiL.

 

[pabeader]

the Pal is supposed to be Dish address 1.

 

[Malouff]

it's easy, buy a Pal

pabeader what do you know about DTVPal exchanges?

At the AVS Forum people are getting told by Dish Network that unless they bought their DTVPal that they can't exchange.

Why then were they having other retailers sell them?

I don't think that they have updated anything yet but two people were told that problems were fixed and that Dish Network was going to exchange their DTVPal.

If the there was newer software versions then we should be getting reports - we are not Sears selling both the 101 and 100 software

What do you recommend
Anyways what I am getting at is do you recommend just buying from Dish Network for possible exchanges or will all vendors be eligible for a exchange from Dish Network.

If not Sears is going to end up with a lot of people trying to exchange boxes once they get updates.

We are still getting OTA update comments
Did you ever find out if this is possible?
(I don't think that it is and am amazed that Dish Network sales representatives still give conflicting stories)

 

[TGIF]

We are still getting OTA update comments
Did you ever find out if this is possible?
(I don't think that it is and am amazed that Dish Network sales representatives still give conflicting stories)

Maybe I missed something, but why would any CECB be updatable OTC? Given the many different manufacturers and models out there, why would any station want to get involved in the mess of getting involved with this - especially if, once they do it for one brand/model, they face the threat of being sued if they don't do it for all those who want to?

Purely based on logic (a dangerous way to proceed, I will admit), it seems to me that mail-in reflash, if not a total exchange, is the only way people are going to see their firmware updated.

Getting to the main point:

Can someone who has seen the DTVpal and some other of the better CECBs (such as the Zenith DTT900 or the Insignia NS-DXA1) comment on how much real difference there is on a mid-sized (e.g.: ~21") SD CRT TV?

Thanks!

 

[Malouff]

TGIF

Some boxes have multiple options to upgrade like the Zinwell ZAT-970A*
It can upgrade with it's RS-232 port or OTA.

Back to the DTVPal.
I have not personally seen the DTVPal vs a Zenith DTT901* (it's better then the DTT900)

Rammitinski says it's slightly softer on his TV's on good HD material than with his CM or the LG boxes
His general thought is that you will only notice major differences on anything bigger than a 32" TV unless you use S-Video like the Channel Master and Apex has and the DTVPal doesn't.

 

[Malouff]

Has anyone noticed what Francie Bauer said about the DTVPal and CBS?

We use the CBS channel as a reference time channel. CBS is understood to
be one of the more accurate broadcaster with respect to the broadcast
time. Although it sounds easy to detect and label a channel as a
reference time channel it's not straight forward. CBS carries some
specific digital guide data (TVGuide) which we look for. Once we detect
this data, we label the channel as our reference time channel. We will
only be able to detect the data if the user has entered the correct ZIP
code. The digital guide data (TVGuide) is being rolled out across the US
via CBS. At this time around 65% US is covered. TVGuide's expectation is
that by the Feb 2009 switch over the coverage will increase to 90-95% If
the DTVpal does not detect the digital guide data (TVGuide) it will use
default to using the times the broadcasters broadcast, i.e. they will
see various times.

If this is correct then it is like Anole's idea of setting a master reference time channel.

Do you know anything about this pabeader?

pabeader, do you know if you know if your CBS is sending the digital TVGuide signal?

 

[harshness]

Did you try programming the 508's remote to control the DTVpal?

The codes for the DTVPal and the 508 are the same. The key is, as was suggested, to block the IR detector on the 508.

 

[pabeader]

Has anyone noticed what Francie Bauer said about the DTVPal and CBS?



If this is correct then it is like Anole's idea of setting a master reference time channel.

Do you know anything about this pabeader?

pabeader, do you know if you know if your CBS is sending the digital TVGuide signal?

Francie Bauer is as correct as I am allowed to say.
Yes, my CBS station is broadcasting TVGOS.

hence, I didn't see the timer issue on my old Pal. (i finally did get the old one to mess up without forcing it, I had to unplug the rabbit ear for over three hours then, when the guide data repopulated, poof, timer channels shifted.)

 

[Malouff]

Francie Bauer is as correct as I am allowed to say.
Yes, my CBS station is broadcasting TVGOS.

hence, I didn't see the timer issue on my old Pal. (i finally did get the old one to mess up without forcing it, I had to unplug the rabbit ear for over three hours then, when the guide data repopulated, poof, timer channels shifted.)

So on your DTVPal the time is the same for all channels because your CBS is broadcasting TVGOS?

Can you give us your CBS call sign?

Thank You