Go to Windows 7 Insider Guide
- Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 48 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
-
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"I'm liking it a lot!"
Pros: fast guide, fast channel flipping, search feature, tv timer, easy setup
Cons: no buttons on set top box, small and sensitive buttons on remote, high(er) price
Summary: We first bought a RCA DTA800, which is pretty good if you don't need the TV timer, but we tape a lot so we decided we needed the DTVPal when we found out that it doesn't change channels by itself.
We ended up getting the DTVPal from the DTVPal.com. The price is kind of high, but this is the only converter of it's type that can switch channels.
Anyways, it came pretty fast, and it took like 10 minutes to set up. It's really easy to use and takes you through a simple set up wizard. It finds you channels and loads the guide.
The guide is really great, it can't tell you the names of some of the shows broadcast by local stations, but that's expected. Unlike the RCA converter it's guide loads pretty fast, and you can go forward in the programming to see what else is on later, you can select the show and it adds it to the tv timer to change channels when you want it to.
The tv timer is really great if you tape a lot of things, of course you can't tape a channel while watching another channel, which is the downfall of the whole HDTV switch esp. for all those who use a VCR to tape and watch you're fav episodes. If you want to tape using this thing, you have to sync the converter and your vcr (set it to tape 3) to start at the same time. You can also use the timer to switch channels if your like me and always forget to change channels and miss your program or if you're just stinking lazy! hehe
I really like the search feature, you can search for a program and decide if you want to add it to your tv timer, which is pretty cool.
i like the different buttons, it's got a recall channel button (the RCA doesn't) and several other buttons to help you make it easy to change settings and maneuver through the different menus. The weird thing about the buttons are that they're sensitive, i have a heavy hand so i always select things by accident, this isn't a problem i just noticed it. And they're kind of small (if you're of an older persuasion) i don't have a problem with it but i'm sure other people will.
There's no buttons to switch channels on the box like on the RCA, so if you lose the clicker you better find it! and the buttons are so sensitive that if it's between couch cushions the channel will probably switch whenever you sit down
The channels flip a lot faster than the RCA, sometimes the RCA lagged in between channels.
Overall, i'm liking it a lot, the picture's great and when you switch to hdtv you get a lot of the in between channels which are really great! So if you want some extra features get this, if you just want something simple get the RCA or something else that's cheaper.
- 1 reply to this review
-
Very helpful review, great information. One addition:
The ability to record one channel while watching another has always required two tuners. The old way was to use the tuner inside the VCR for recording and the tuner inside the TV for watching. You paid for those analog tuners as part of the price of those devices.
The new way is basicly the same. Use the HD converter you don't like for recording to watch a second channel on the TV while this tuner is connected to the VCR for recording. A small antenna input switch between the outputs of the HD converter for the TV and the VCR output will allow you to select between watching tapes or TV.
The gov. is granting two coupons per household so this does not have to cost more than the $5 to $20 RF input selector switch. Some have remote and some are pushbutton at the switch, hence the large difference in price.
Hope this helps,
