RCA DRD420RE

CNET Editors' Rating

3.5 stars
    Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)

Very good

Average User Rating

2.5 stars

20 reviews

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RCA DRD420RE
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CNET Editors' Review

CNET Editors' Rating

3.5 stars Very good
    Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
  • Reviewed by: Jeff Milstead
  • Reviewed on:

The good: Inexpensive; includes interactive features.

The bad: No digital audio connector; universal remote isn't.

The bottom line: A basic satellite receiver well worth considering.

Review: Given the competitive nature of the satellite-TV business, entry-level satellite-TV packages can be had for a song these days. RCA's DRD420RE is a no-frills workhorse receiver with all the basics, including the ability to pick up local broadcast and Spanish-language program channels. It also works with DirecTV Interactive channels.Given the competitive nature of the satellite-TV business, entry-level satellite-TV packages can be had for a song these days. RCA's DRD420RE is a no-frills workhorse receiver with all the basics, including the ability to pick up local broadcast and Spanish-language program channels. It also works with DirecTV Interactive channels. ... Expand full review
Given the competitive nature of the satellite-TV business, entry-level satellite-TV packages can be had for a song these days. RCA's DRD420RE is a no-frills workhorse receiver with all the basics, including the ability to pick up local broadcast and Spanish-language program channels. It also works with DirecTV Interactive channels.Given the competitive nature of the satellite-TV business, entry-level satellite-TV packages can be had for a song these days. RCA's DRD420RE is a no-frills workhorse receiver with all the basics, including the ability to pick up local broadcast and Spanish-language program channels. It also works with DirecTV Interactive channels.

Plugged in
The $99 list price of the DRD420RE buys you only a single set of video outputs, an RF connector, the standard RCA audio/video outputs, and an S-Video output. Plug the S-Video output into your TV and you'll have to use the RF connector to hook up the VCR, but one set is typical in this price range. One thing missing on this and on other low-end DirecTV receivers is an optical digital-audio output. If you've already splurged on a surround-sound system, you should definitely consider a more expensive receiver that can help deliver Dolby Digital soundtracks.

The basic nature of this receiver is reflected in the remote, a somewhat bulky number with pointier buttons than most and no backlit controls to aid in surfing in the dark. Though RCA claims that the included remote is universal, this isn't quite the case. We found that it wouldn't switch the inputs on our late-model Toshiba TV set.

RCA DirecTV receivers, including the DRD420RE, were the first to add DirecTV Interactive. On the Weather Channel, for instance, a small window appears on the screen from which you can bring up the local forecast right away. A handful of other channels, such as CNN, offer similar interactive features. Hide Review

User Reviews

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Average User Rating

2.5 stars out of 20 user reviews

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star: 0
  • 4 star: 7
  • 3 star: 5
  • 2 star: 5
  • 1 star: 3

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Most recent user reviews

Showing 3 of 20 reviews

2.5 stars

"cheap RCA junk" By

Pros: Easy to use, cheap $

Cons: In a little over 2 years, I have had two of these go out. The first one just lost half of the channels. The second one blew half of the power circuit on its board, smoking the board and the inside of the case. Both seemed to have an overheating problem, t

1.5 stars

"hidden major problem" By

Summary: Be advised that if you use it to record a pay per view movie onto your VCR, and set it to record at a certain time, the picture by default goes blank and shows only a Directv RCA screen. It prevents using your VCR to record, which is probably what ... Expand full review

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Specifications

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Quick Specs

  • Type: None
  • Sound output mode: Stereo
  • Dimensions (WxDxH): 12.2 in x 10.2 in x 2 in

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