Channel Master (http://www.pctinternational.com/channelmaster/0612/) is rolling out a Digital to Analog TV converter (http://www.pctinternational.com/channelmaster/0612/pdfs/CM-7000%20D2A_200801b.pdf) which apparently is not CECB-certified. The web site indicates that "the CM-7000 Digital to Analog Converter is currently in production and will be available soon at your local electronics retailer."

CM certainly has a reputation for providing top-notch OTA products. However, I am concerned about the box's front branding as "HDTV Compatible" and "HD" (see picture on the information sheet (http://www.pctinternational.com/channelmaster/0612/pdfs/CM-7000%20D2A_200801b.pdf)).

Nothing indicates this box provides High Definition 720 or 1080 output. It should correctly bear the SDTV logo, not the HDTV logo with the legalistic phrase "compatible" in small print. I am also a bit disappointed that the product info sheet didn't provide ATSC reception specifications.

Anyone have more knowledge about this product, and why they have labeled this SD-only box as "HDTV" and "HD"?

True, they could have chosen better wording for the front of the box, or left it blank. However the average Joe makes no distinction between SDTV and HDTV digital signals. Maybe this is CM target crowd, those who don't know much about HDTV who are also willing to pay a premium for their CECB.

I actually was hoping that the CM-7000 - which as of this writing is not CECB certified - would be a "no-compromise" converter box offering the features forbidden by the NTIA - i.e. clear QAM, 720 and 1080 output, et al.

It will be interesting to see if a non-CECB-crippled CM box will be launched, given the lack of current High Definition OTA box choices using sixth-generation chips.

There is no smart Antenna on the back as far as I can see. The Maxmedia has the same features plus the Smart antenna. Am I correct? How is this box better?

How much is this box?

Someone posted Maxmedia box $58.99 for 1 and $54.99 for 2

After coupon that is $15 per if you buy 2

Unless this box offers way more. Does it?

The CM-7000 offers an S-Video interface but, Strangely for a box coming from Channel Master,no Smart Antenna interface.

At this time, the CM-7000 is not CECB-eligible for purchase with the $40 coupon. Video output format is limited to 480i, therefore the CM website's advertising claim "Get Free HDTV without monthly fees" is inaccurate.http://www.pctinternational.com/channelmaster/0612/images/new-CM7000-digital-to-analog-converter.gif

Yes it's total false advertising to use the HDTV logo. Even the way they say "get free HDTV" You're not getting free HD, you're getting free SD! Booo to CM if this is the case.
Seatacboy-are you sure the box does not output HD? IMO it would make no sense to make a SD non eligible CB at this point. What would be the point? I mean CECB's can have S-out? Very odd box indeed.
Note I would be willing to purchase this box, even if not CE and HD, IF it was great build quality and had the features I wanted, namely a good functioning VCR type program scheduler(not the PCIP type). But I'm not sure this box looks any better than the $39.99 free Echostar TR-40.......I guess time will tell.

The specifications on page 2 of the information sheet (http://www.pctinternational.com/channelmaster/0612/pdfs/CM-7000%20D2A_200801b.pdf):
Demodulator input for 1080i, 720p, 480i, and 480.
Video output is 480i ONLY.

480i is Standard Definition DTV only. The CM-7000's claim to "Get Free HDTV Without Monthly Fees" is inaccurate.

What annoys me is that many folks who bought tunerless "HD-Ready" Monitors would really like a state-of-the-art STB which incorporates sixth-generation ATSC decoding for 1080i and 720p as well as 480i output. The new CECBs appear to outperform earlier ATSC tuners in terms of RF sensitivity and overall reception quality, but are "dumbed down" to 480 or 480i output.

Channel Master should offer a best-in-breed STB with genuine HDTV output capability, rather than peddling a non-CECB-eligible SD-only DTV box.

Maybe their real plans are to sell the CM-7000 in Canada, where there is no $40 coupon program being offered. I would be curious about the build quality of this unit.

The Channel Master CM-7000 box has a S-Video Output and a Coaxial (RCA) Digital Audio Output, according to their PDF brochure at Channel Master's site.

This box will be perfect for my 1996 Sony KV-32XBR45 and my Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Amplifier!

Thanks for the link, I didn't catch it before.
This box sure sounds like a CECB, and if it's true that the Coax Digital audio out is not a limitation to be CE, I don't see why it's not CE, maybe there just pending the certification? And I whole heartedly agree with your build quality statement. I can't say I'm really impressed with the CECB's I've seen so far. After all I'd like the box to last longer than the old TV I'm hooking it up to.:D:D
Maybe if the box does not get coupon certification they'll make it fully HD, include the Component and HDMI outs and be done with it. Here's hoping anyway.

The new CECBs appear to outperform earlier ATSC tuners in terms of RF sensitivity and overall reception quality, but are "dumbed down" to 480 or 480i output.

My Insignia (Zenith LG clone) does not outperform my Samsung DTB-H260F in terms of reception quality. Close, but not quite.

Does anyone know what chipset the Channel Master uses. Would be nice if it was a LG or ATI. Also, is the EPG a full matrix 7-day?

This box sure sounds like a CECB, and if it's true that the Coax Digital audio out is not a limitation to be CE, I don't see why it's not CE, maybe there just pending the certification?

According to solidsignal, "This unit is awaiting certification and will be on the NTIA CECB (coupon eligible converter box) list."
(http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=CM-7000)

Channel Master's unit reportedly has been submitted to NTIA and MIGHT be approved for the NTIA CECB list. The stripped features on this unit should qualify it, but I'm skeptical.

Channel Master's inaccurate "HDTV" and "HD" labeling on the CM-7000 and its information sheet suggests that their U.S. distributor is ignorant/misinformed about Federal Trade Commission regulations regarding consumer product labeling. Channel Master be similarly be ignorant/misinformed about the "letter of the law" requirements to obtain CECB certification from the FCC/NTIA.

My Insignia (Zenith LG clone) does not outperform my Samsung DTB-H260F in terms of reception quality. Close, but not quite.

What are your specific observations? some of us in the ATSC converter box comparison thread http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=980052

...are wondering.

Is the zenith equal or worse with distant stations for you?

My local Frys carried several CM-7000 boxes on the shelf as of yesterday. The boxes have no labeling as to $40 coupon eligibility. Price was $79.99.

Also $79.99 at www.frys.com & no mention of NTIA, CECB or coupons...

Says it outputs S-Video & composite video.
Only audio output mentioned is "RCA".
Digital Audio (Coax/Optical) is notably absent from feature list...

They are on ad today in the Oregonian at Fry's for $59.99. The ad does not state coupon eligibility.

...Digital Audio (Coax/Optical) is notably absent from feature list...

Sad, I was afraid of something like this. Doesn't look like DD5.1 will be offered in any CECB even if it's not a disqualifying feature.

http://www.pctinternational.com/channelmaster/0612/pdfs/CM-7000%20D2A_200801b.pdf

Look at the "flyer". It specifically lists an RCA COAX out. And, while it's not clearly shown, there is a Black RCA connector on the back, below the yellow composite RCA jack.

Which is why we're waiting for someone to "bite" and let us know for sure....

I looked at the outside of the box at Frys, but no features list....
And no open boxes. (But that's what gives Frys its special charm....)

not used
http://www.summitsource.com/images/products/CM7000_Back.jpg?osCsid=2680b7ada8fc359885d71e29f775e6f4

Picked up a CM-7000 at Fry's at the sale price. They took my 40$ coupon without question, though they probably spent 10 minutes figuring out how to enter the coupon into their system. I sure hope it gets NTIA approval :<). Hooked it up to my old JVC crt TV, gets a much better picture in my suburban Chicago location than analog reception. It has a nice program guide (one channel at a time), but you can move between channels to see what's coming up. It has four picture modes: letterbox (good for widescreen), full (4 x 3), zoom 1 (cropped widescreen), and zoom 2 (haven't figured out a really good use for it yet). It uses Pioneer cable box remote codes, so I can turn it on/off and change channels using a universal remote control. It claims to support digital 1-4 closed captioning as well as analog CC-1 and CC-2. Does not appear that's there's any way to upgrade software (no USB or RS-232 port), and the black RCA output jack is labeled "No connection", haven't had a chance to see if there's any kind of output. It has a four hour shutoff, which can be disabled from the setup menu, although it claims that it won't shut off during the "current program". The manual is pretty sparse, appears to be a translation from some other language. The remote has several "unused" keys
(option, page up, page down, and text). On the whole, it seems to work pretty well, especially for the $20 net, but I've noticed a low buzz which is a little annoying. I've hooked it up through a Philips automatic switch, which may be a contributing factor. So far, so good.

Thanks for the review DJ. Doesn't sound quite as great as I thought it would be. I wonder why they removed so many options last minute? That black RCA jack was supposed to be digital audio out. And what's with all the "unused" buttons on the remote? Did they just take a remote from another model and throw it in?

Picked up a CM-7000 at Fry's at the sale price. They took my 40$ coupon without question, though they probably spent 10 minutes figuring out how to enter the coupon into their system. I sure hope it gets NTIA approval :<). Hooked it up to my old JVC crt TV, gets a much better picture in my suburban Chicago location than analog reception. It has a nice program guide (one channel at a time), but you can move between channels to see what's coming up. It has four picture modes: letterbox (good for widescreen), full (4 x 3), zoom 1 (cropped widescreen), and zoom 2 (haven't figured out a really good use for it yet). It uses Pioneer cable box remote codes, so I can turn it on/off and change channels using a universal remote control. It claims to support digital 1-4 closed captioning as well as analog CC-1 and CC-2. Does not appear that's there's any way to upgrade software (no USB or RS-232 port), and the black RCA output jack is labeled "No connection", haven't had a chance to see if there's any kind of output. It has a four hour shutoff, which can be disabled from the setup menu, although it claims that it won't shut off during the "current program". The manual is pretty sparse, appears to be a translation from some other language. The remote has several "unused" keys
(option, page up, page down, and text). On the whole, it seems to work pretty well, especially for the $20 net, but I've noticed a low buzz which is a little annoying. I've hooked it up through a Philips automatic switch, which may be a contributing factor. So far, so good.


Questions pls

1) does this box have Analog pass through?

2) Can you turn off tv with the BOX remote? OR you have to use your T remote?

3) Did the low hum go away?

4) can you take pictures on the on-screen display?

thanks

5) Can you readily add a station via either directly entering the real RF (not virtual)
channel number....or a rescan without wiping out previous results?

6) Does the Coax Digital Audio output work?

7) How many hours/days of programs displayed in EPG?
Photos of primary EPG screens would be appreciated....

8) Does it have both an Antenna Level and a Signal Quality/Level meter display?

9) Perhaps pop the cover and let us know numbers for the big chips and "tin-can" tuner???
Maybe even some interior macro photography??

1) does this box have Analog pass through?
No, neither when it's powered on or off. I tried to see if it passes Stereo on the RF output (ch3 or 4), appears that it does NOT.

2) Can you turn off tv with the BOX remote? OR you have to use your T remote? No, the remote only supports the CM-7000

3) Did the low hum go away?
Haven't had a chance to experiment

4) can you take pictures on the on-screen display?

Wilco

5) Can you readily add a station via either directly entering the real RF (not virtual) channel number....or a rescan without wiping out previous results?
You can rescan to add channels, haven't found a way to direct tune a station.

6) Does the Coax Digital Audio output work?
Haven't tried, but wouldn't that make it coupon ineligible?

7) How many hours/days of programs displayed in EPG?
Photos of primary EPG screens would be appreciated....
Will post a photo when I'm home, but it looks like 24 hours. Curiously I had to set the time (it has autotime function as well as manual) before it would allow me to display the guide.

8) Does it have both an Antenna Level and a Signal Quality/Level meter display? (Signal strength only, will post a picture)

9) Perhaps pop the cover and let us know numbers for the big chips and "tin-can" tuner??? Wilco
Maybe even some interior macro photography??

10) Does the S-Video Output jack work, too?
Yes, I'm using it.

How does it compare to the composite output?
Maybe a little better on fine details, I haven't tried to do a side by side comparison because this is my oldest TV (10 years) and it only has one video input (S or composite but not both simultaneously). That's why I'm using the Philips switcher.

Thanks for the review DJ. Doesn't sound quite as great as I thought it would be. I wonder why they removed so many options last minute? That black RCA jack was supposed to be digital audio out. And what's with all the "unused" buttons on the remote? Did they just take a remote from another model and throw it in?

I'm thinking the same thing. If I'd paid retail price, I wouldn't be happy. Except for the S-video output, it doesn't seem very different than the cheaper boxes. I'm guessing that whoever makes the box for them used whatever remote shell they had available and it just had extra buttons.

One button isn't even labeled and it doesn't do anything that I can find. On the whole, this one doesn't seem up to Channel Master's reputation. It shows signs of not being fully baked. The manual is pretty short on detail, just a few pictures and very generalized instructions, almost as if it was written before they had a working model to try out. No specifics on RF output, just shows the switch on the back in a drawing of the box. (No actual picture of the box or any actual screen shots) Given that coupons start expiring before too long (mine expire in May), I can understand why they wanted to get something to market in time to cash in on the coupon program.

Picked up a CM-7000 at Fry's at the sale price. They took my 40$ coupon without question, though they probably spent 10 minutes figuring out how to enter the coupon into their system. I sure hope it gets NTIA approval :<).

What happens if the box doesn't get approved? Does that mean your coupon card is still good for $40 off another box?
Maybe you should take the card to CC or BB and see if it will still work. In that case the only loser is Fry's for giving you a $40 discount.

Nice review DJ. I am considering picking one of these units at Frys before their weekend special expires. If you get a chance, could you answer some additional questions for me?

1.Looking at the remote on their website, I do not see a dash(-) or period(.) key to enter sub-channels. Can you go directly to say 7-4 with the remote?

2.When you press a channel number on the remote, say channel 7, does it go directly to channel 7-1 or do you have to press channel and sub-channel on the remote?

3.Assuming you previously entered some favorite channels, can you select the favorite channel that follows the currently viewed channel with a single button press or do you have to go into a list of favorite channels to select the favorite you want?

4.If you can navigate through favorite channels, does it navigate in ordinal order (the order in which favorites were entered) or in cardinal order (or ascending channel number sequence)?

5.When you press the Sub-title (CC)key on the remote, does it simply toggle CC on and off or does it go into a menu with all the CC options?

Nice review DJ. I am considering picking one of these units at Frys before their weekend special expires. If you get a chance, could you answer some additional questions for me?

1.Looking at the remote on their website, I do not see a dash(-) or period(.) key to enter sub-channels. Can you go directly to say 7-4 with the remote?

There's no way I've found to select the subchannel, but you can select 7.1 by hitting the '7' key and then the unmarked key on the bottom left. If you hit the "FAV" key once, it calls up a list of all channels (and subchannels), which you can scroll through and select.

2.When you press a channel number on the remote, say channel 7, does it go directly to channel 7-1 or do you have to press channel and sub-channel on the remote?

There is no numeric subchannel selection that I've been able to find. (see above)

3.Assuming you previously entered some favorite channels, can you select the favorite channel that follows the currently viewed channel with a single button press or do you have to go into a list of favorite channels to select the favorite you want?

Favorites are selected from the "all channel" list and appear in numeric order

4.If you can navigate through favorite channels, does it navigate in ordinal order (the order in which favorites were entered) or in cardinal order (or ascending channel number sequence)?

Ascending channel number sequence.

5.When you press the Sub-title (CC)key on the remote, does it simply toggle CC on and off or does it go into a menu with all the CC options?

Subtitle scrolls through all CC options one at a time (including off).


By the way, I have to admit I was quite surprised to discover the CM-7000 is made in Bulgaria!

(I really expected China or perhaps Taiwan).





Hope that answers your questions.

For starters, here's a couple of pix of the CM 7000 menu.
First one is the info screen on channel 2.1
Second one is the software version information
Third one is the channel edit menu. Heart column is (obviously) favorites
The X column is channels deleted from the selection menu (but not memory, since they can be undeleted).

By the way, now that I've added a few channels to favorites, I've discovered that the "FAV" key restores whichever list (all channels or Favorites) that you were looking at last the left/right arrows switch between channel lists.

I'll post one of the channel guide next.

Here are two pictures of the Program guide:

the first is the current program at the top of the guide,
the second is the bottom of the guide for the current channel.

DJ, thanks for your answers and pictures. Compared to other boxes and HDTV panels with built-in guides, that program guide looks pretty decent. Wish they had made better use of the remote's keypad, hard to believe they left out a dash key.

Wish they had made better use of the remote's keypad, hard to believe they left out a dash key.??? Then how in the world are you expected to tune directly to the subchannels?

Shoot - if you can't then I wouldn't even consider the tuner.

??? Then how in the world are you expected to tune directly to the subchannels?

Shoot - if you can't then I wouldn't even consider the tuner.

Actually, I discovered you don't need the dash key. After laying around for a few minutes, I realized the unmarked key on the lower left is actually "enter" (guess that's why it doesn't normally do anything). The reason you don't need the dash key is that you can select channel 05.1 (NBC local/network feed in Chicago) by entering "5" and "enter", "051" and "enter", or even just hitting 5 and waiting for the box to time out and select the channel itself. If you enter numeric keys that can't be translated into a recognized channel, the box eventually just clears the entry. By the way, you can tune 5.2 by entering "5", "enter", and then upchannel which doesn't seem to me to be any more work then entering "05-2". You can (obviously) also select any detected channel from the channel list and select and channels in your favorite channel list. I haven't found any way to determine actual channel assignment from looking at the box. they seem to have gone to some lengths to make that transparent to users.

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080318/20080318006408.html?.v=1

SMITHFIELD, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Channel Master by PCT (www.pctinternational.com/channelmaster), a U.S. manufacturer of consumer off-air reception products, announced today approval by the U.S. Government's National Telecommunications and Infrastructure Administration (NTIA) of its new CM-7000 digital to analog converter box as a coupon eligible converter box.

Yup, it's now on NTIA's CECB List:
https://www.ntiadtv.gov/cecb_list.cfm

The Channel Master CM-7000 appears on the CECB list today. See this link:

ntiadtv.gov/cecb_list.cfm

Tried to buy a CM-7000 today at Fry's in Orange County, CA while the box is on sale using my converter box coupon. After waiting several minutes while the cashier went up to his manager and his manager went to his manager, was told that the coupons are valid only at participating converter program dealers and that Fry's is not part of it.

Needless to say, I passed on this purchase and ended up going to Circuit City and buying a Zenith box hassle-free.

Picked up a CM-7000 at Fry's at the sale price. They took my 40$ coupon without question, though they probably spent 10 minutes figuring out how to enter the coupon into their system.

I tried twice this week to buy a CM-7000 with the $40 coupon at Fry's, and they would not take it. First they said (on Saturday) that the CM-7000 wasn't eligible. But the Zenith they were sold out of was. Then today when I tried again with the newest information about the CM being approved, I was told they aren't set up to take ANY coupons yet! This is the Fry's in Irving TX near Dallas. Somehow this doesn't surprise me.

Also a news release from Channel Master in TWICE magazine says the CM-7000 is now approved for the $40 coupon (as mentioned above).

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6542268.html

Sounds like I am not missing much not getting the CM-7000 from what I read though other than an S-Video connector. Can anyone compare it's reception performance in less than ideal conditions to the Zenith? I did get a Zenith from RadioShack, zero hassle with the $40 coupon card, in and out of the store in 5 minutes.

Does anyone know what chip-set Channel Master uses? LG, ATI, etc. Also, is the coax digital audio working?

Bump

what's for me the cm-7000 looks interesting to me is because my Panasonic HDD/DVDR can control a converter box or a Direct-Tv system......

Does anyone know what chip-set Channel Master uses? LG, ATI, etc.

I finally was home long enough to open my CM-7000. Looks like the chipset is from STMicroelectronics. I hesitate to quote numbers because what I think the chips say is not any number I can find on their web site. I want to do a little more research first. The ATSC tuner is from Thompson.

Go ahead and let us know all the numbers you see on the big chip(s) and tin-can tuner.
And how many pins do you count on the big chip?
Even better...take some photos....

What are the first three letters of the FCC ID? We might be able to find a little more info in the FCC's records.

The largest chip is a STx7707nuc appears to be 26 pins/side.
The 2nd chip is a STv0373 80 pins total
It also has a M29W160ET flash memory chip
The tuner is a Thomson DTT 76850

Sorry, the first batch of pictures didn't turn out.
Will try again.

The largest chip is a STx7707nuc appears to be 26 pins/side. ... I was not sucessful in locating that particular IC on the STMicroelectronics website - http://www.st.com/stonline/

However I located the following that, although more full featured, sounds similar to the solution required for a CECB:

Single-chip, low-cost HD set-top box decoder
Generic Part Number / Orderable Part Number
STm7710 / STM7710ZUC
http://www.st.com/stonline/products/literature/bd/12654/stm7710.htm

PDF Data Brief:
http://www.st.com/stonline/products/literature/bd/12654.pdf

Avio

I found fol. hit for STV7707 being used with ST0371 in an ATSC HDTV:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&u=http://www.truehonest.com/en_ProView.asp%3FProId%3D565&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=2&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dstv7707%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3DUZD

This company offers several designs, incl using STx7710 or STx7707:
http://www.highgate.tv/HD.htm

PDF's showing STV7710 and STV7707 equivalency found on ST-Japan website:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.st-japan.co.jp/company/expo/ceatec2007/digital_home_appliance.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=2&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dstx7707%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DG
http://www.st-japan.co.jp/stappl/productcatalog/pdf_pamph/p34.pdf
[Too bad G-Translator doesn't work on pdf's....gotta brush up on my Katakana....]

BTW: ST changed their part number system from STi to STV...hence STx usage.

==========================
ST Microelectronics STV7710 is a SoC (System-On-A-Chip) display processor:
http://www.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets_pdf/S/T/I/7/STI7710.shtml

STx7707nuc in CM-7777 must be a variation of the STV7710, tailored
(dumbed down) to fulfill the specific CECB requirements.

If you look on pg 8 in above STV7710 Data Brief, you'll see that it is
intended to be used with separate NTSC, QAM and ATSC Decoder chips.
ATSC Decoder is shown as STV0370:
http://www.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets_pdf/S/T/V/0/STV0370.shtml
http://www.st.com/stonline/press/news/year2005/p1568h.htm

STV0373 in CM-7000 is most likely a later version in a smaller package and no doubt
performs much better than the original to meet the CECB A/74 Test Requirements.

Here's several pictures of the circuit board and chipset inside my CM-7000.
There's also a picture of the Thomson tuner.

Notice the circuit board is from Deltacom Electronics Ltd.
Here's their web site: http://www.dce.bg/
That explains the country of origin, since they're located in Sofia, Bulgaria

BTW, the owners manual implies the box was originally intended to tune cable channels as well as OTA signals, but that must have been deleted to make the box meet the specs for a CECB.

And can you verify whether Coax Digital Audio I/F is truly inoperative....or if it really works???

Well is this unknown chip manufacturer any good? How is the reception, especially with high multipath?

I was ready to buy, but now I am not to sure!!

Well is this unknown chip manufacturer any good? ... Unknown to you and me, until now. ST sounds like they have significant know-how and experience:



Company Profile

STMicroelectronics is one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies with net revenues of US$10.0 billion in 2007.

The Company’s sales are well balanced between the semiconductor industry’s five major high-growth sectors (percentage of ST’s sales in 2007): Communications (37%), Consumer (17%), Computer (16%), Automotive (15%) and Industrial (15%).

According to the latest industry data, ST is the world’s fifth largest semiconductor company with market leadership in many fields. For example, ST is the leading producer of application-specific analog chips and power conversion devices. It is also the #1 supplier of semiconductors for the Industrial market and for set-top box applications, and occupies leading positions in fields as varied as discrete devices, camera modules for mobile phones and automotive integrated circuits.

Product Portfolio
ST aims to be the leader in multimedia convergence applications and power solutions, offering one of the world’s broadest product portfolios, including application-specific products containing a large proprietary IP content and multi-segment products that range from discrete devices to high-performance microcontrollers, secure smart card chips and MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) devices.

ST pioneered and continues to refine the use of platform-based design methodologies for complex ICs in demanding applications such as mobile multimedia, set-top boxes and computer peripherals. The balanced portfolio approach allows ST to address the needs of all microelectronics users, from global strategic customers for whom ST is the partner of choice for major System-on-Chip (SoC) projects to local enterprises that need fully-supported general-purpose devices and solutions.

ST has also announced its intention, together with Intel and Francisco Partners, to form a new, independent semiconductor company, Numonyx, which will focus on supplying non-volatile memory solutions for a variety of consumer and industrial devices. ... [MORE (http://www.st.com/stonline/company/index.htm)]

http://www.st.com/stonline/company/index.htm

Avio

And can you verify whether Coax Digital Audio I/F is truly inoperative....or if it really works???

I may buy one of these just to open it up..maybe something as simple as a
missing J3 or R17... ;)

DJ99 - Can you tell if the RCA jack labeled 'Not used' is connected to anything internally?

Sorry, I did try to see if there was a jumper missing :D, but I sure couldn't see anything without removing the circuit board (trying to protect my warranty since these are relatively new designs). It wasn't like there was anything obvious looking at the circuit board, I couldn't even see traces going toward the jack either, believe me I tried. I suspect it isn't truly active, since they did receive certification and digital audio is considered a no-no :(

See response here: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/manufacturerFAQ.html

Maybe someone else has a Surround Receiver with Digital Audio Coax input who can try it???

I don't think it'll be that easy... If you look carefully at the photo, there does appear to be a trace possibly going to the jack, but coming from an area with several missing components (see attached). A closeup photo of that area might help confirm.

Okay... the most important thing to me:

- How sensitive is the tuner? Does it get more or fewer stations than the Zenith box?

dingo99, you mentioned not voiding the warranty. What is the warranty?

dingo99, you mentioned not voiding the warranty. What is the warranty?
Actually it was DJ99 that bought the box, not me. :D I missed out on the $60 pricing at Fry's, so I was just studying the photos. Good question, though - maybe DJ99 can fill us in?

Also, another question for DJ99: You mentioned the Fry's in Illinois accepted the coupon. When you check your coupon status at https://www.dtv2009.gov/CheckStatus.aspx does it indicate that your coupon has been redeemed?

Sorry guys, don't waste your time with further research on the digital audio output...I called CM's tech support and spoke to a very friendly and informative guy who apologized and told me that they were forced to remove this feature so that it could be coupon eligible. He said that he himself wanted to use it at his house, but couldn't due to this fact. I then asked him if he was really covering for the company and perhaps it was really hooked up and he sincerely told me that he wished that was the case but is not.

So, did the CM support guy say how we could hook-it back up?

As far as how to hook it back up, he did not give any information. He claimed that to his knowledge the module had been removed. I was really hoping that it would be hooked up, very disappointed.

I recently purchased the RS Digital Stream, WM Magnavox, BB Insignia, and the Zenith DTT900 for comparison. If you are willing to live without S-Video and Dig. Audio output, the Digital Stream reigns supreme. Seems to have a very nice, sensitive tuner, quick channel changing, excellent channel-at-a-time program guide (up to approx. 8 hours in advance with scrollable program descriptions), great remote control with fast acting volume control (way faster than the Zenith), nice menu graphics, and an overall case size that is only about half the size of the competition.

Of the four I have tested, the Magnavox is the worst, hands down.

Actually it was DJ99 that bought the box, not me. :D I missed out on the $60 pricing at Fry's, so I was just studying the photos. Good question, though - maybe DJ99 can fill us in?
Also, another question for DJ99: You mentioned the Fry's in Illinois accepted the coupon. When you check your coupon status at https://www.dtv2009.gov/CheckStatus.aspx does it indicate that your coupon has been redeemed?

Actually, I just made an assumption that it came with some kind of warranty. Checking the manual seems to make no mention of how long it it. I will e-mail their support to see what they have to say.

After doing a status, it does NOT seem to have been redeemed so far.
I have my box, I'm not real worried about when (or if) Fry's ever redeems it.

:)

As far as how to hook it back up, he did not give any information. He claimed that to his knowledge the module had been removed. I was really hoping that it would be hooked up, very disappointed.

I recently purchased the RS Digital Stream, WM Magnavox, BB Insignia, and the Zenith DTT900 for comparison. If you are willing to live without S-Video and Dig. Audio output, the Digital Stream reigns supreme. Seems to have a very nice, sensitive tuner, quick channel changing, excellent channel-at-a-time program guide (up to approx. 8 hours in advance with scrollable program descriptions), great remote control with fast acting volume control (way faster than the Zenith), nice menu graphics, and an overall case size that is only about half the size of the competition.

Of the four I have tested, the Magnavox is the worst, hands down.

Someone earlier reported that the Digital Stream was cutting off the bottom 10 lines of the video compared to the Zenith. Can you confirm or refute this on your units?

Thanks

I cannot confirm that other person's comment concerning the bottom 10 lines of video being cut off from the Digital Stream with certainty, but I was also only testing the composite video output on each unit. I never even hooked up the RF output because I knew for sure I would not be using it regardless of which unit I ended up with. My TV is a 27" Sony Wega and I do not recall missing any lines at the bottom of the screen while testing any of the units.

Hopefully this helps...

I cannot confirm that other person's comment concerning the bottom 10 lines of video being cut off from the Digital Stream with certainty, but I was also only testing the composite video output on each unit. I never even hooked up the RF output because I knew for sure I would not be using it regardless of which unit I ended up with. My TV is a 27" Sony Wega and I do not recall missing any lines at the bottom of the screen while testing any of the units.

Hopefully this helps...

Thanks,
Arnold

Sorry guys, don't waste your time with further research on the digital audio output...I called CM's tech support and spoke to a very friendly and informative guy who apologized and told me that they were forced to remove this feature so that it could be coupon eligible. He said that he himself wanted to use it at his house, but couldn't due to this fact. I then asked him if he was really covering for the company and perhaps it was really hooked up and he sincerely told me that he wished that was the case but is not.
As Ronald Reagan once paraphrased:
"doveryai, no proveryai":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trust,_but_Verify

Wouldn't be the first time a company had to make superficial PAPER changes
to keep the feds happy....when reality was somewhat different....

Yes, holl_ands, I hope you are correct about it being "paper" changes. (Ron) the guy I talked to on the phone sounded as if he knew exactly what I was getting at when asking him about the dig. audio output being "hooked up" but "not" hooked up, but he still seemed certain it was not going to work. If someone does get it figured out, though, please let us all know because I would buy this unit it if it did.

As far as how to hook it back up, he did not give any information. He claimed that to his knowledge the module had been removed. I was really hoping that it would be hooked up, very disappointed.

I recently purchased the RS Digital Stream, WM Magnavox, BB Insignia, and the Zenith DTT900 for comparison. If you are willing to live without S-Video and Dig. Audio output, the Digital Stream reigns supreme. Seems to have a very nice, sensitive tuner, quick channel changing, excellent channel-at-a-time program guide (up to approx. 8 hours in advance with scrollable program descriptions), great remote control with fast acting volume control (way faster than the Zenith), nice menu graphics, and an overall case size that is only about half the size of the competition.

Of the four I have tested, the Magnavox is the worst, hands down.

Hi Geek.

Which Digital Stream did you test? DSP7700T, DSP7500T or the DTX9900.
Like the rest of us, am trying to figure out which boxes will be the best bet
for what I want. I won't even get my coupons until end of May.. Thanks

Dave E
NLRock AR:confused:

Actually, I just made an assumption that it came with some kind of warranty. Checking the manual seems to make no mention of how long it it. I will e-mail their support to see what they have to say.


Received a polite e-mail from C/M customer support indicating the warranty is 90 days, parts & labor. Will be on my own before analog x-missions are even gone. :(

Hello Whodart...

I apologize for not specifiying in my earlier post. I was testing the Digital Stream DTX-9900. Really a very nice unit all around. (This model is the only Digital Stream available in my area).

It looks like the digital audio output could be re-enabled by adding a few transistor buffers, and some resistors and capacitors. Some time, SMT work, and a scope is all one needs it appears :)
I like non-features like this!

Unfortunately from the sound of it, it won't ouput anamorphic widescreen, so it's off the list.

Received a polite e-mail from C/M customer support indicating the warranty is 90 days, parts & labor. Will be on my own before analog x-missions are even gone. :(

That may be the same warranty that most of the CECBs will have. Some of us can buy the CECB with a credit card that doubles the warranty, though.

Fry's has the CM-7000 on sale again, so I went and picked one up. See attached for a closeup view of the digital output circuit.

Missing are 4 resistors, 3 capacitors, and 2 transistors. Using a DMM, I measured +1.65V @ RA7, +5V @ RD60, and +5V @ CD28/QD9. Any theories what the missing component values should be?

@drlava, actually it does support anamorphic widescreen. Simply hit the "Wide" button on the remote to select the "Full" picture setting.

5.When you press the Sub-title (CC)key on the remote, does it simply toggle CC on and off or does it go into a menu with all the CC options?

Subtitle scrolls through all CC options one at a time (including off).

Due to the way that digital closed captions are inserted by CECBs into the picture, it's been thought that digital closed captions will look a lot sharper and cleaner using S-video than composite. (Using RF or composite, there can be a fuzzy appearance for thin caption fonts.)

Could you check whether the S-video makes a significant difference in the appearance of the digital closed captions, and take photos?

So far, you're the only person I know with a CECB that has S-video who can check this out. (I set up a thread on evaluating CECBs for users of captioning (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=997022) elsewhere on this form, and it would be really nice to know whether S-video will make a difference.)

We don't have any Fry's Electronics stores out east or near me, otherwise I'd pick up a Channel Master CECB myself.

Fry's has the CM-7000 on sale again, so I went and picked one up. See attached for a closeup view of the digital output circuit.

Missing are 4 resistors, 3 capacitors, and 2 transistors. Using a DMM, I measured +1.65V @ RA7, +5V @ RD60, and +5V @ CD28/QD9. Any theories what the missing component values should be?

@drlava, actually it does support anamorphic widescreen. Simply hit the "Wide" button on the remote to select the "Full" picture setting.

Excellent info!
Here's a quick visual analysis:

The 1.65V is the rms voltage of the 3.3V biphase manchester encoded data coming from the chip. This goes to the amp/buffer PNP transistor QD10 whose emitter (and base of QD9) is biased by RD60. QD9 may be a NPN transistor with a buffer cap on its collector (CD28). Its output goes to impedance matching/filter network RD61, 62, and CD29, and is finally AC coupled to the coax output through CD30.
RA7 may be necessary for signal integrity to cut down on ringing, or provide additional pull up or pull down current.

With one of these in hand, I could probably have a working solution in an hour or less.

Excellent info!
Here's a quick visual analysis:

The 1.65V is the rms voltage of the 3.3V biphase manchester encoded data coming from the chip. This goes to the amp/buffer PNP transistor QD10 whose emitter (and base of QD9) is biased by RD60. QD9 may be a NPN transistor with a buffer cap on its collector (CD28). Its output goes to impedance matching/filter network RD61, 62, and CD29, and is finally AC coupled to the coax output through CD30.
RA7 may be necessary for signal integrity to cut down on ringing, or provide additional pull up or pull down current.

With one of these in hand, I could probably have a working solution in an hour or less.What about firmware. Do you think simply replacing the missing hardware components will make the digital audio output work? Or, do you think the firmware would have to enable, or toggle on, the digital audio?

... just a thought. Avio

What about firmware. Do you think simply replacing the missing hardware components will make the digital audio output work? Or, do you think the firmware would have to enable, or toggle on, the digital audio?

... just a thought. Avio

A scope would tell for sure, but his 1.65V reading sounds promising that there is already a signal there.

I don't think it'll be that easy... If you look carefully at the photo, there does appear to be a trace possibly going to the jack, but coming from an area with several missing components (see attached).

Actually, that's a good sign. On a typical PC motherboard using similar chips, the S/PDIF signal comes out at TTL levels from the sound chip. It then goes through a resistor divider network (with some caps for noise suppression) to bring it down to S/PDIF levels. If all they did is not populate the resistor divider section, adding one in should be easy. A firmware change would be harder to deal with.

Rather than obsessing over digital audio, lets get back to the real question of which has better reception sensitivity, the CM 7000 or DTT900.

Okay... the most important thing to me:

- How sensitive is the CM-7000 tuner? Does it get more or fewer stations than the Zenith box?

I have my coupons and need two boxes. I'm focused on either the Zenith box or the Channel Master.....I like the fact the Channel Master has s-video.

Where is the best place to purchase the CM-7000?

I agree with onslowtn... it seems that unless you have as much free time as a teenager the digital audio out on the CM-7000 is a lost cause. The true issue is reception sensitivity and overall satisfaction with the user interface. If you are REALLY REALLY after higher end outputs just cut your losses and buy the Tivax STB-T1 (even though it's not coupon-eligible). Take a look here... http://www.amazon.com/Tivax-ATSC-Digital-TV-Tuner/dp/B000OD2H7C

Tivax website also sells ($90) STB-T1 (aka LX-1000??) HD-STB:
http://www.tivax.com/converter.htm

The inexpensive Coby DTV-140 HD-STB always seems to be Out-Of-Stock.

RJTech RJ-1000ATSC (480i low-rez) SD-STB supports ATSC, QAM and
Coax Digital Audio.

None of these qualify for the CECB Coupon program....

========================================
CM-7000 is sold at Fry's stores, www.frys.com and www.solidsignal.com
Solid Signal is an NTIA participating retailer who should take coupons.

RJTech RJ-1000ATSC (480i low-rez) SD-STB supports ATSC, QAM and Coax Digital Audio

Are you sure of that model? .. No QAM, and No digital output on the RJTech I have. Newegg no longer has them.

The true issue is reception sensitivity and overall satisfaction with the user interface Correct. Again, Channel Master's claim "Get Free HDTV" reproduced on the CM-7000's retail packaging and advertising is incorrect - the CM-7000 provides standard definition DTV only, not high definition.

I have my coupons and need two boxes. I'm focused on either the Zenith box or the Channel Master.....I like the fact the Channel Master has s-video.

Where is the best place to purchase the CM-7000?

Also here: www .freedtvshop. com (without spaces)

Currently on back-order with a ETA of 04/04/08.

How do you enter the coupon number at SolidSignal?

For digital audio the resistors are RD61 360 ohm (in-line resistor), RD62 91 ohm (resistor to ground). The in-line cap should be 150nF, I think that's CD29 but it's hard to tell without actually having the board. The other cap (CD30) looks like it goes from output to ground and so should be small, < 1nF; it could probably be left out entirely. The two transistors probably aren't all that critical, provided they can run at 6Mhz and the polarity is right. I don't know about RD60 (depends on the transistor selected), RA7, or CD28. That's enough impersonating an EE from this software guy for today :-). Caveat Lector (which means I will not take responsibility if you break anything).

And rrrrrrroger, I have no idea of the sensitivity of this box compared to the Zenith. The Zenith doesn't have s-video so it's out of contention for one of my TVs; I have that input and dang it, I want to use it.

Are you sure of that model? ..
No QAM, and No digital output on the RJTech I have.
Newegg no longer has them.
There were two different RJTech boxes on www.newegg.com
(Not easy to find: "deactivated item", see below.)

RJ900ATSC is low-rez SD-STB people have used with a Smart Antenna.
They found out the QAM and Coax Digital Audio claims were incorrect.
[So it might even be CECB Coupon Eligibile.....if RjTech bothers to submit it???]
[Or maybe it's using older Zoran chips (see below) and couldn't meet CECB specs]:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16882107064&CMP=AFC-C8Junction
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0015AUM70/tanis010108_436053-20
http://www.dtskaraoke.com/rj900atsc.html
http://www.google.com/products?q=rj900ATSC

RJ1000ATSC is a similar low-rez SD-STB (using older Zoran chips),
advertised to support QAM, S-Video, Coax (SPDIF) Digital Audio
and RGB Component Video I/F....but NO Smart Antenna I/F.
[And maybe it has Analog NTSC.....or NOT???]:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16882107049&CMP=AFC-C8Junction
http://blujay.com/item/RJ-1000ATSC-TV-Tuner-8090700-1637890
http://www.yesbuy.net/rj-tech-dvd-dvdr-player-recorder-rj1000atsc.html

Given what has transpired, buyer beware....

And for a few more bucks, you can buy a hi-rez HD-STB....

[/QUOTE]And rrrrrrroger, I have no idea of the sensitivity of this box compared to the Zenith. The Zenith doesn't have s-video so it's out of contention for one of my TVs; I have that input and dang it, I want to use it.[/QUOTE]

+1......for the extra money I'd rather get the ability and capability of having s-video.....I know at least one of the TV's I will be hooking up has s-video...not sure on the second....but for $20 more ($10 each) compared to the Zenith.....it's probably worth it to me.

Having tried, head-to-head, the Zenith DTT-900 verses the Digital Stream DTX-9900 I found that there is no difference in the quality or sensivity of the tuners in each. Both displayed excellent video and audio output and high speed channel changing. The user interfaces are nice on each, but in my opinion the Digital Stream is more feature rich (mainly the EPG which goes out many hours in advance compared to the Zenith which only goes out one program in advance) and the remote control had a better and more durable design.

It just baffles me that the Zenith is getting so much praise when it really doesn't have anything over the Digital Stream (just as an example).

It just baffles me that the Zenith is getting so much praise when it really doesn't have anything over the Digital Stream (just as an example).
Well..... one reason is because the Zenith was first to market, and therefore got lots of early positives.

Second reason: It's a VERY serious flaw that the Digital Stream can not manually add channels. My initial Zenith autoscan only recovered 4 stations, but with the manual tuner and tweaking of the antenna, I was able to add several more. ----- Therefore I would not recommend the DS to a customer, unless it was shown to get 1-2 extra stations than the other boxes.

Back to CM-7000:

So if I'm understanding, this is a very sensitive receiver? I live in a poor market with many weak signals and need the best possible box.

Third reason: The Digital Stream chops scan lines off the top and more off the bottom of the picture before resizing it.

I'd rather deal with sound issues and not having a richer EPG than for my tuner cropping off and stretching the image incorrectly.

Third reason: The Digital Stream chops scan lines off the top and more off the bottom of the picture before resizing it.

I'd rather deal with sound issues and not having a richer EPG than for my tuner cropping off and stretching the image incorrectly.

FYI, there's a separate thread about that DigitalStream CECB, and there's a posting there that says the cropping is noted only on some channels:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13517314#post13517314

I'd agree I'd rather not have any cropping at all, though!

Dana

First, as I have mentioned multiple times (whether you are concerned or not) I have compared these units on the same evening using the exact same TV, antenna and cables and was NOT able to see any difference concerning missing or "cropped" scan lines on the DS. I'm not sure how many of the rest of you can say you've done that, but it's one thing to read what other people have read about what other people have read about certain models and actually testing them for yourself with your own two eyes and ears. (BTW, the aspect ratio is only distorted in the "14:9" video mode, which you never HAVE to use.)

Second, does it really matter if a certain unit came out before a different unit with respect to which one is better (or better rated anyway)? If anything the latter unit stands a better chance of having overcome the faults/shortcomings of the first-to-be-released unit.

Third, you CAN manually enter channels into the Digital Stream DTX-9900.

Fourth, all that these boxes are doing is lengthing the useful life of analog TVs and analog VCRs/DVD-Rs, etc. If reducing the number of "cropped scan lines" is so important then perhaps buying a true HDTV would be a more appropriate course of action.

Second, does it really matter if a certain unit came out before a different unit with respect to which one is better (or better rated anyway)? Strawman argument!. I never said that. Here is what I said (read carefully): "Well..... one reason is because the Zenith was first to market, and therefore got lots of early positives."

It got lots of early praise.
That does not mean it's a better box.
It only means it got lots of early + recommendations. Third, you CAN manually enter channels into the Digital Stream DTX-9900. Well then it might be worth trying out.

In your testing, how many channels does the DTX-9900 get versus the Zenith box? If reducing the number of "cropped scan lines" is so important then perhaps buying a true HDTV would be a more appropriate course of action. Yes, I thought about that, but I don't know what kind of tuner is inside the DTV. It could be a piece of junk that gets half as many channels as my Zenith unit.

Solidsignal just received a shipment of CM-7000s and they have raised the price to $79.99 per box.....reason being, demand.

I just ordered two this morning and mandaged to get the $68.99 price right before they raised it.

Solid Signal's site: http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=CM-7000
WOW! Boy did their price just go up! OUCH! Yeah what's up with that? The MSRP went from $79 to $85 in just one day??? Why? The MSRP should not change unless Solid Signal is lying to us.

(later)

I have the CM box in my shopping cart. But I'm hesitating to click "buy". I don't want to spend $50 just to find out this CM box gets fewer channels than the Zenith and that I wasted my cash. Decisions, decisions.

Also, what I really want is S-video AND an automatic channel tuner.
One w/o the other doesn't help keep the Super VHS machine running
.

Thanks to dingo99, there's an evaluation of the ChannelMaster CM-7000's digital closed captioning at the thread on evaluating converter boxes for users of captioning:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13506638#post13506638

He's provided a picture there of the digital captioning which is still much smaller than the analog captioning provided by his TV. (Other CECBs like the Insignia/Zenith can provide much larger captions.) The digital captioning is also ending up higher on the screen.

It's unfortunate the CM-7000's digital closed captioning wasn't better designed, especially since it had S-video. So if any of you were wanting to capitalize on the digital closed captioning from this CECB because of its S-video output, you may want to look at that posting carefully.

(Evaluations of the digital captioning from other CECBs would be very much appreciated at that thread.)

Dana

It's unfortunate the CM-7000's digital closed captioning wasn't better designed, especially since it had S-video. So if any of you were wanting to capitalize on the digital closed captioning from this CECB because of its S-video output, you may want to look at that posting carefully.

(Evaluations of the digital captioning from other CECBs would be very much appreciated at that thread.)

Dana[/QUOTE]

Dana have you checked out the Microprose MPI-500 with a CC button? :)

http://www.prlog.org/10054514-microprose-mpi-500-digital-tv-converter-receives-ntia-certification.html

http://www.prlog.org/10054514-microprose-mpi-500-digital-tv-converter-receives-ntia-certification.pdf

Dana have you checked out the Microprose MPI-500 with a CC button? :)



There are many CECBs (22 and counting) that do have the ability to decode closed captions (and which have a CC button), and the Microprose is one that has been listed on the first posting of the thread on evaluating CECBs for caption users for quite a while.

Since this is a thread about the Channel Master CM-7000, let's not go off-topic by talking about other CECBs here. There's a general one about all CECBs at:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=980052

or people interested in captioning issues can go to the thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=997022) on "Evaluating Digital to Analog Converter Boxes for Users of Captioning."

Hi there

Fry's/Outpost.com has it online for $60
But no obvious way to submit a coupon.

Regards

http://shop2.outpost.com/product/5488779

Hi there

Fry's/Outpost.com has it online for $60
But no obvious way to submit a coupon.

Regards

http://shop2.outpost.com/product/5488779

The call went like this:

Me: Hi, I saw the Cm-7000 converter box for sale on your store, and wondered if you accept the govt. coupons toward the purchase price?

She: No, we do not accept those coupons.

Me: Have you heard of the coupons?

She: No, I've never heard of the coupons.

Me: I't s a program.. etc etc. analog switchover... etc etc and everyone selling these boxes will be able to accept... etc So will you tell your manager that customers are interested in your ability to accept these coupons?

silence.... (possibly the sound of ideas flying overhead)

She: yeah, right. bye.

*click*

If we get enough callers maybe they will eventually look into it?
Next.. :D

If we get enough callers maybe they will eventually look into it?
Sorry, but don't count on it. Unless they've already started the application process, they won't be able to get into the action now. (https://www.ntiadtv.gov/corporate_check.cfm) Retailers had to apply by March 31, 2008 to participate in the coupon program.

Sorry, the first batch of pictures didn't turn out.
Will try again.I did get to see better menu screenshots thanks to FreeDTVShop for posting the Manual http://www.freedtvshop.com/fdtv/converters/cm7000UM.pdf

However, they did not show the EPG.
You did but they were really small will you try these again?

By the way the only other EPG that I know of that is not a Now/Next
is the Digital Stream DTX-9900
You can see a video of it thanks to DrBri99
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc3RRT7a-_I

Dingo99,

How about an evaluation of the CM 7000 reception abilities versus the Zenith DTT 900?

Dingo99, How about an evaluation of the CM 7000 reception abilities versus the Zenith DTT 900?
I don't have a DTT900 to make the comparison, and for me the Zenith's left-channel audio problem is a deal-breaker, so I have no plans to buy it.

I've noticed a low buzz which is a little annoying. I've hooked it up through a Philips automatic switch, which may be a contributing factor. So far, so good.Is this low buzz in the Audio?
Is this like the Zenith Audio problem in the left channel?

Just tried to pick up a CM-7000 at Frys where they are having a one day sale at $59.99. The checkout gal tried to run the coupon and then said it wasnt a MC or Visa. Her supervisor didn't know about the cards either. I asked for the manager who was clued in. He said, "Fry's is not set up to take the coupons yet but they may be in the future. They are working on it. Sorry"

They carry both Insignia boxes and Channel Masters.

Full-screen shot of the CM's EPG attached, so you can see its size. Up/down arrows scroll up to 12 hours of data, left/right changes the channel. Info panel on the right updates as you scroll.

Also, my experience has been different from DJ99's - I have not heard any buzzing or other audible problems from my CM.

Electronic Guides are nice, but I've always prefered zap2it.com or tvguide.com. Quick to browse and much easier to use (you can view an entire day at once). Me: I't s a program.. etc etc. analog switchover... etc etc and everyone selling these boxes will be able to accept... etc So will you tell your manager that customers are interested in your ability to accept these coupons?

She: yeah, right. bye.

Your mistake was talking to the $6 an hour minimum wage employee. You should have immediately talked to the manager yourself, and explained to him about the program. Odds are good he already knows about it (being a ~$20 an hour employee with more intelligence & knowledge).

Just tried to pick up a CM-7000 at Frys where they are having a one day sale at $59.99. .... I asked for the manager who was clued in. He said, "Fry's is not set up to take the coupons yet but they may be in the future. They are working on it. Sorry"

Here's what I would have said: "Frye's is listed on the government website. Therefore you are obligated BY LAW to take the coupon, as a government-certified retailer. No exceptions." I then would have laid down the $40 Coupon + $25 cash and explained: "There's your payment. I don't care what paperwork you need to do, I only care that I have paid you with legal U.S. tender." And walked out the door with my box.

I will Not be mistreated by a store (especially after I wasted $5 in gasoline driving there!).

Hi Everyone -- Our date slipped to 4/7. We were just notified of this today (the day we were supposed to have stock). Sorry for the delay to those that have ordered, but we're doing our best to be forthright about the dates.

I will Not be mistreated by a store (especially after I wasted $5 in gasoline driving there!).Then I guess it pays to call ahead of time.

Is this low buzz in the Audio?
Is this like the Zenith Audio problem in the left channel?
No, it sounds like low-level 60 cycle hum. I don't believe its isolated to a single channel.
I have the box jammed onto a single shelf in my bedroom TV stand underneath the TV surrounded by a Philips video switch, an old RCA vcr and a DVD player.
Under the circumstances, I'd be surprised if it didn't hum. :)

I know it's coming from the box, because the TV sound only hums once the box is turned on. Since it's a tight fit, I haven't had the time to rip things apart to isolate the box and see if the hum goes away. Will try to find time to experiment this weekend.

I only use that TV to watch the news, so it's not a big deal to me.

Thank you, dingo, for that screenshot of the guide. It looks readable and not too complex. The online manual didn't show this, it's a selling point to have more than now/next! All the tvs I am outfitting have S-Video, so that's another plus.

Locally, I don't think any CECB retailers have the CM-7000. Frys does, but they are not on the NTIA retailer list. They've been on sale 3 times already, under $60.

No, it sounds like low-level 60 cycle hum. I don't believe its isolated to a single channel.
I have the box jammed onto a single shelf in my bedroom TV stand underneath the TV surrounded by a Philips video switch, an old RCA vcr and a DVD player.
Under the circumstances, I'd be surprised if it didn't hum. :)

I know it's coming from the box, because the TV sound only hums once the box is turned on. Since it's a tight fit, I haven't had the time to rip things apart to isolate the box and see if the hum goes away. Will try to find time to experiment this weekend.

I only use that TV to watch the news, so it's not a big deal to me.
Sounds like a ground loop in the power connections.....
or a loose audio I/F connector....wiggle & reseat all L/R plugs....

If you have any two-prong power plugs, try reversing the connection
(but don't violate plug polarity reversal protection devices, if any are found.)

With the CM-7000 turned on and buzzing, disconnect antenna lead and
see if it goes away. If so, a coaxial isolator should fix the problem.
I discussed ground-loop investigations/solutions in Zenith thread:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13498907&#post13498907

Here's what I would have said: "Frye's is listed on the government website. Therefore you are obligated BY LAW to take the coupon, as a government-certified retailer. No exceptions." I then would have laid down the $40 Coupon + $25 cash and explained: "There's your payment. I don't care what paperwork you need to do, I only care that I have paid you with legal U.S. tender." And walked out the door with my box.

I will Not be mistreated by a store (especially after I wasted $5 in gasoline driving there!).
Fry's is NOT on NTIA's "Participating Retailer's List", dated 28Mar2008:
https://www.ntiadtv.gov/info.cfm

Unless they go through the effort to join the program and follow the rules,
they can't honor your coupon....

I will Not be mistreated by a store (especially after I wasted $5 in gasoline driving there!).Then I guess it pays to call ahead of time. Why? So I can listen to a ringing phone that none of the employees ever answer??? Forget that.

Bottom Line:

Customer service in the U.S. retail industry is piss-poor. You call; they don't answer. You ask for help; you can't find anybody. You try to buy an item; they refuse your money. And I'm sick of being treated as if they don't want my business.

Here's what I would have said: Frye's is listed on the government website. Therefore you are obligated BY LAW to take the coupon, as a government-certified retailer. No exceptions." I then would have laid down the $40 Coupon + $25 cash and explained: "There's your payment. I don't care what paperwork you need to do, I only care that I have paid you with legal U.S. tender." And walked out the door with my box.

I will Not be mistreated by a store (especially after I wasted $5 in gasoline driving there!).

Frye's is not listed on the government website.

dtv2009.gov/VendorSearch.aspx

Here's what I would have said: "Frye's is listed on the government website. Therefore you are obligated BY LAW to take the coupon, as a government-certified retailer. No exceptions." I then would have laid down the $40 Coupon + $25 cash and explained: "There's your payment. I don't care what paperwork you need to do, I only care that I have paid you with legal U.S. tender."

Participation in the coupon program is voluntary, not obligated by law. Certified retailers are free to drop out of the program if they wish.

Furthermore, the coupon is not legal U.S. tender - it does not bear any marks of the U.S. Treasury Department.

Poor customer service is one thing, but unjustified customer demands are no better.

Is this low buzz in the Audio?
Is this like the Zenith Audio problem in the left channel?

Yes, NO.
I had a little time to experiment over the weekend. The buzz must be coming either from my switch or crosstalk from another power source. When I removed the CM-7000 from the shelf and connected it directly to my TV, the hum went away. :)

Just tried to pick up a CM-7000 at Frys where they are having a one day sale at $59.99. The checkout gal tried to run the coupon and then said it wasnt a MC or Visa. Her supervisor didn't know about the cards either. I asked for the manager who was clued in. He said, "Fry's is not set up to take the coupons yet but they may be in the future. They are working on it. Sorry"


I think the deadline to sent in applications to redeem coupons as a retailer was March 31, 2008. So if Fry's didn't make up its mind to send in an application last month, they might have lost the ability to redeem them in the future. That's unfortunate for consumers, I think. There are far too few brick and mortar stores selling the CECBs.

Maybe there's a chance the deadline could be extended. The whole coupon redemption process could stand an overhaul.

DJ99,

Hiss or buzz is not a new problem with Zenith products.

Back when we first got Rogers (CableSystems Pacific) around 1982-1983 we had Zenith converter boxes that had volume controls on the box as well as on the Zenith Space Command remote.

The same hiss or buzz was present. One had to be sure, through trial and error, that the TV volume range and the Zenith converter box volume range were balanced to avoid hiss or buzz.

In those days half of our city (Portland Oregon) had Rogers and the other half had Liberty Cable. It seems to me that the Liberty boxes did not have volume controls. The original Rogers cable has changed hands several times and, at some point, took over the Liberty franchise. Comcast now controls the Portland cable franchise. Current Comcast Motorola cable boxes do not have volume controls.

I just hooked up my CM-7000 and I'm seeing the flashing closed captioning line across the top of my screen. (see 2 attachments).

I emailed Channel Master and they told me that their test unit there does the same thing. Do all brands of DTV converter boxes have this same problem?

I "zoomed in" as far as I could to get rid of it but then I lose some of the sides of the image.

This line drives me crazy. Should I put a big piece of duct tape across my TV screen? :)

I just hooked up my CM-7000 and I'm seeing the flashing closed captioning line across the top of my screen.


Welcome to the forum!
I generally use the Zoom1 mode on most programs.
My TV has a fair amount of overscan and c/c bleedover isn't a problem for me.

The buzz must be coming either from my switch or crosstalk from another power source. When I removed the CM-7000 from the shelf and connected it directly to my TV, the hum went away.

Thanks, DJ99, that's good to hear. It might be worthwhile to edit a little note to the bottom of your original post (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13396219#post13396219) in case a newcomer misses your follow-up.

I just hooked up my CM-7000 and I'm seeing the flashing closed captioning line across the top of my screen. (see 2 attachments).

I emailed Channel Master and they told me that their test unit there does the same thing. Do all brands of DTV converter boxes have this same problem?

I "zoomed in" as far as I could to get rid of it but then I lose some of the sides of the image.

This line drives me crazy. Should I put a big piece of duct tape across my TV screen? :)

Interesting. My Samsung DTB-H260F does the same thing. I read somewhere it was the EPG data.

I just hooked up my CM-7000 and I'm seeing the flashing closed captioning line across the top of my screen. (see 2 attachments).


Are you seeing the captioning line on different stations?

Are you seeing the captioning line on different stations?

Hi frtundra
Yes, those two graphics files I attached are from two different stations. If it is a wide-screen broadcast, I see the line up high.

If it is an older show (like Seinfeld) which wasn't filmed in widescreen, then the line is right along the top of the picture.

Thanks, bromleyc.

I think you just eliminated this box for me. We're running out of worthwhile candidates...

It's closed captioning data.

I just hooked up my CM-7000 and I'm seeing the flashing closed captioning line across the top of my screen. (see 2 attachments).

I emailed Channel Master and they told me that their test unit there does the same thing. Do all brands of DTV converter boxes have this same problem?

I "zoomed in" as far as I could to get rid of it but then I lose some of the sides of the image.

This line drives me crazy. Should I put a big piece of duct tape across my TV screen? :)

I haven't seen this problem with the Zenith or Insignia CECBs.

There's been some discussion of this kind of line, starting at:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13448218#post13448218

I'm not sure what the answer is, but the line might be produced by an error somewhere, not by normal closed caption data.

For what it's worth, I saw this kind of line when I made an DVD of an analog TiVo recording of a song from Nip/Tuck from an analog DirecTV set top box. Can't do anything about it on the DVD, but I'm curious also as to what's causing this obtrusive line. Doesn't seem like an ATSC issue since I was using analog equipment.

It's closed captioning data.

Several people who have discussed this issue think this line might be the result of a mistake somewhere rather than normal closed captioning data;
see:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13448218#post13448218

I just hooked up my CM-7000 and I'm seeing the flashing closed captioning line across the top of my screen. (see 2 attachments).

I emailed Channel Master and they told me that their test unit there does the same thing. Do all brands of DTV converter boxes have this same problem?

I "zoomed in" as far as I could to get rid of it but then I lose some of the sides of the image.

This line drives me crazy. Should I put a big piece of duct tape across my TV screen? :)
The top (VBI) lines in an analog TV field contain Time, ID and Closed Caption data:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertical_blanking_interval

Hence it is a mandatory part of NTSC and MUST be output by converter boxes.
So don't blame the CM-7000.

If you have a conventional CRT type TV, there should be height adjustment(s)
that can be used to push the VBI up and out of sight.

They may accessible from the rear panel or are for service personnel only.
If you are comfortable working inside a TV, a Service Manual may be available here:
http://www.servicemanuals.net/
There are numerous other sites that will sell you an inexpensive Service Manual.

If you are viewing via an LCD or Plasma type DTV, there may be choices other
than 1:1 mapping to enable overscan.

also - while watching my CM-7000 yesterday on a cloudy day with light rain, I was seeing frequent video skipping.

I pushed the "info" button on the remote to see the signal-strength meter during these skips, and it never deviated from 100%.

I still need to watch it on a sunny day to see if it skips then.

What type of antenna system are you using with this box?

A 7-year-old Wingard antenna strapped to my chimney.

Normally, I would suspect a multipath issue of some kind if you are having that particular problem.

does this do stereo audio

Hence it is a mandatory part of NTSC and MUST be output by converter boxes.
So don't blame the CM-7000.

If you have a conventional CRT type TV, there should be height adjustment(s)
that can be used to push the VBI up and out of sight.



bromleyc - Have you tried connecting your CM-7000 to a different TV to see if the vertical blanking interval would still appear on-screen?

10) Does the S-Video Output jack work, too?
Yes, I'm using it.

How does it compare to the composite output?
Maybe a little better on fine details, I haven't tried to do a side by side comparison because this is my oldest TV (10 years) and it only has one video input (S or composite but not both simultaneously). That's why I'm using the Philips switcher.

For those who have purchased the box; has anyone done a comparison between the composite and S-Video?
I am wondering if I will see a difference on my 5 year old 32" tv.


The Zenith doesn't have s-video so it's out of contention for one of my TVs; I have that input and dang it, I want to use it.

I am of this same thought :D:D! But as this box is more expensive then other boxes (albeit $10-20). I am wondering if it is worth the price.

Thanks!

For those who have purchased the box; has anyone done a comparison between the composite and S-Video?
I am wondering if I will see a difference on my 5 year old 32" tv.

The main difference between S-video and composite is that you won't see any dot crawl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot_crawl) on S-video.

However, the extent of the dot crawl depends on the quality of the comb filter inside your TV. If you have a higher-end set with 3D comb filtering, you may see little difference between the composite and S-video.

Do you have a DVD player or game system hooked up to your TV? Dot crawl artifacts (or the absence thereof) seem most visible with computer graphics displayed on a TV, so your DVD's setup menus or a video game would help show if your TV has a quality comb filter.

Do you have a DVD player or game system hooked up to your TV? Dot crawl artifacts (or the absence thereof) seem most visible with computer graphics displayed on a TV, so your DVD's setup menus or a video game would help show if your TV has a quality comb filter.

Thanks, this sounds like a great test! I will and will hook up my dvd player with composite video either tonight or tomorrow and test it out! I have never actually connected the DVD player with composite so I forget I even have it :o

Thanks again!

The main difference between S-video and composite is that you won't see any dot crawl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot_crawl) on S-video.

However, the extent of the dot crawl depends on the quality of the comb filter inside your TV. If you have a higher-end set with 3D comb filtering, you may see little difference between the composite and S-video.

Do you have a DVD player or game system hooked up to your TV? Dot crawl artifacts (or the absence thereof) seem most visible with computer graphics displayed on a TV, so your DVD's setup menus or a video game would help show if your TV has a quality comb filter.

That's a good point, and I've heard that comb filtering will also affect the display of digital closed captioning, but I don't understand enough about comb filtering. Because this is getting off-topic for this thread, however, I'd like to ask dingo99 if you could answer some questions about comb filtering at this other posting:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13606033#post13606033

(People trying out the digital closed captioning from the different CECBs would benefit from understanding more about how comb filtering will affect the appearance of the digital closed captions.)

Dana

The main difference between S-video and composite is that you won't see any dot crawl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot_crawl) on S-video.



Not always true. I have used relatively recently manufactured sets that have a much higher color and brightness accuracy with s-video than composite. The conversion from digital seems like the perfect use for the extra color preservation of s-video.

Not always true. I have used relatively recently manufactured sets that have a much higher color and brightness accuracy with s-video than composite. The conversion from digital seems like the perfect use for the extra color preservation of s-video.

Of course, everything depends on the particular set and how well it was engineered. I never claimed that dot crawl was the only difference.

This box pawnz! I have had the zenith for a week I just gave it to my mother it sucked so bad. Plugged this one right in no buzz or noise to drive you insane and it picked up channels the zenith could not after running a search on them using the same antenna at the same time. The s-video input looks great. The only bug I see is the guide needs the clock on auto to work and the local channels can't tell time right.

So is this what the remote looks like?

Did anyone else notice that the new MAG CCB7707
Looking at the user manual (http://ezdigitaltv.com/support-files/mag_ccb7707_user_manual.pdf)
It looks like it has the same EPG as the Channel Master?

I also think that they are using an older manual and didn't update as it also has the following:

Stereo Effect among SRS TruSurround, SRS TruSurround XT, SRS TruBass, SRS Focus and None
You can switch Internal Speakers on or off.
You can switch Digital Out among PCM, Dolby Digital or Off

I find the audio incorrect as it has only Analog L/R Audio Output no digital

It also says
Main CPU: Enhanced ST20 32-bit VL-RISC CPU 200 MHz

So is this the best-est box ever?

Someone on here said that the boxes are just good for analog TV and die when they do. I have a RCA 19" B&W TV we bought 1970 and it still works. I bet my $125.00 27" analog TV along with my other 7 analog TVs will out last any of your $1,000.00+ flat screen HDTVs you can buy today. Analog might not be around long but the analog TVs will so the box is important.

I purchased a CM-7000 from summitsouce.com on monday and it arrived yesterday, Thursday, so I can give them a thumbs up. I haven’t had enough time to fully live with it but I have some early observations to share.

The box is metal and nicely constructed. It comes with a RF cable worthy of Channel Master with very nice connectors. No push on cheap thin cable here. The remote also has a nice amount of heft with a solid feel to the buttons. The sensitivity of the tuner/decoder is excellent. Comparing it to the Zenith DTT900, I believe it is slightly more sensitive. On troublesome stations it holds onto the signal slightly better than the Zenith, but understand the difference is very slight and probably should not be used as the difference maker in choosing which box to buy. As far as recovery time after losing the signal, the jury is still out… I need more time with them.

The operation of the receiver seems somewhat unintuitive because the right and left arrows do not generally move you forward and back in the menus. You go forward by pressing the OK button and back with the MENU button. Once you adjust to it there is no problem but it seems strange at first

There is no choice of monitor aspect ratio in the menu. It treats your monitor as 4:3. The wide button on the remote changes the aspect ratio from FULL (anamorphic widescreen), ZOOM1 (maybe 14:8 ??? I’m not sure), ZOOM2 (full 4:3) and LETTERBOX.

Users with 16:9 monitors will be happy with the FULL mode. Users with 4:3 monitors might have a problem. Some of my local stations broadcast the VBI (vertical blanking interval that contains CC data) in such a way that is visible when they have a 4:3 picture embedded in the 16:9 picture. In Letterbox mode on a 4:3 monitor this can be visible and annoying to say the least. In two cases, ABC and NBC, I noticed the VBI disappear when the picture went to full widescreen HD. One oddity occurred on NBC’s Today show which showed no VBI lines in there HD signal until they showed a clip from Fox’s American Idol as a 4:3 image embedded in their signal and the only the embedded image portion of the picture showed the VBI lines. On the other hand the local CBS signal never displayed any VBI lines.

I need more time to see if these lines are visible on any channels when delivering a full HD signal in Letterbox mode, but be warned. The Zenith does not exhibit this problem, though whether it’s more a problem with the broadcasters or the box I can’t say.

My use is to feed a dvd recorder with the anamorphic widescreen signal so I’m still a go with the CM-7000, but to a 4:3 monitor user the Zenith is looking like the better choice because of the VBI issue.

This box pawnz!

What does "pawnz" mean?

What does "pawnz" mean?Since when did people stop playing mmorpgs? This is typical slang term in any online game. Pawnz= its owns it delivers its good.

Since when did people stop playing mmorpgs? This is typical slang term in any online game. Pawnz= its owns it delivers its good.

Since when did people START playing mmorpgs ?(WTH is it in the first place ?)

Keep the slang down and use standard english, then everybody will understand what you're talking about.

Since when did people START playing mmorpgs ?(WTH is it in the first place ?)

Keep the slang down and use standard english, then everybody will understand what you're talking about.You never heard of an mmorpg? You must have been living under a rock since 1997.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMORPG

Since when did people stop playing mmorpgs? This is typical slang term in any online game. Pawnz= its owns it delivers its good.

This forum is not an on-line game nor is it pro-slang..:rolleyes:

Vincent - I've been online since a 2400 baud modem was hot stuff - i.e the days of Compuserve. I have never gotten into the Role playing games, usually doing forums like this.

I give up. I must be having a discussion with people that just got online yesterday. I am truly amazed at the lack of common knowledge. Goodbye.

Since when did people START playing mmorpgs ?(WTH is it in the first place ?)

Keep the slang down and use standard english, then everybody will understand what you're talking about.I've never heard of either Pawnz or mmorpgs.

Googling "Pawnz" is not initially very helpful.

Googling "mmorpgs" is helpful in understanding what the poster is talking about:

MMORPG.com - Your Headquarters for Massive Multiplayer Online Role ...
www.mmorpg.com/

Massively multiplayer online role-playing game - ... The majority of popular MMORPGs are based on traditional fantasy themes ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMORPG

Avio

My CM-7000 arrived today. It works quite well in spite of my antenna. I have been using an old Radio Shack Yagi intended strictly for the FM band. All but a few stations have the signal strength indicator pegged. Probably because the transmitters (Cedar Hill, TX) are so close I can see their navigation lights. Given the solid signal strength I am not inclined to replace the antenna.

I noticed another VBI data related anomaly. On one program on the local PBS station not only was there VBI data at the top of the 4:3 image but there was a stripe running down most of the left side. The stripe wasn't solid but was blinking just like the VBI data. Strangely the bottom 30 scan lines or so matched the rest of the image. I guess stations still don't quite have a handle on this image conversion thing.

One of the reasons I purchased this unit is because of the discussion here about the missing SPDIF output components and speculation that the data stream might be present. Instead of trying to figure out reasonable values for all of those parts I tried instead to attach an optical output. (Sharp GP1FM514TZ0F) I get a nice glow from the transmitter but my receiver has nothing. I pulled out an ancient logic probe and it verifies that there is a pulsed signal on RA7.

It is times like these that I wish I had an oscilloscope. :-)

My CM-7000 arrived today. It works quite well in spite of my antenna.

What is this about? Someone who is on-topic with this thread?

I've come to the conclusion that so many of these threads are off topic that all the first boxes leave nothing to discuss. Be wary if you're an early adopter. It is not a good sign!

What is this about? Someone who is on-topic with this thread?

I'm sorry. It was my first post to AVS and I will try to do worse in the future. :-)

The main difference between S-video and composite is that you won't see any dot crawl (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot_crawl) on S-video.

However, the extent of the dot crawl depends on the quality of the comb filter inside your TV. If you have a higher-end set with 3D comb filtering, you may see little difference between the composite and S-video.

Do you have a DVD player or game system hooked up to your TV? Dot crawl artifacts (or the absence thereof) seem most visible with computer graphics displayed on a TV, so your DVD's setup menus or a video game would help show if your TV has a quality comb filter.

Thanks, this sounds like a great test! I will and will hook up my dvd player with composite video either tonight or tomorrow and test it out! I have never actually connected the DVD player with composite so I forget I even have it :o

Thanks again!

Well I got a chance to try it out tonight. I threw in my "Avia Guide to Home Theater" dvd and tried a couple of test patterns as well as just looking at the menus. There was definitely some dot Crawl. Also the S-video looked "sharper" or "clearer". I didn't play around with it much, but it was enough of a difference for me to continue down the path of a CECB with S-Video.
Thanks for suggesting the test!

I am truly amazed at the lack of common knowledge.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Just remember next time, common knowledge is that the spelling is pwnz (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pwnz), not pawnz (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=13612197&postcount=159).

i been thinking of using my second coupon on this box. Do you think this digital stream in the picture can be related to the TV and not the Box itself. I'm sure age of the tv plays a part in the analog TVs ability to handle these boxes like in the Early video games days. I guess my choice is between this and digital streams.

i been thinking of using my second coupon on this box. Do you think this digital stream in the picture can be related to the TV and not the Box itself. I'm sure age of the tv plays a part in the analog TVs ability to handle these boxes like in the Early video games days. I guess my choice is between this and digital streams.

If "digital stream" means the VBI, the age of the TV has nothing to do with it. On a plus note, the channel with the most noticable VBI lines when broadcasting 4:3 images embedded in the 16:9 field, did not display them when broadcasting a full 16:9 HD program last night and viewing this on a 4:3 TV in LETTERBOX mode. If this is always the case, then the only time these lines will appear will be when we would want to use ZOOM2 to fill the 4:3 screen fully anyway.

(I'm in the NY DMA and the channel is WPIX-11, RF-33, if anyone local cares to look at it.)

Another positive point about the box is the EPG guide, which is very, very nice. It displays around 10-11 hours of programs vertically on the left side of the screen with program info on the right that changes as you scroll through the list. The right or left arrow changes the channel in the background and populates the guide for the newly selected channel. It's reasonably fast too, with a slight delay for retrieving the program info as you move through the list.

A negative point is that the box didn't recover a couple of times when it received a "scrambled program" which is what it displays when that happens. It doesn't happen everytime, but be warned. This also happened once with my Zenith DTT900 with it displaying "No Signal". Both needed a manual intervention to change the channels and come back to pick up the original channel again. This is likely to cause me some problems until Feb. 18, 2009 when all the channels move to their final frequency assignments at full power. I intend to let it sit on a strong channel for many hours to be certain this doesn't hang up in these circumstances. I'll get back to this thread if it's a more troublesome problem than I currently think it is.

As to your question of this or the Digital Stream box, you can at least try one of those from a local RS dealer and return it easily if you don't use your coupon until you're sure your happy with it. I admit I was seduced by the S-video connector of the CM-7000, but having to buy it online makes return/exchange a pain in the ass.

Digital VBI type data is carried in non-visible data fields, whereas
Analog VBI is carried in Line 21 and hence is visible without overscan.

A converter box converts Digital VBI and outputs Analog VBI in Line 21.
Normal overscan should hide this on your conventional TV, just as it does
when not viewing via the converter box.

The VBI you guys are seeing is generated at the STATION when they embed
a 4:3 analog signal into a digital transmission....erroneously inserting
a SECOND VBI....BELOW the proper VBI line number.

We see this from time to time on our HDTVs, which is not performing the
Digital-to-Analog conversions found in the converter boxes.
[Unlike many HDTVs, mine has overscan. Can you imagine how
annoying it would be to watch analog channels without overscan!!!]

So it's NOT the fault of the CM-7000.
It's simply displaying the VALID pixels as they are received....

Perhaps the encoder at the station can be configured to suppress
the SECOND VBI signal if they only knew the correct equipment settings.
Maybe you can talk to the station engineer....

The only way to get rid of it at your location is to adjust the
vertical position control(s) on a conventional CRT TV.
But then you may not see all of the ESPN score boxes....

but in all this is a good box? not a cheap costing box. any video of it in action

Digital VBI type data is carried in non-visible data fields, whereas
Analog VBI is carried in Line 21 and hence is visible without overscan.

A converter box converts Digital VBI and outputs Analog VBI in Line 21.
Normal overscan should hide this on your conventional TV, just as it does
when not viewing via the converter box.

The VBI you guys are seeing is generated at the STATION when they embed
a 4:3 analog signal into a digital transmission....erroneously inserting
a SECOND VBI....BELOW the proper VBI line number.

We see this from time to time on our HDTVs, which is not performing the
Digital-to-Analog conversions found in the converter boxes.
[Unlike many HDTVs, mine has overscan. Can you imagine how
annoying it would be to watch analog channels without overscan!!!]

So it's NOT the fault of the CM-7000.
It's simply displaying the VALID pixels as they are received....

Perhaps the encoder at the station can be configured to suppress
the SECOND VBI signal if they only knew the correct equipment settings.
Maybe you can talk to the station engineer....

The only way to get rid of it at your location is to adjust the
vertical position control(s) on a conventional CRT TV.
But then you may not see all of the ESPN score boxes....

Thanks for the explanation. I have read many of your posts here and have a lot of respect for your knowledge. One thing I do not understand though is why this is the only box (so far at least) I have heard having this problem? The only explanation I could thing of is that the other boxes default to a "slightly zoomed" image as default? Cutting part of the picture out (and thus the offending lines). But this is simply a guess and based on no personal experience :o

If your explanation is true and it is not the fault of the CM-7000 box, shouldn't we see more boxes show this issue? Again, I am not trying to doubt you, just trying to gain understanding!

Thanks!

I saw the same thing on my RCA DTA 800B.

Thanks for the explanation. I have read many of your posts here and have a lot of respect for your knowledge. One thing I do not understand though is why this is the only box (so far at least) I have heard having this problem? The only explanation I could thing of is that the other boxes default to a "slightly zoomed" image as default? Cutting part of the picture out (and thus the offending lines). But this is simply a guess and based on no personal experience :o

If your explanation is true and it is not the fault of the CM-7000 box, shouldn't we see more boxes show this issue? Again, I am not trying to doubt you, just trying to gain understanding!

Thanks!
I rarely see the "second VBI" defect....but when it occurs it's embedded
into the digital PROGRAM and goes away at the end of that program.
So it's upstream from my local stations....

I would think some stations are probably better at this than others.....
And I would hope that most stations don't have this defect....

Do you use an antenna rotor with your HD TV antenna?

The Channel Master CM-7000 exclusively offers the "Scan Add" feature. This important feature allows you to scan for channels at one compass setting and store them, then rotate to a new compass setting scan for channels and add them to your already existing list. Never again will you have re-scan for channels simply to change the channel. The Channel Master CM-7000 is the digital to analog converter box that keeps the consumers needs at the center of its design. Channel Master an industry leader in off-air HD television reception products.

So does this mean it works the rotor to automatically turn the antenna to the right position depending on which direction that station was set for.

Thanks for the explanation. I have read many of your posts here and have a lot of respect for your knowledge. One thing I do not understand though is why this is the only box (so far at least) I have heard having this problem? The only explanation I could thing of is that the other boxes default to a "slightly zoomed" image as default? Cutting part of the picture out (and thus the offending lines). But this is simply a guess and based on no personal experience :o

If your explanation is true and it is not the fault of the CM-7000 box, shouldn't we see more boxes show this issue? Again, I am not trying to doubt you, just trying to gain understanding!

Thanks!

I believe you have nailed it. Holl-ands seemed to miss an important point that I’ll try to clear up with an example.

Our 4:3 TV is tuned to a 16:9 HD broadcast and because we want to see the full picture we put the box in LETTERBOX mode. During the show no VBI lines appear, but when the station goes to a 4:3 embedded commercial the lines do appear. I hope that makes it clear that adjusting the overscan on our TV is not going to remove those lines which are far removed from the borders of the TV.

In the NY DMA I have now seen this effect on NBC, Fox, ABC, My9 and CW. The only station not showing the lines with 4:3 embedded broadcasts is CBS. I believe all of these stations are O&O, so one would think they know what they’re doing, though maybe CBS has wiser engineers?

Again, it’s probably not a major issue unless you love the commercials and soon most of those will be HD too. If we’re watching a 4:3 show we’ll be displaying it in full pan&scan mode (ZOOM2 on the CM-7000) and the normal overscan of our TV will keep the VBI lines out of view.

It appears the other manufacturers have taken the VBI lines into account and do not display them and that’s to their credit.

If you are watching a letterboxed ("postage stamped?") 4:3 program,
wouldn't you "zoom" so that it fits the entire screen???
[PS: If you are seeing VBI data at the top of a "postage stamp" image,
it's coming from the station and the converter box can't "fix" it.]

Of course, if you are watching an "HD" program, it probably isn't worth
zooming in and out for every commercial.....

FYI: "Letterbox" vs "Postage Stamp" is illustrated here:
http://www.nfm.com/DTV.ASPX

Do you use an antenna rotor with your HD TV antenna?

The Channel Master CM-7000 exclusively offers the "Scan Add" feature. This important feature allows you to scan for channels at one compass setting and store them, then rotate to a new compass setting scan for channels and add them to your already existing list. Never again will you have re-scan for channels simply to change the channel. The Channel Master CM-7000 is the digital to analog converter box that keeps the consumers needs at the center of its design. Channel Master an industry leader in off-air HD television reception products.

So does this mean it works the rotor to automatically turn the antenna to the right position depending on which direction that station was set for.
FWIW: The EIA/CEA-909 Smart Antenna I/F spec mentions several applications.
One of them is connection to an external rotator, which is commanded
to go to desired direction as you change channels.

Maybe we'll see Smart Antenna Rotators in the near future......

If you are watching a letterboxed ("postage stamped?") 4:3 program,
wouldn't you "zoom" so that it fits the entire screen???

Yes. That is precisely what I have been saying... a few times.

[PS: If you are seeing VBI data at the top of a "postage stamp" image,
it's coming from the station and the converter box can't "fix" it.]

No. The Zenith and apparently all the other boxes take this into account and do not display the VBI lines with a "postage stamp" image.

Hi,

Read through most of this thread sorry if I missed the following questions; hoping someone who has this CM-9000 can help me out. I have a recording DVD player that only takes a composite video input (also built in cable tuner). My TV has a free S-Video input. I use component for the “upconvert” DVD into the TV and when I A/B it with the S-Video they are very close in quality. However my TV has very good 3D comb filter. Does the Channel Master CM-7000 allow simultaneous output to both video outputs? Watch TV and record a picture at the same time? I know it only has one set stereo output but I’ve never had any problem using a splitter on that in a previous configuration on cable STB. Anyone given this set up a try. Interesting at the $80 price though using $40 coupon(s) might be better off buying two $60 units. Dual digital tuners versus a better picture via S-Video and less clutter?
thanks

Hi,

Read through most of this thread sorry if I missed the following questions; hoping someone who has this CM-9000 can help me out. I have a recording DVD player that only takes a composite video input (also built in cable tuner). My TV has a free S-Video input. I use component for the “upconvert” DVD into the TV and when I A/B it with the S-Video they are very close in quality. However my TV has very good 3D comb filter. Does the Channel Master CM-7000 allow simultaneous output to both video outputs? Watch TV and record a picture at the same time? I know it only has one set stereo output but I’ve never had any problem using a splitter on that in a previous configuration on cable STB. Anyone given this set up a try. Interesting at the $80 price though using $40 coupon(s) might be better off buying two $60 units. Dual digital tuners versus a better picture via S-Video and less clutter?
thanks

Yes, both video outputs work simulaneously. I am using y-splitters on the audio output so I can simulatneously feed my dvd/hdd recorder the s-video signal and a av-switch that feeds the TV the composite signal to monitor/watch the CM-7000 output.

Thanks

Maybe we'll see Smart Antenna Rotators in the near future......

I'd be happy with a box that uses Pioneer cable box remote codes. That way when I change channels using the number keys, my remote controlled rotator would respond as well.

Skidaddy - Are you sure you can apply 2 coupons to one box? If i were you, I'd get 2 boxes so you can record from one and watch from the other. You can only watch one channel at a time from these boxes, much like a satellite receiver.

Regarding the data seen at the top of the picture on SD programming of broadcast channels, before retirement I was part of the engineering staff of a major cable company. I spent some amount of time researching this issue.

Video line 21 is the last line of the Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI), normally this line is out of sight and Closed Captioning (CC) data is inserted on this line. Line 22 is the first line of active video, what is not commonly known is that the FCC (1) gave Nielsen rating service permission to place data on line 22. The data is a function of Nielsen's Automated Measurement of Lineup (AMOL). Google Nielsen AMOL to see more info.

Older picture tube TVs overscanned the picture, so the data on line 22 was not a problem. Today's plasma and LCD displays don't need to overscan, so under the right circumstances will display the data.

Only some of the local broadcasters had the problem, so I worked with their engineers to see if it could be eliminated. Talking with an engineer of a station that did not have a problem I learned that their local MPEG encoder could be adjusted to eliminate the problem. So I carried that information to one of the stations that had the problem and learn that they had an older encoder that didn't have that feature. Then I sugested that they rewire the video so that the Nielsen data wasn't inserted on the digital feed, only the on the analog signal. They did so, but it only half helped as the network inserts data on one field and the station inserts on the other field.

I also saw CC data on some of the offending stations.

So I finally threw up my hands and moved on to other pressing problems.

My thoughts are that there is a mix of problems here, TV sets are being designed to a standard that the FCC allowed to be bastardized and TV stations are not paying attention to addressing the problem at their end.

After February of next year analog AMOL will be useless in the digital domain, but programming may still have it embedded and it may still be an annoyance.

(1) http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Notices/fcc95155.html

Mallego

i just ordered one of these boxes

The Channel Master CM-7000 exclusively offers the "Scan Add" feature. This important feature allows you to scan for channels at one compass setting and store them, then rotate to a new compass setting scan for channels and add them to your already existing list.

The Zenith/Insignia box does this too, except that it calls the feature "EZ Add."

I need help deciding between the cm7000 and the digital stream.

Would you owners re-purchase the cm7000 now that you have tried it out?

I too am interested in a comparison of the 2. The CM costs a little more, but if I had something to gain for the difference it might be worth it. I like that they both have a better EPG than the Zenith/Insignia's next now. Just don't know if the S-video is worth the price difference.

go to the last page in the Maxmedai thread and you can see a picture of how both do EPG, channel master blows it away

How does one key a channel number and subchannel directly on the CM-7000 from the remote? I want to know this before considering purchasing a CM-7000 to work with my DVR, which has an IR blaster for changing channels.

On the Zenith CECB, typing 501 and waiting will tune to channel 50.1; typing 051 and waiting will tune to channel 5.1. My Panasonic DVR can send these number sequences out the IR blaster when configured for three-digit operation.

Does the CM-7000 remote work the same way? Or must one press a non-numeric key to specify the subchannel?

On the Zenith CECB, typing 501 and waiting will tune to channel 50.1; typing 051 and waiting will tune to channel 5.1.

Does the CM-7000 remote work the same way?

Yes. Read post #38. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13410712#post13410712)

I just saw on a video that the Zenith DTT900 can set the aspect ratio to match a 4:3 or 16:9 display.

That would be good in my situation.

Does the Channel Master CM-7000 offer this option?

Does anyone have experience using this CECB on a 16:9 display? I have a NTSC only tuner on my older HDTV that I use a HD cable box to get all but my local CBS feed in HD.

I'm looking to use a CECB as a cheapo ATSC tuner for that one station.

more info on my situation here

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1020326

I just saw on a video that the Zenith DTT900 can set the aspect ratio to match a 4:3 or 16:9 display.

That would be good in my situation.

Does the Channel Master CM-7000 offer this option?

Does anyone have experience using this CECB on a 16:9 display? I have a NTSC only tuner on my older HDTV that I use a HD cable box to get all but my local CBS feed in HD.

I'm looking to use a CECB as a cheapo ATSC tuner for that one station.

more info on my situation here

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1020326

DO you HAVE to keep cross posting ?

DO you HAVE to keep cross posting ?Apologies.

I usually don't do that much, but it seemed appropriate in this case to add comments in the dedicated threads for those seperate CECB devices as most commenters in them seem to be only subscribed to the individual threads of the equipment they own or have tried.

Do you HAVE to keep complaining about it? It seems to be appropriate in this specific case as I have already gotten responses from individuals who have only posted before in their internal threads that they seem to have been subscribed to.

I'm sorry if it bothers you so, but I disagree and thought it was appropriate in this situation where so many posters seem to be stove piped in the threads concerning the specific equipment they purchased.

I'm only now responding to the comments I have gathered. I'm sorry I bothered you by the similar posts in those respective threads.

PM me if you want further discussion on this.

I feel your whole situation would have been better handled with ONE ORIGINAL thread, if you didn't find what you were looking for after reading the specific threads. A cross posting like this I'd expect out of a newbie, not someone who has been around long enough to have 8800+ posts of his own.

I just saw on a video that the Zenith DTT900 can set the aspect ratio to match a 4:3 or 16:9 display.

That would be good in my situation.

Does the Channel Master CM-7000 offer this option?

Does anyone have experience using this CECB on a 16:9 display? I have a NTSC only tuner on my older HDTV that I use a HD cable box to get all but my local CBS feed in HD.

I'm looking to use a CECB as a cheapo ATSC tuner for that one station.

more info on my situation here

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1020326

The channel master doesn't offer the 16:9 monitor aspect ratio. It does however offer the anamorphic widescreen mode so for HD broadcasts it will display perfectly on your 16:9 TV. The problem occurs for many subchannels that are 4:3 mode. The CM will fill your screen with these pictures making people look short and fat. The Zenith, having the 16:9 mode, will display these channels properly with black borders on the right and left.

The channel master doesn't offer the 16:9 monitor aspect ratio. It does however offer the anamorphic widescreen mode so for HD broadcasts it will display perfectly on your 16:9 TV. The problem occurs for many subchannels that are 4:3 mode. The CM will fill your screen with these pictures making people look short and fat. The Zenith, having the 16:9 mode, will display these channels properly with black borders on the right and left. Thank you. It seems the Zenith is the probable way to go with its 16:9 mode.

Looks like that is what one of my coupon will be used for.

Thank you. It seems the Zenith is the probable way to go with its 16:9 mode.

Looks like that is what one of my coupon will be used for.

Having both the CM and Zenith I'm preferring the CM because of it's superior EPG, signal meter, S-video and the feel of the remote control. But in your situation I think the 16:9 mode supercedes all that. However I would also consider the Digitalstream DTX9900 which appears to have a better EPG and signal meter than the Zenith and I believe it has the 16:9 mode as well. (Better confirm that.) The only negative with the Digitalstream of note is that it cuts off some bottom lines of the picture. I think that's only with 4:3 images, but if your interested you should read it's thread from the beginning to be certain and decide if it's a deal killer.

I'm not sure if the Digitalstream DTX9900 has a 16:9 setup mode.

Read/scanned through that monster thread yesterday and I didn't see the answer or an example of the setup menu. I posted a comment there and hopefully someone will confirm it for sure. I think it may not and may only have a 16:9 anamorphic mode.

I'm not sure if the Digitalstream DTX9900 has a 16:9 setup mode.http://s3.tinypic.com/27zdkaq.jpg
From the Digitalstream DTX9900 User Manual (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13606894#post13606894)Page 12

Channel Master CM-7000 User Manual (http://www.freedtvshop.com/fdtv/converters/cm7000UM.pdf)

Do you have a link to the complete user manual for the CM-7000 or the DTX9900?

I'd be happy with a box that uses Pioneer cable box remote codes. That way when I change channels using the number keys, my remote controlled rotator would respond as well.

Skidaddy - Are you sure you can apply 2 coupons to one box? If i were you, I'd get 2 boxes so you can record from one and watch from the other. You can only watch one channel at a time from these boxes, much like a satellite receiver.

Should have said it better. 2 coupons for $60 for Digtal Stream out of pocket $40 ($60 x 2 less $40 coupon x 2). Same as out of pocket one unit @ $80 less $40.

After all $40 can get you a half a tank of gas

freedtvshop.com has links for both boxes manual. Channel Master can't do 16x9, are you sure?

Haven't bought one of these yet, but S-video and another potential feature interest me...

I have a panasonic DMR-E85, that will auto switch a cable box for timer programming.
Seems this STB emulates a pioneer cable box.

Anyone have any experience using this combination? Does it work with panny's timer programming and successfully switch channels?

Do you have a link to the complete user manual for the CM-7000 or the DTX9900?


This site has information and User Manual for the Channel Master:
http://www.ezdigitaltv.com/Channel_Master_CM-7000.html

freedtvshop.com has links for both boxes manual. Channel Master can't do 16x9, are you sure?

The CM-7000's skimpy manual doesn't say much - this is what it should say:

When viewing an HDTV (16:9 720p/1080i) broadcast, the CM offers four Picture Shapes (via the Wide button on the remote):
FULL = Squeezed mode - For TV's that support anamorphic widescreen
ZOOM1 = Uniformly zoomed to fill 4:3 screen - left/right edges of picture cut off
ZOOM2 = Like Zoom1, but even more zoomed - useful when 4:3 programs are broadcast pillar-boxed at 720p/1080i
LETTER BOX = Adds black bars to top/bottom - no picture cut off

When viewing an SDTV (4:3 480i) broadcast, the CM offers no Picture Shape options - the picture fills the whole screen. If you push the Wide button, the CM displays "Picture Shape NOT AVAILABLE"

In other words, anamorphic widescreen is supported using the Full picture shape, but you need to manually toggle your TV back to 4:3 aspect ratio if you switch to an SDTV channel (the CM does not add pillar boxes for anamorphic TVs).

VIDEO: Output Format: 480i Aspect Ratio: 4:3 / 16:9 with letter box pan and scan

What does that mean ? This will only be used on a regular analog tv set 19" or 27"

I have a Panasonic Showstopper and am interested in this box. I've read in another post that the box might be able to be controlled via the Replay's IR blaster using built in code set 0144 for a panasonic cable box. Before I pluck down $80 for one of these; Has anyone with a Showstopper tried this, and got it to work fairly well?

Thanks Much!

I have a Panasonic Showstopper and am interested in this box. I've read in another post that the box might be able to be controlled via the Replay's IR blaster using built in code set 0144 for a panasonic cable box. Before I pluck down $80 for one of these; Has anyone with a Showstopper tried this, and got it to work fairly well?

Thanks Much!Actually ReplayTV blaster code 0144 is listed under Pioneer cable boxes. 5 models are shown for 0144, the most for any Pioneer code. My best guess is CM-7000 will respond to this. There are also codes listed for Panasonic cable boxes but none overlap with the Pioneer codes.

The only other question is 0144 present on the Showstopper? I assume it must be.

So someone with a CM-7000 needs to test with ReplayTV.

The Pio cable box codes are very old and universal. I have yet to see a recorder or remote control that didn't have them. So it should most likely have it.

Actually ReplayTV blaster code 0144 is listed under Pioneer cable boxes. 5 models are shown for 0144, the most for any Pioneer code. My best guess is CM-7000 will respond to this. There are also codes listed for Panasonic cable boxes but none overlap with the Pioneer codes.

The only other question is 0144 present on the Showstopper? I assume it must be.

So someone with a CM-7000 needs to test with ReplayTV.

Yes...The 0144 code is present on my Showstopper.

If I can catch the CM-7000 on sale without a coupon, I might go out on a limb and grab one. If I do, I'll post back with results. Until then, this isn't a priority.....maybe something better and cheaper will come along.

Thanks,

check this out http://trtinfo.com/Portals/27/TRTParent/DigitalEntertainment/tabid/1367/Default.aspx

I have a Panasonic DMR-E95H and I am also interested in whether the Channel Master CM-7000 Converter is compatible with the Panasonic's IR Blaster. The Panasonic has codes for a number of older cable boxes. I unsuccessfully tried a Zenith DTT900 converter on the chance that some of the codes for the cable boxes would work. I liked the video from the Zenith, but it exhibited some annoying audio problems. Panasonic Consumer Support did not know of any compatible DTV converters.

My Panny E85H controlled my Accurian ATSC tuner with a Pioneer cable box code, so I would assume the E95H will probably contain the Pio code for the CM box (chances are it's the same code).

I just got a CM 7000 from L & S Electronics for $64.98 in Johnson City, TN. I am a bit disappointed in the performance compared to Zenith on the same antenna. It is a bit weaker reception wise across the board on UHF except for two stations that have multipath issues due to mountians. I only have one VHF DTV station and the CM 7000 is definitely better than Zenith on Ch. 7. Ch. 7 has some co-channel interference issues and the CM 7000 is definitely better on Ch 7. It could be better on all VHF channels than Zenith, but there is only one station to test on. The guide is hard to read, but good to have. The CM 7000 is not as forgiving as the Zenith in terms of reception when antenna placement is not perfect. The bottom line, the CM 7000 is weaker on UHF and a bit better on VHF which may be good later when stations move back to UHF. I hope the Echostar unit is better.

I'm not sure if the Digitalstream DTX9900 has a 16:9 setup mode.

Read/scanned through that monster thread yesterday and I didn't see the answer or an example of the setup menu. I posted a comment there and hopefully someone will confirm it for sure. I think it may not and may only have a 16:9 anamorphic mode.

As one poster's image showed, the DTX9900 does have the 16:9 setting - but ONLY for the x.1 subchannels!!! All others are fixed to anamorphic. This is a nuisance. Why only allow us to change the x.1 subchannels?

As for the cutoff of the bottom few lines... in almost every case that's a minor nuisance. Shouldn't be a deal breaker for most viewers.

I've generally alternated between the DS' 14:9 and anamorphic settings. 14:9 is a nice option for a lot of programming. Apparently, not many CECBs offer this option.

The bottom line, the CM 7000 is weaker on UHF and a bit better on VHF .
This is good to know, because I have stations on 8, 10, 11, 12, and 13.

Thanks for the info! :-)

Hey, Onslowtn, were you using the CM7000 or the CM7000 D2A model? I see solidsignal sells the CM7000 and summitsource sells the CM7000 D2A. Wonder if they are the same box? Regards

Dave E

It's the same box. I am not sure reception is better on Ch. 7 than Zenith. It seems to handle interference and multipath a bit better, but It is weaker on UHF stations that do not have major multipath issues.

I received my Channel Master CM-7000 box from www.freedtvshop.com on Tuesday and these are my first impressions. (They are in stock there now BTW)

The box feels solid and is of metal construction which is nice. I am not crazy about the color, as I would prefer black to match the rest of my equipment. Remote is ok, but as you can see on the users manual (http://www.freedtvshop.com/fdtv/converters/cm7000UM.pdf) the remote is a bit strange as it has "unused" buttons for some reason. I don't care too much how the remote looks or feels because I was always planning on using my Yamaha receiver's universal remote. This worked very well due to the fact the CM-7000 uses Pioneer Cable box codes. Granted I can't access all the features of the CM-7000 with my universal remote (it is not a learning remote) such as the on screen guide, setup menus etc. But typically I know what I am going to watch and am so I am not too concerned about it. If I do want the guide I can always just pickup the CM-7000 remote. :rolleyes:

I have very good analog reception (large antenna in the attic and signal coming from only 15 miles away) so it was no surprise that nearly all of my stations were at 100% signal strength. I am not the one to ask about reception as I am sure any box would work with my setup. It does not have analog pass through but I don't watch any low powered stations anyways so it was not a concern for me

I did notice there was a difference in quality between even my best analog station and the digital signal through the Composite connection on my 32" tv. Not earth shattering but defiantly noticeable. Between the Composite and S-video connection again there was a (bit more subtle) difference in quality (S-video obviously being better). As a test I asked my wife if she noticed a difference between the two (not telling her which was which) and she noticed the difference immediately (but then again she is a photographer and has a good eye for these things!)

Overall I am happy with the CM-7000. It is probably the most expensive box out there right now, but it is also the only one currently available with S-video. I think this is this is the best box currently on the market for me. (Otherwise why would I have bought it :D)

Maybe northbear and others who have the CM-7000 can help us understand whether this box will display an image as we prefer it. Watching on a Sony 36" glass 4:3 EDTV we want to see 16:9 images displayed as letterbox, or 4:3 images displayed full screen, each showing full transmitted image with no additional zoom, stretch, or distortion. We have found all the discussion about the different screen modes a little little unclear, DTV being very new to us.

The CM box is one of our current preferences because of its s-video capability, but I'm a hog looking at a wristwatch when people start discussing the various screen modes. We understand the ins, outs, and relativity in matters of signal strength, but are not overly concerned about tuner sensitivity. We're getting very good digital reception on our Sharp Aquos HDTV off an antenna array that has the best possible UHF antenna atop the pole, and lower down a very good VHF log periodic, both amplified separately with a CM 7777 preamp. Our transmitting towers are 45 miles distant, but we're located a little downhill from what would be ideal. The Sharp usually shows about 75% signal strength, and reception drops out somewhere below 50%. We assume its tuner is probably about average in terms of sensitivity, which also describes the CM-7000, judging from user reports in these threads.

Thanks in advance for any light any of you can shed on whether the CM box will display an image as we prefer it.

oh my god i just wrote summit and this is what they said

Me:has the Channel Master CM-7000 come in stock yet
Summit Source: Channel Master called us to let us their boat from the factory was delayed in Bulgaria, and that we'll be receiving the boxes from them the week of May 19th. We'll ship them out to our customers the day they hit our doorstep.

who the hell makes electronice in Bulgaria

oh my god i just wrote summit and this is what they said

Me:has the Channel Master CM-7000 come in stock yet
Summit Source: Channel Master called us to let us their boat from the factory was delayed in Bulgaria, and that we'll be receiving the boxes from them the week of May 19th. We'll ship them out to our customers the day they hit our doorstep.

who the hell makes electronice in Bulgaria
Hey, ordered the CM7000 box from FreeDTV shop today, it is in stock, and sales said it comes from China? Big suprise.

Believe it or not, China actually farms out a lot of their production to even cheaper places now, because their costs have been rising along with the standard of living there.

China already farming out production? Things are moving too fast. I don't think China has mastered quality assurance and quality control yet, much less confer any understanding of it to operations in lesser countries. It seems to me we're seeing the effects of that in the DOAs, infant mortality, and big sample to sample performance variations people are reporting in the CECBs they've bought.

Bulgaria is not even near china :rolleyes:, at lest the map i'm looking at says so. It's near turkey and greece, what the hell did the boat get their :mad:, it's like the tile for our house, got stuck in turkey because of the war and was a month late

What's wrong with Bulgaria? Nobody raised a fuss when it was mentioned over a month ago... (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13457349#post13457349)

oh my god i just wrote summit and this is what they said

Me:has the Channel Master CM-7000 come in stock yet
Summit Source: Channel Master called us to let us their boat from the factory was delayed in Bulgaria, and that we'll be receiving the boxes from them the week of May 19th. We'll ship them out to our customers the day they hit our doorstep.

who the hell makes electronice in Bulgaria

I ordered from summitsource as well. The day after i ordered it, the backorder estimate changed from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. Well at least i kind of know when they will ship it to me now.

Fry's has them in B&M ad for $59.99 again.
Still don't take $40 coupons.

http://ads.ocregister.com/interactive-ads/ocr/images/pdf/20080502084047.pdf

Hello,

I picked up up an RCA box at Walmart and it is OK. I thought my second coupon would be used on a CM but now I am not so sure from what I have read so far.

They are on sale at Fry's in Phoenix ( as mentioned above). Hopefully they take the coupon since this box is listed on the CECB website (ntiadtv.gov/cecb_list.cfm) unless Fry's isn't a participating retailer.

Here is a great site on CECB boxes - will answer the question about which chip it uses

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_CECB_units

I will post again if I get a CM.

Frys is not participating in the coupon program. You'd have to buy outright if getting it at Frys.

Well, I took the plunge and ordered two CM-7000 converter boxes from Summit Source. My coupons expire on 5/23, so I was concerned that Summit Source will not be getting a new supply until 5/19. I emailed Summit Source with my concerns, and I received a reply email from Gretchen stating that they could process my coupons right away if I authorized them to do so in the comments for my order. I followed her instructions. Let's hope it works out OK.

I am going to connect these two boxes to a Sony 24" Wega Trinitron and a Panasonic Showstopper (Replay) using S-video connections. The Showstopper and one of the boxes will both feed the TV with S-video through a Sony STR-DE845 receiver which does S-video switching.

I am going to try to control the box hooked up to the Showstopper with its IR blaster using Pioneer codes. 0144 I believe.

I will let you know how all this works when I get it set up.

Well, I took the plunge and ordered two CM-7000 converter boxes from Summit Source. My coupons expire on 5/23, so I was concerned that Summit Source will not be getting a new supply until 5/19. I emailed Summit Source with my concerns, and I received a reply email from Gretchen stating that they could process my coupons right away if I authorized them to do so in the comments for my order. I followed her instructions. Let's hope it works out OK.

I am going to connect these two boxes to a Sony 24" Wega Trinitron and a Panasonic Showstopper (Replay) using S-video connections. The Showstopper and one of the boxes will both feed the TV with S-video through a Sony STR-DE845 receiver which does S-video switching.

I am going to try to control the box hooked up to the Showstopper with its IR blaster using Pioneer codes. 0144 I believe.

I will let you know how all this works when I get it set up.

Looking forward to your good luck! I have a showstopper that I would like to move to the bedroom, if the CM box works with the IR blaster.

Eventually the price of oil will rise so high, it will no longer be practical to ship things across the Pacific Ocean.

And then the factories will move back to the Americas, in order to reduce fuel costs.

Eventually the price of oil will rise so high, it will no longer be practical to ship things across the Pacific Ocean.

And then the factories will move back to the Americas, in order to reduce fuel costs.

Oil prices won't fix this. This is the job of our government. Haven't you heard about the return of sail boats for moving cargo? Especially the new ones where they have kites towing the ships! No need to burn oil.

Soon as prices for oil go up enough we may get those underwater trains they had on a Seaquest episode going to China. That could be all electric from solar power and not use any oil.

Please explain what this oil discussion has to do with the CM box. There's enough clutter without this!

I wanted to say thanks to everyone who did research on the CM7000 as all of your comments help me my purchase decision.

I just ordered two CM7000's from summitsource (http://www.summitsource.com)

Notes:

Stock - They are still out of stock as of today (05/07/08) but I called summitsource sales and they said they should get their shipment by mid may sometime. I confirmed this by calling Channel Master and CM said that their container is due in by 05/13/08.

BTW - Channel Master online and by phone sales can't accept the coupons as you have to go through either summitsource or another retailer to use the coupons.

Price - I paid $68.95 each and with ground shipping $13.80 to Oregon minus the two coupons ($80) and my grand total for 2 was $71.70 (pretty good I think and it was easy to enter my coupon information once I clicked checkout.

FRYS Electronics - I called the frys.com sales today and their store in Wilsonville, OR and they both said they don't accept the coupons.

Anyway, thanks again and I'll post back after I get my 2 units and try them out with my TV's at my house :)

Bruce

No I had not heard about sailing ships transporting cargo from China to the Americas. Last I heard, they still use diesel oil (which has tripled in price just since 2000). THAT will make the factories move closer to their American markets (probably Mexico), not any kind of government interference. Economics force businesses to change. Please explain what this oil discussion has to do with the CM box. The CM boxes are made in China (or possibly sub-sub-sub-contracted to Korea). i.e. Made overseas. THAT'S the relevance.

The CM boxes are made in China (or possibly sub-sub-sub-contracted to Korea)..

That's funny.. the sticker on mine says "Made in Bulgaria"..:) (as noted by leo888 and DJ earlier in this thread)

No I had not heard about sailing ships transporting cargo from China to the Americas. Last I heard, they still use diesel oil (which has tripled in price just since 2000). THAT will make the factories move closer to their American markets (probably Mexico), not any kind of government interference. Economics force businesses to change. The CM boxes are made in China (or possibly sub-sub-sub-contracted to Korea). i.e. Made overseas. THAT'S the relevance. The units are marked Made in Bulgaria and the ship with them as cargo is leaving Bulgaria. Why do you know that the units are actually made in China? Have you been to the China factory? Do you work on the assembly line there?

THAT will make the factories move closer to their American markets (probably Mexico), not any kind of government interference. Economics force businesses to change.

For one Chinese manufacturer, you're partly right, but they're building their new factory in So. Carolina! There was a front page article in yesterday's Los Angeles Times. There are some local/state government subsidies involved.

Does the CM-7000 allow you to turn off the 4-hour default Auto Sleep Function? I noticed in the owner's manual that there is a selection called "Auto Power Down" in the Set Up menu.

I haven't seen any CECBs yet that don't allow you to turn that off. I believe it is a requirement in the CECB specs to allow that, but most of them default to that feature being turned on (4 hour turn off) - also a requirement.

That's funny.. the sticker on mine says "Made in Bulgaria"..:) (as noted by leo888 and DJ earlier in this thread)
Ooops. Well that's alright. My point about Higher fuel costs pressuring companies to move back "home" to the Americas still stands. ..they're building their new factory in So. Carolina! There was a front page article in yesterday's Los Angeles Times.
Well there you go. It's probably cheaper to build these things close to market, rather than ship them halfway around the world.

HDTVexpert has a new review May 9, 2008
RCA DTA800 and Channel Master CM7000 Digital TV Converters (http://www.hdtvexpert.com/pages_c/2TV_Converters.html)

I tried searching this thread but couldn't find a clear answer...

How does the volume control on this box work? Does it control the TVs volume, or does it control the actual unit's line out? If the latter, is there a display bar that shows the volume level?

Also, where should I buy this box if I want to use my coupon? In other words, who has it for a good price and accepts coupons?

I tried searching this thread but couldn't find a clear answer...

How does the volume control on this box work? Does it control the TVs volume, or does it control the actual unit's line out? If the latter, is there a display bar that shows the volume level?

Also, where should I buy this box if I want to use my coupon? In other words, who has it for a good price and accepts coupons?

SUMMIT SOURCE.COM
OR MOSQUITO'S WEB SITE
http://www.freedtvshop.com/fdtv/

BY THE WAY, SUMMIT CHARGED MY CREDIT CARD BUT HASN'T SHIPPED THE BOX, STILL ON BACKORDER UNTIL THE 19TH. IT CAME ON THIS MONTHS CREDIT CARD STATEMENT

How does the volume control on this box work? Does it control the TVs volume, or does it control the actual unit's line out? If the latter, is there a display bar that shows the volume level?

The remote controls the box's volume, and yes, there is a display.

I need help deciding between the cm7000 and the digital stream.

Would you owners re-purchase the cm7000 now that you have tried it out?

NO WAY! I hate this thing. my video is jerky ALL THE TIME.

I am going to start paying DirecTV for local channels next year... It's that bad. at least it was cheap.

I need help deciding between the cm7000 and the digital stream.

Would you owners re-purchase the cm7000 now that you have tried it out?

I would rebuy... I am happy with it.

NO WAY! I hate this thing. my video is jerky ALL THE TIME.

I am going to start paying DirecTV for local channels next year... It's that bad. at least it was cheap.

I have not had that problem at all. Did you check your signal strength? If it is marginal reception a better antenna is needed and the jerky video has nothing to do with the converter box you are using.

Concur - without adequate reception ANY box will have the jerky video problem.