It's a Panasonic DMR-EZ28K(AKA EZ28). Technically it's a DVD recorder, but it has a clear QAM, digital and analog tuner built in an it's usually under $100 on flea bay. I was looking and couldn't find a box that did all for a good price and ran across this one. Sure it's a DVD recorder, but it has what I want in a tuner. I often see people looking for a box that will do all three but can't find one at a good price. I picked one up from the BestBuy outlet on flea bay and it works great. Now I've got all my clear QAM, digital and anlog in one box for my theater.

Just wanted to give you guys a head up.

One problem with that device, it doesn't output ATSC and QAM in HD resolutions, it can only upconvert DVD's to higher resolutions.

One problem with that device, it doesn't output ATSC and QAM in HD resolutions, it can only upconvert DVD's to higher resolutions.I don't understand what you mean. I get HD channels and they are output as HD(1080i, 1080p & 720p). If you mean all HD channels are recorded as SD then yes you are correct, but I bought it for the QAM, digital and analog tuners not to record DVDs.

I don't understand what you mean. I get HD channels and they are output as HD(1080i, 1080p & 720p). If you mean all HD channels are recorded as SD then yes you are correct, but I bought it for the QAM, digital and analog tuners not to record DVDs.

But are they up-converted SD? I also can get all the above from my 3575 but the original signal is 480i. It does look very good on my set, but when I PIP it and swap with the direct 1080i signal, the difference is obvious.

I don't understand what you mean. I get HD channels and they are output as HD(1080i, 1080p & 720p). If you mean all HD channels are recorded as SD then yes you are correct, but I bought it for the QAM, digital and analog tuners not to record DVDs.To be direct, the tuner on the EZ28 only outputs 480i. It will receive and decode all 18 ATSC modes but it will down-rez any 720 or 1080 input signals to 480i. It cannot output native HD. There is a second stage that will internally upconvert the 480i to 720 or 1080 and output through the HDMI port. So understand, what you are watching from the EZ28 tuner is NOT native HD. In order to view native HD you need to buy an HD tuner, like the Samsung.

Upconversion on recorders and cheap players is not really that good (although Panasonic's seems to be a notch above most). The upconverted signal over HDMI may look good, but depending on the quality of your TV, the TV's scaler may do a better job. Try feeding your display with component 480p input from the EZ28 and see for yourself which gives the better picture quality.

Yes the EZ28 does down convert HD content then up convert it back to HD. I only use HD in my theater for football so I have a Samsung DBT-H260F that I use for football. The purpose of the EZ28 is to have digital and nalog channles all in one box for the few times my kids was to watch something in the theater thats not a blu-ray or DVD.

BTW I've compared HD football on the EZ28 to Samsung and there's only a slight advantage to the Samsung so the EZ28 does a pretty good job on HD.

Yes the EZ28 does down convert HD content then up convert it back to HD.Then it's not HD.

Probably more than good enough for the kids though, if they're small.

And yes, the Panny's digital tuner does do a very good job with displaying HD. On the best material, there's only a slight difference, like you say. Probably the best SD tuner you can use for that purpose. At least the best I've seen, so far.

Just wish it scanned channels a little faster.

Yeah it is kind of slow. In my day we had to walk up hill both ways carrying a hot potatoe to keep us warm. Kids will just have to live with the speed. :D

I see you went to Dan Quayle Elementary. ;)

Dooh, that darn "e":o

Legairre-Not sure if you've paid attention to the format of the HD (720p or 1080i) but when I had a EZ-28 I noticed a fair difference between a 1080i broadcast on say CBS tuned on my HDTVs tuner and EZ-28, but a much smaller difference between a 720p broadcast on say FOX. At times I even thought the 720p through my EZ-28 was sharper than directly tuned on my TV. I A-B'd them many times because I just couldn't believe how the HD through the EZ-28 could look sharper than on my HDTVs HD tuner. Note I did see an occasional fuzzy frame when watching through the EZ-28 but not anywhere as noticeable as the EZ-x7 series DVDRs I had before the EZ-28. The slow channel scan is kind of a pain but certainly livable.
All in all if I could get a EZ-28 for ~$100 I'd be tempted, but then again I've got way too many DVDRs now......but then none have a built in tuner.......nah I don't have anymore open HDMI inputs on my TV......Keeping one open for the TR-50.......but then again there's my HDMI switcher that I'm not using anymore......I'll quit:D

Jeff, I think it was your post I read in the big EZ28 thread a couple of weeks ago where you mentioned this in your PQ review. Because of you as soon as I got the EZ28 I tried 1080i and 720p. The Samsungs 720p looks best on my 720p projector and when I compare it to the EZ28's 1080i it's no comparison the Samsungs looks best. But when I compare the Samsung's 720p to the EZ28's 720p the diffrence isn't nearly as noticable. The EZ28 at 720p is very close to the Samsung at 720p.

Thanks for your review. If it wasn't for your review I probably wouldn't have known to try this.

Does anyone else have this problem with the EZ28/27 or any Panasonics with a QAM tuner?

It will NOT change the aspect ratio at all when I try to so all i get is a tiny sqaure on the TV.

I tried another QAM DVD ---LG787 from my brother and the aspect is just fine.

This only happens with the Panasonics I have tried with Accutune-- ATSC Tuner/QAM.

Any ideas?

thnx

Does anyone else have this problem with the EZ28/27 or any Panasonics with a QAM tuner?

It will NOT change the aspect ratio at all when I try to so all i get is a tiny sqaure on the TV.

I tried another QAM DVD ---LG787 from my brother and the aspect is just fine.

How are you trying to change the aspect ratio? Are you doing it with the tv's setting? Or thru the Panny's setup menu under TV Display?
Note, many local stations don't broadcast everything outside of their network's primetime programs in letterbox 16:9. So you'll get alot of shows that are letterboxed inside the 4:8 square, or if they're not filmed in 16:9, the tiny squared picture-black bars on the sides as well as top and bottom.

How are you trying to change the aspect ratio? Are you doing it with the tv's setting? Or thru the Panny's setup menu under TV Display?
Note, many local stations don't broadcast everything outside of their network's primetime programs in letterbox 16:9. So you'll get alot of shows that are letterboxed inside the 4:8 square, or if they're not filmed in 16:9, the tiny squared picture-black bars on the sides as well as top and bottom.


Hiya.

Im changing it thru the Pannys menu not the Tvs.

Today I tried the LG787 and a Toshiba D-R550 with their QAM tuners and they both show the QAM channels perfect and not tiny or letterbox and nothing was changed on the TV.

Swith back to the Panny and they same QAM channels that were on the LG and Toshiba are again tiny.

The Pannys aspect ration doesnt work; nothing changes in size with it.

This also happened with a Panny last year I had and returned to CCity-- think it was the first one with the ATSC/QAM tuner they put out.

I dont understand it.

I want a Panny but I also want a full sized pic.

Theres absolutely no change to pan and stretch when its turn on or off nor any other sizes will not change a thing on the QAM channels.

The Pannys aspect ration doesnt work; nothing changes in size with it.

This also happened with a Panny last year I had and returned to CCity-- think it was the first one with the ATSC/QAM tuner they put out.

I dont understand it.

I want a Panny but I also want a full sized pic. Try the following, on the Panasonic go into the setings menu to the display tab. If you have the Panasonic set to output to a 16:9 display change that to a 4:3 display. If it is already 4:3 then set it to 16:9. Then see what you can do.

I know with couple of my devices, if I have the aspect set to 16:9 I cannot make any adjustment to aspect ratio. I get what I get. It's only when I switch it to 4:3 that I gain control, including the ability to output anamorphic frames.

ok, I just got the Pana DMR-EZ28K from CC las night b/c my off brand Walmart special USDigital ATSC tuner quit. I have a Sony 57" HDTV-ready TV.

Am I to understand that the EZ28K is not true HD? Is this why the picture on the USD was very sharp, while the PAna is not as sharp?

What is the best Over The Air ATSC tuner still available out there?

What is the best Over The Air ATSC tuner still available out there?If you mean HD, the Samsung DTB-H260F.

No, the Panasonic's not true HD.

I've had three different HD tuners and the Samsung DTB-H260F is the best. I use the Samsung DTB-H260F for HD sports and the Panasonic EZ28K for everything else. While the Panasonic EZ28K does a really good job at upconverting it's still not HD and not as good as the Samsung DTB-H260F.

Returned the Pana and got the Samsung 260. Its a much better signal and resolution BUT I must say that the USDigital was super sharp. At least with my Sony TV. Also, the Samsung does not have auto aspect - at least not that I have found so far.

I wish I can revive the USD.

I briefly had a USDTV tuner, and it indeed had a super sharp, sparkling picture. It also had no noticable loss of sharpness when zooming. The only standalone tuner I've seen as good is my Sony DVR's.

The Sammy's PQ is good, but could be a little better, IMO. Mine is even a little "fuzzy" at times, or more appropriately, "dirty", but I'm not sure if maybe something's wrong with it, because I never noticed that during the first year or so I had it. There's more subchannels and compression on a lot of my OTA channels now, and I think it might just be more sensitive to the artifacts or something. My Sony doesn't show this so much.

The Samsung's certainly a lot more sensitive, distance-wise, than the USDTV tuner - by a mile. The 2010 is pretty lame compared to what's out there now, and even for a 4th gen. tuner, it's not one of the better ones. My Sony DVR and Accurian are much more sensitive.

The 2010 is fine if you're within 35-40 miles at the most.