search for PrimeDTV on eBay and you'll find seller epvstore has 5 PHD-205 units available for $139.95, buy it now.

search for PrimeDTV on eBay and you'll find seller epvstore has 5 PHD-205 units available for $139.95, buy it now.Wow, you're right about that! This means that either they have some extra units not allocated for pre-orders or......they only got 5 units in the shipment and decided to pawn them on Ebay instead of only filling some of the orders. In any case, I don't feel like trying to cancel my order to find out if the Ebay units are shipping right away..

I was afraid the ebay units might be some early rejects. So I placed an order at epvision with the $10 off code. BTW, if you pick UPS ground instead of the default "standard ground", that will save you about $6 in shipping ($12 vs. $18), at least for shipments to northern Calif.

I returned the Samsung box (I forget the model, but you know, the recent model, 260 something) to Circuit City on day#30 (today), even though I only paid $99 for it on the open box table. What a joke! Screwed up aspect ratio for either 4:3 or 16:9, by allowing only one setting; can't detect stream info off of QAM (but maybe comcast's fault); no channel labeling (so you have to remember, e.g., QAM 117-3 or whatever is XYZ network); sometimes the HDCP confused my Toshiba so I had to cycle the unit or the Toshiba on and off to get sound; no channel overlay for rotating antenna and retuning. The only good thing I can say for the Sammie is excellent reception, but the credit for that probably belongs to ATI. Korean usability software is always a rushed joke so far.

Well I called to give them an updated CC# as my card expired given the wait we've had. The lady mentioned that they will ship units Friday.

Holding my breathe.

I ordered one today after fighting with the Samsung for a few days and not liking the aspect ratio issues (along with a nasty purple haze from component out)-- it took the $10 off no problems, and I was told they'd be shipping Monday.

Hrrm. :/

Ok, my curiosity got the better of me today and I ordered the PHD-101. Total cost with shipping was $179.70. The unit says it does ATSC and QAM, but it also mentions here and there NTSC. It'll be interesting to see if it does NTSC or not. I also plan to open it up and I'll post pics when I get it. I'll compare it to my current LG LST-4200a and my Sylvania SRZ3000.

www.epvision.com
www.epboard.com
www.primedtv.com
if you're interested in another phd-101 i'll be glad to unload mine
thanks again.
rviele

As of today, they should be shipping next week after they clear Customs.

Sadly, I wanted to buy this 4 months ago. My plan was that I could drop down to basic cable till football season started and it'd pay for itself. Now they'd have to add CableCard for it to be of much use to me (if I could only get ESPN/ESPN2 without the stupid cable box :( ) ... at least until January rolls around again. By then, I really hope there is more than one tuner to choose from.

Well I just stumbled into this thread loking for (aparantly rare) a set-top-box to decode ntsc/atsc/qam. I guess since my choices are so limited that this may have to be the one, PHD-205. The coupon on the website is still working, but the Ebay price comes to $.30 cheaper with shipping. Not that I care about $.30, but I'll probably go the Ebay route since that'll help protect me from getting ripped off if they don't send it to me in short time.

Interesting to see that the Epvision website now says the units are in stock and shipping, and they've put a $5 coupon code for August on the item description.

Anyone get a shipping notice? Or have their order status showing that it shipped?

Interesting to see that the Epvision website now says the units are in stock and shipping, and they've put a $5 coupon code for August on the item description.

Anyone get a shipping notice? Or have their order status showing that it shipped?

I think he also put a new listing on ebay, now $10 less than it was before.

I just got my ship notification for my order.... I'm hoping to have it tomorrow (since AFAIK they're in Anaheim, CA, and I'm just north of LA)

Just got my ship notice via email, UPS ground says it should be here (Dallas,TX) Thursday.

Ditto on the ship notice.

Still no shipping on mine...which is really gonna piss me off if the people who bought from Ebay (which only came up last week) already have shipping on theirs. :mad:

edit- just checked the epvision site and still have blanks for status and tracking number...I knew I should have cancelled and just bought from Ebay instead. First the coupon fiasco and now this...god hates me :rolleyes:

Mine was purchased from the epvision website a month ago and I recieved my ship notice via email today.

Mine was purchased from the epvision website a month ago and I recieved my ship notice via email today.Yeah, me too (except for the ship notice) but I think smarty pants above ordered from Ebay last week.

Same here, got the ship notice. Since it has a tracking number on it, I'm inclined to believe it really is coming.

From UPS Tracking Number:

Manifest Pickup
Scheduled Delivery: Aug 10, 2007
Shipped to:
Service Type: GROUND
Signed by:
Delivered to: US
Date Delivered: Aug 06, 2007

disregard my previous posts..I jumped the gun by forgetting they are in Cali a couple hours behind. Got my shipment notice just now...looking forward to a slew of mini-reviews this weekend! :D

Yeah, me too (except for the ship notice) but I think smarty pants above ordered from Ebay last week.

Actually I ended up just ordering it from the website, mmm... just 2 days ago I think. I don't think anyone will get stuck without one since these are the first units shipping and the model isn't "popular" yet, so there should be plenty to go around... hopefully. :)

When you get to check these units out don't leave out anything! :p

Got mine! Some initial thoughts, please keep in mind I am using this to get HD programming on a standard-def TV (it still looks a million times better), so in many ways my needs/desires/"perfect box" is probably a lot different from many others!! I've used the Samsung box for a couple of weeks for comparison. It's hooked up to an unamplified indoor antenna for now, in Los Angeles. (it's the antenna that came with the HDTV Wonder video card, standard low-profile indoor antenna) It is hooked up with S-Video out for video and optical out for audio.

The PHD205 isn't going to win any design awards-- definitely feels like a generic product (Which it is) -- plain outer box, plain design, very generic look and feel. If you have or have seen a generic Chinese $25 DVD player at Walmart, you sorta know what you're going to get. Which isn't bad but it does lack some of the polish of the Samsung box.

But it's what inside that counts, and it definitely feels like a 1/2 step up from the Samsung overall. The picture quality is pretty good-- for some reason I feel like the Samsung is ever-so-slightly better. The PHD-205 feels a little darker/murkier. (not tremendously so but a bit) The Samsung felt like images really popped off the screen and this doesn't quite have that feel. I probably wouldn't have even noticed it looking anything other than great if I hadn't been watching the Samsung a lot. I need to get them set up to do A/B switching to see. But it might just be that whatever technology it uses to downsample HD signals to 480i doesn't scale perfectly-- whereas the Samsung just WON'T scale using SVideo! (it could just be that since I had to watch everything HD stretched on the Samsung it gave the impression of being clearer since it was bigger)

It does display the OSD on S-Video out and has full functionality. The remote is fairly well laid out, not perfect, and there is one extra button with no apparent functionality. (!?) It seems like you have to point the remote VERY directly at the box. The Samsung is a bit more forgiving (Although neither is as forgiving as I'd like). It's quite possible the generic Golden Dragon batteries the 205 came with are just too weak. (I'll have to try to find some new AAA alkalines to test)

Pressing the Guide button twice gives you a fuller guide listing for the channel you're on (program information) plus signal strength, which is nice. Almost all channels I get are at least 6 bars (out of 7 or 8), so I don't know if that's a sign of a really strong tuner, or if it only tunes channels it gets very well. I don't notice anything critical missing channel-wise that I received on the Samsung. It tuned quite a few analog channels using just the HDTV antenna! (VHF included) It didn't look particularly clear but I didn't buy it for analog reception and made no effort to improve the analog reception. I need to get a splitter so I can hook it up to cable and see what I get QAM wise. I am a bit disappointed it only has 1 coax-in for the signal (and NO coax out), I would've liked the ability to run cable and an antenna, but that's me. (since I get pretty good OTA reception I'd like to use it for anything that cable may over-compress)

Aspect ratio does switch automatically with the channel, as long as it's "true" 4:3 or 16:9. Going from HD programming to a subchannel does result in the picture filling up the screen (on a 4:3 TV) and going back makes the unit go back to a 16:9 display. The Aspect button lets you change aspect ratios on the fly if you'd like, so if a station is broadcasting a 4:3 program in a 16:9 window, you can use the Zoom mode to get a full-frame 4:3 image, which is really nice on an SD TV.

I haven't noticed any audio crosstalk that people have mentioned in past units from this company.

Biggest disappointment compared to the Samsung so far is the guide only appears to show one channel at a time, with no real options for making a full screen guide. I don't know how much I would've used the Samsung's guide (can't use it all through S-Video!!) but I wish it had been full screen, or had the option. I also think my S-Video cable is either flaky or the box is a bit flaky, if it's pushed in all the way the picture is black and white, if I pull it out a teensy bit it's in full color. I need to find a better cable to test. (Samsung had similar issues but was ok after I pushed it in tight, so I think the cable is a little flaky, which may also explain why I don't think the picture is as good)

Manual is decent considering what it is. It seems to run a bit warmer than the Samsung box, which compared to a lot of what I've read on this board, ran very cool for me. It does have a few more cooling vents on the top than the Samsung. Obviously I have no idea the long term setup. (I've had it for about 2 hours, since I got home from work, and haven't had any hiccups but it's extremely early!!)

I'm sure I'll think of more as I use it more. Keep in mind my equipment is limited so I can't answer any HDTV specific questions, or stuff about how the component/DVI/VGA/etc outputs work. (Although I may try to hook it up to my PC monitor just to see what it looks like) But I'll try to answer any questions anyone has.. :)

The Aspect button lets you change aspect ratios on the fly if you'd like, so if a station is broadcasting a 4:3 program in a 16:9 window, you can use the Zoom mode to get a full-frame 4:3 image, which is really nice on an SD TV.
When you zoom a 4:3-in-16:9 program does it chop off the outer edges of the 4:3 part really badly? The 260F does and I don't like that. It's been talked about to death in the 260 thread.

I'm also using my 260 on an old 4:3 television, 260 Composite -> Receiver (for vid switching) -> VCR -> TV. I don't recall if you had mentioned seeing it but if you hook the green of the 260 Component out to a Composite in you'll get a black & white video out from it (the other two will just display garbage) with which to compare the zoom of the two boxes.

If the zoom works right I may try to get my hands on one of these things. Still keeping my 260 though, in spite of it's flaws it's still a pretty damn good box.

Of course it could just be the old-fashioned equipment I'm used to... ;)
http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/9753/2c3e161f073d9b89047c0b9ge8.jpg

Ok, I used a local newscast in 4:3 to compare (and used the green-component cable for checking)-- it seems like the PHD-205 is doing it correctly. The Samsung in 4:3 Full seemed to just stretch the 16:9 signal (I was getting bars on either side of the screen), and 4:3 Zoom definitely was cutting off at the edges. It doesn't cut off too badly on the PHD-205 using 4:3 Zoom-- it might not be EXACTLY correct (i.e., matching exactly to what a true 4:3 screen position would be) but it is much, much closer. (The local channel/weather/etc info didn't fall off the bottom of the screen) It's not like it's overzoomed by 20%. Watching some repeats of sitcoms earlier (forced into 4:3 Zoom on the PHD-205) seemed fine to me as well.

I think I'll be keeping my Samsung as well, it really seems like they both have some advantages and disadvantages-- I am thinking if I want to record something in 16:9 to my DVD recorder, the Samsung would be perfect for an anamorphic source. Plus I got too good of a deal from Circuit City to give it up. ;)

I've been watching TV through the PHD-205 and don't have any major complaints, though. It seems a bit more user-friendly in editing the channel list than the Samsung (you don't have to go through as many menus, and the cursor automatically moves as you turn channels on/off the list). But the UI is a bit more sparse overall than the Samsung's (What I've seen using the B&W composite trick in the past). Neither box offers a ton of additional features, they're pretty even on what they do. The picture quality differences between the two units seems to very much depend on the source-- some they look fairly equal and some the Samsung wins out on by a nose. I think my overall preference would be the Samsung if I had the ability to hook it up via component (And without the stupid purple haze that I get on way I try to use it via component!!).

Basically, I sort of feel like if you have the Samsung and it fulfills your needs, don't bother with the PHD-205 -- it's more of a competitive/clone model than providing anything new. Especially if you can pick up an open box Samsung at Circuit City for cheap like I did. But if you need something the Samsung has issues with (like S-Video out especially!) the PHD-205 isn't bad and is cheaper retail-price-wise.

Time will tell... I'm hoping to have a chance to watch a lot of TV this weekend. You know, for research. ;)

But if you need something the Samsung has issues with
It's the built in NTSC tuner that's got my attention. I know NTSC won't even be there within a couple years but until then having a box with the full range of OTA tuning is appealing.

I wonder what the box would do if you tried to tune in a Nintendo or a Genesis.

Time will tell... I'm hoping to have a chance to watch a lot of TV this weekend. You know, for research. ;)
I 'research' way too much myself.

Does it still only have one RF port on it for one cable or OTA antenna?

The PHD-205 feels a little darker/murkier. "Feels' or looks?? Sounds as you are talking about a low video level. I haven't noticed any audio crosstalk Huh??

Does it still only have one RF port on it for one cable or OTA antenna?Wow, this is something I totally didn't think about before ordering and could kill the usefulness of having NTSC, ATSC and QAM all-in-one. Especially if the QAM tuner requires a direct wall feed (not split) to pull in channels like some do. :rolleyes:

"Feels' or looks?? Sounds as you are talking about a low video level. Huh??

It seems to depend on the source. Some things just don't seem quite as bright as the Samsung was, but other stuff looks absolutely fine. I need to do some more testing and figure out a splitter/AB box setup that I can see this a little better.

I thought I had read there were some issues with the previous boxes from them that there would be strange audio crosstalk like some other channels would bleed in to the stuff you were watching. I should try to figure out what I read to be sure I am listening for the right thing.

There's only one RF in. :/

Wow, this is something I totally didn't think about before ordering and could kill the usefulness of having NTSC, ATSC and QAM all-in-one. Especially if the QAM tuner requires a direct wall feed (not split) to pull in channels like some do. :rolleyes:
Use a switch. If you've got $$ you may be able to find one that's remote controlled even.

The 260F also only has one input. I think you'll end up paying a lot more for one with discrete inputs for NTSC/ATSC/QAM.

Use a switch. If you've got $$ you may be able to find one that's remote controlled even.

The 260F also only has one input. I think you'll end up paying a lot more for one with discrete inputs for NTSC/ATSC/QAM.Well, thats the thing...I believe this unit is the only one available with all 3 tuners. I already have a DTB-H260F which means I have to switch back to my tv for NTSC...I was looking forward to using this box for everything and not having to switch inputs or use A/B switches.

if you're interested in another phd-101 i'll be glad to unload mine
thanks again.
rviele

Sorry,
I don't need it. I've got my 101 and 200. Looking for the 205 soon.

I'm glad they fixed the analog sound problem. That was my biggest worry. They failed to fix it on the 200 with a firmware try.

Email reply to a query said "shipping today" which was two days ago. Still no official ship notice.

Could you describe the problem you were having specifically so I can be sure it's fixed?

I was looking forward to using this box for everything and not having to switch inputs or use A/B switches.
Then you're setting yourself up for disappointment I'm afraid. Even if the box did have three discrete inputs for NTSC/ATSC/QAM you would still end up switching inputs using the box. The frequencies used overlap. A hypothetical box could remap everything automatically so you would never notice it but that box is not going to be found in the sub-$200 range.

Then you're setting yourself up for disappointment I'm afraid. Even if the box did have three discrete inputs for NTSC/ATSC/QAM you would still end up switching inputs using the box. The frequencies used overlap. A hypothetical box could remap everything automatically so you would never notice it but that box is not going to be found in the sub-$200 range.Well, what I really meant is that I wish it were possible to switch between sources with one remote....say with the OSD of the PHD-205. I'm one of those weird people who have a half-dozen remotes instead of bothering with a universal. :o

Don't forget to tell us how far you are from the broadcast towers. Interested in receiver reports at and around 50 miles away from towers on the PHD-205 thanks

Not sure why I can't wait for more reviews, but I just ordered the PHD-205 :D

Thanks to everyone for their input on these things!

I'm sure I'll be back with my review and questions

I typed up a mini-review a while back right when the forum took a dump...not sure if I have the will to type all that out again. :rolleyes:

I just got mine today and compared to my old samsung T165, I think the samsung had a little sharper picture but the PHD-205 seems to be a decent box. It had no trouble finding 18 OTA channels in the Dallas,TX area (I'm 40 miles from the towers) and it found all the cable channels (non-HD and clear QAM HD) on my expanded basic from my cable provider, Grande Communications. I really like how fast in changes channels.

Well, I guess they shipped it w/o telling me. I got it. Just had a few mins to play with it.

Only noticed one channel with dirty, scratchy sound (not crosstalk from other channel or SAP as sometimes happened before on the 200). That might just be the broadcaster. It was a recast of Russian news in English. It was a digital channel I think. Before, most of the problems were with analog.

They made a couple of the user interface features a little easier to deal with compared to the 200 (adding to fav lists, things like that). But they still have a ways to go.

This unit was smart enough to skip the encrypted stations in the QAM scan. I did get the music stuff, and the music starts playing sooner than on the 200, which had a delay for music only stations.

Overall, the channel changing on digital seems faster. The edge stretch mode is still useless (visible distortion at edges). The EPG seems to work a little better or comcast started including more PSIP since I had the 200. But the thing still shows only 1 station at a time and only the current show and the next one. I think this is a PHD-205 limitation. I know the stations are providing more info than that, esp. on analog. But on both qam digital and on analog cable, only the present and next show appears, and only on some stations.

I have not tried this at all with OTA. I suspect the PSIP info will be better than being at the mercy of comcast for cable.

This box does very good upscaling of 480i to 1080i, either analog or qam. My built in Toshiba HDTV monitor scaler sucks, showing very visible motion artifacts using its built in analog tuner (I think people call it the mosquito effect).

Samsung should be ashamed for that aspect ratio nonsense. Some brainless person there planned that out. The PHD-205 at least does something logical and usable, though no solution is perfect with some broadcasters putting 4:3 in a 16:9 box and some not. The Sammie is a joke for another reason: No channel labeling, which makes it very tedious for dealing with arbitrary QAM channel numbers (keep a piece of paper nearby?). The PHD-205 at least has channel labeling (and automatic labels on some channels which include it in the PSIP), although manual labeling is still a pain the way they implemented it. I wonder if you still lose all your labels if you rescan (like in the 200).

Ok, here is a trimmed down version of the mini-review that I typed up right before the forum crashed yesterday:

First impressions/unpacking

The unit looks like a mid-grade dvd player...a little shorter in width and taller though. All in all unremarkable but seems to be well constructed. Has an led display panel on the front that my current Samsung DTB-H206F is lacking which is nice. The remote was a completely different story (more on that later) and looks and feels like something that would come with a $30 Wally World dvd player.

Setup/connections

We finally have an affordable STB that combines ATSC, NTSC and QAM all-in-one but once again you can't use them all at the same time because of the single coax input. :rolleyes: Since I don't have an A/B switch and have to choose...it will be basic cable straight from the wall....then DVI to DVI (nice because my plasma is older) and optical out to my Pioneer HT reciever. Time to power up and see what she has for me! *click* *click* nothing....then I realized that I hadn't bothered reading much of the somewhat poorly worded manual (please hire a native english speaker to write manuals..ok?) or I would have found out that there is a manual "on/off" switch on the front of the unit that only has to be pressed once for the remote to work. Now to the boot up....the led readout says "boot" and then goes to the "PHD" splash screen and evetually to the setup menu which asks which input (Air, cable) you would like to scan and I choose "cable" and then which method for QAM (STD, IRC, HRC) and I choose "STD". The scan takes a good amount of time but that is ok since it is also picking up analog NTSC....the digital scan does take what seems like forever though. After it is done I find that it has found all the basic analog channels as well as everything QAM that the Samsung did. Great! Not so fast..

general real world useage

Remember the cheap remote I told you about? Well, I could get past the cheapness and small buttons but the channel up/down on mine decided to stop working after about 5 minutes. I replaced the batteries that came with the unit with fresh AAA's to no avail...all the other buttons seemed to function normally even though they require a firm press and clear line of sight to the box. Anyway, without a universal remote I resorted to channel changing on the unit itself (not possible on the Samsung) and started checking out the different aspect modes:

Normal- 4:3 content on 16:9 tv's is stretched vertically with black bars on either side. PQ is ok but not great.

Direct- similar to 1:1 pixel mapping on some widescreen pc monitors in that it maintains proper aspect ratio at the expense of cutting a 42" screen down to roughly 27 or 30". Has the best PQ but also the side effect of giving you thick black bars all the way around..not good for plasma panels.

Zoom/Stretch- We all know what these are and what they do to PQ. The solutions offered here seem to be no better or worse than the Samsung however.

Stretch edges- interesting idea in that it maintains a proper ratio in the middle and then stretches the ends of the picture similar to "panorama" mode on some tv's. This mode seems like the best compromise until you notice the fishbowl effect on the edges of the screen. I found it disconcerting and unuseable. YMMV

Final thoughts

This seems like yet another product that had great promise and failed to deliver on all of them. Especially dissapointing is the single coax input. The pros vs the Samsung are the led readout on the front panel, manual front panel controls, NTSC tuner, more aspect choices (may work better on your set) and that's about it. The OSD is more friendly also but the broken remote kind of took the fun out of that. Bottom line is that it's a decent box with the latest ATI tuner...but if you have the Samsung or other STB that you're happy with then this will not be the answer to your prayers.
peace out, joemama127

I must add to the above post that while I'm not overly impressed with the PHD-205.....their support by e-mail is extremely responsive and not the least bit arrogant or condescending which is very refreshing in todays world. I already have a replacement remote on the way. (actual tracking number also)

I must add to the above post that while I'm not overly impressed with the PHD-205.....their support by e-mail is extremely responsive and not the least bit arrogant or condescending which is very refreshing in todays world. I already have a replacement remote on the way. (actual tracking number also)
Did they charge for the replacement? Do they require you send the defective one back to them?

Either way quick and helpful responses are without a doubt a good thing.

Did they charge for the replacement? Do they require you send the defective one back to them?

Either way quick and helpful responses are without a doubt a good thing.No charge for the remote but they did request (not demand) that I send the defective one back so their engineers can take a look at it and see what went wrong. I believe them when they say that because the person that I was speaking to said "yeah, we were pretty disappointed with how the remote turned out" and I wasn't really complaining about the design or construction. You can tell this is a very young and small company that is struggling to compete with the big boys and they seem to be doing a good job without the big boy budgets. ;)


edit- I'll also answer your question above about the zoom feature....I believe it is better than the Samsung as it doesn't seem to "overzoom" and cut out too much of the picture. To my eyes it works as well as any zoom feature I've seen but I just hate cutting out part of a picture.

Well, I received my PHD-205 last night and have installed using comcast cable(QAM in the clear) and so far I'm fairly satisfied with the unit. I have tested the Samsung DTB-H260F unit and will compare based on my experience with that unit. The QAM tuner seems to work well.....it appears to tune the same channels as the Samsung and the QAM in my Sony XBR......although it MAPS the channels differently. The picture quality is good, but I would also give a slight edge to the Sammy. The unit does a decent job on the NTSC(Analog cable) channels. The initial set-up and the speed of the channel tuning is quite good. All in all, it appears to be a solid unit and worth the price, the remote is not exceptional, but gets the job done. Now, for OTA reception, I live 10 miles from the broadcast towers in KC, Mo. so I use an indoor "Rabbit ears" with good results. The PHD-205 locked-in channels as consistently as the ATSC tuners in the SAM-DTB-H260F and my Sony 34XBR970. I was very pleased with the picture quality using OTA....at least with digital channels......I don't waste my time with the analog feeds eventhough they also performed as well as.

Also, the aspect ratio adjustments worked well, I had no issues, but I don't use the zoom functions and prefer to watch in the "Normal" mode with L/R black bars on standard def programs. Thumbs-up from me!

Wow..already recieved a replacement remote 2 business days after reporting a problem..try that with Samsung, Sony or Panasonic. :cool: The new remote seems to work fine for all functions and I now know that channel changes are lightning fast on this unit. That combined with the NTSC tuner makes this a keeper for now even though it isn't perfect.

I've used mine just to test it out so far and I'm pleased. It tunes fast between the digital and analog channels and the digital looks great (No sound hooked up yet). This does everything I needed it to do... basic basic cable (2-20, like CNN) and the clear HDs of the local channels, all on one tuner and without having to change inputs.

So far it gets a A from me.

I thought the favorites list would make this unit usable (I previously had the 101). The favorites directories do not utilize the descriptions enter in the master list. If this is a function limitation and not just a user error or unit malfunction, it will make the unit usless for me (like the PHD-101). I am hoping that other users do not have this problem or have found a solution.

Best
Ray

I've used mine just to test it out so far and I'm pleased. It tunes fast between the digital and analog channels and the digital looks great (No sound hooked up yet). This does everything I needed it to do... basic basic cable (2-20, like CNN) and the clear HDs of the local channels, all on one tuner and without having to change inputs.

So far it gets a A from me.

I received my unit yesterday and spent most of the morning doing a hands on. Here is my Pro & Cons list that is not in any peticular order. I will update when I connect it to a HDTV:

Pros;
1.. ATSC AND QAM capability (ability to store two separate scans with a firmware update);
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=14293577#post14293577
2.. Sensitive tuner,
3.. Allows a single channel search via a direct input (ability to 'add' a channel not found after the initial scan). It then displays all the sub channel found (or recognized).
4.. Does display properly on a 4x3 analog TV! (finally) (with exceptions),
5.. Multiple outputs: composite, S-video, component, VGA & DVI. Composite & S-Video can be used together, but S-Video, VGA & component can't ,
6.. Channel number on the display,
7.. Optical output,
8.. Large enough to stack some medium sized equipment above.
9.. VGA output worked with my 19" Planar computer monitor (but only at 480p),
10. Lower power consumption; .15A on, .01A in standby. The original model I tested last May was .15A in standby and .19A in the 'on' state!,
11. Most functions available from the front panel except direct channel & aspect access,
12. Signal level available without going multiple layers deep into a menu,
13. Able to enable the SPDIF through this mod (thanks iso9001);
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=12493197#post12493197

Cons;
1.. Only one RF input (just as 95% of the rest of the HD receivers/TV's have),
2.. You have to change the aspect between 'normal' & 'zoom' when going from a analog to a digital channel and vice a versa on an analog TV,
3.. Would not recognize all the 'in the clear' cable channels (2 out of the 5 'locals' didn't show and other 'in the clear' stations didn't either),
4.. With the DVI output, my computer monitor would not display properly. Image was not centered (though watchable) and only 480p worked,
5.. Small remote with a VERY small 'OK' button,
6.. Cheapish looking silver cabinet,
7.. Useless 'side stretch' mode (as reported in a above post),
8.. Somewhat useless 'Guide' feature,
9.. Possible problem with some sets with HDMI inputs. Doesn't work with Samsung 'S' series DLP sets,
10. Analog channel AGC video problem with analog stations. Video 'tears'. See this post for solution;
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=13725781#post13725781

Getting directly to OTA sensitivity, I used my weakest digital channel then padded the signal to the point the video started to breakup (cliff effect). The level was around -33 dbmV measured with a digital SLM. This was 3db worse than my HP/Sharp 26" HDTV set which I also tested with the meter I had for a short period of time.

Now for cable. The analog scan went fast, the digital took considerably longer. It did include all the 'encrypted' channels, contrary to what the above poster mentioned (they can be bypassed).
What didn't happen was all of the 'in the clear' channels on RF channel 88 & 89 (on my cable system) were not recognized. Apparently, TWC is purposely playing games (or they don't know what they are doing) and only one or two of the sub channels are found even though these other subs are not encrypted. So now it's a 'blame game'. One of my HD sets does see all 6 channels, the other misses 2 of those channels and the third 'tuner' I haven't done a re-scan so I'm not sure.

Hope that made sense, though it is probably easier just to start a scan, walk away and come back (at least with an antenna input). Problem is, all those encripted cable channels that you have to then lock out.

Attached are pics of the front, remote and rear panel for reference.

Here are some shots of the 'guts'. (ribbon cable to the display was disconnect for a better view). Not much to say here. Notice the area on the circuit board allocated for the tuner labeled TU1 & TU2.

Continued from the orginal review, a wish list for V4:
1. Black or dark grey case,
2. Larger remote with a 'OK' button that isn't the size of a 'reset' button,
3. TWO RF inputs,
4. TWO separate memories for OTA & cable,
5. Ability to turn off channel 'mapping',
6. Digital channel analog output in normal mode, not 'zoom' (no need to switch the aspect back and forth going from analog to digital),
7. Re-do the front panel button layout, not using the same button size/shape for every button and reverse the location of the 'Guide' and the 'Menu' buttons on the remote.
8. A 1394/Firewire output. (really stretching things here)

Videobruce, did your picture of the back of the unit get all of the plugs? I was really hoping that for my old analog set that only has a coax input that the tuner would have an RF out jack, too. Thanks for your review, btw.

Videobruce, did your picture of the back of the unit get all of the plugs? I was really hoping that for my old analog set that only has a coax input that the tuner would have an RF out jack, too. Thanks for your review, btw.

Those are all the inputs/outputs that the unit has.

Videobruce, did your picture of the back of the unit get all of the plugs? I was really hoping that for my old analog set that only has a coax input that the tuner would have an RF out jack, too. Thanks for your review, btw.

You could use one of these...
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042302&p_id=2948&seq=1&format=2&style=

You could use one of these...
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=104&cp_id=10423&cs_id=1042302&p_id=2948&seq=1&format=2&style=

Will that convert audio and video outputs into one coaxial input?

It converts optical/toslink (audio) into digital coax (audio). Has nothing to do with video.
I think I may have misunderstood what you were asking in the first place. I thought you were saying that your tv had a digital coax audio input, but no optical input. Maybe what you are saying is that it only has an F-cable input?

Here are some shots of the 'guts'. (ribbon cable to the display was disconnect for a better view). Not much to say here. Notice the area on the circuit board allocated for the tuner labeled TU1 & TU2.Gotta love the small, up and coming electronics companies that don't bother with "warranty void" stickers that must be peeled off to crack open the insides....I love seeing that stuff :cool:

thank you all for the reviews.

videobruce, did you try tuning to the missing in-the-clear locals using the direct channel search you mentioned?

I also noticed a switch on the back for DTV output. Does that mean the unit will only use one output at a time? Does it output through composite and component at the same time, for example?

Videobruce, did your picture of the back of the unit get all of the plugs? I was really hoping that for my old analog set that only has a coax input that the tuner would have an RF out jack, too. Thanks for your review, btw.
look for an RF modulator. it'll convert the composite (yellow, red, white) outputs to RF out. runs about $10-15 online.

I also noticed a switch on the back for DTV output. Does that mean the unit will only use one output at a time? Does it output through composite and component at the same time, for example?
videobruce said:
6.. Multiple outputs: composite, S-video, component, VGA & DVI. Composite & S-Video can be used together, but S-Video & component can't ,
S-Video may as well be considered composite.

look for an RF modulator. it'll convert the composite (yellow, red, white) outputs to RF out. runs about $10-15 online.
Or go raid your closet and steal the one from your old Nintendo or Genesis. Or Pong if you've still got one of those.

look for an RF modulator. it'll convert the composite (yellow, red, white) outputs to RF out. runs about $10-15 online.

Ahh, that sounds like what I need. Thanks a bunch.

Sorry for the misunderstanding, Smartypants. I don't have all the terminology clear in my head, yet.

Gotta love the small, up and coming electronics companies that don't bother with "warranty void" stickers that must be peeled off to crack open the insides....I love seeing that stuff A heat gun works wonders for those 'security' labels (usually, depending on if it is one of those two part/layer labels). It softens the 'glue' enough to peel the sticker away from one surface and re-secure it afterwards. ;)

Smarty-pants; Not to go OT, but how transparent are those? As in, how good is the audio quality?

I updated the orginal review. Please note my findings regarding the antenna/cable mode change quirk(s).

Thanks for the review Bruce.

Is the "480p only" on the VGA port a limitation of the Planar or the PHD-205? My plan is to use the VGA port so I really hope that there isn't a bug with that interface.

BTW, I ordered my PHD-205 on Monday and should be receiving it on Friday on the East Coast by UPS ground. They definitely turn their orders around quickly now that they have stock.

Smarty-pants; Not to go OT, but how transparent are those? As in, how good is the audio quality?

I have no idea. Never had to use one yet.

How's the DVI connection on these things with a 16:9 hdtv? Is there any over scan issues?

Thanks Videobruce for your review! Very well done!

I'm disappointed in the way the QAM and OTA require re-scans when switching between them. I thought that's how it would work, but was hoping it might be nicer.

I should be getting my unit tomorrow and will be comparing the unit to my PC's ATSC/QAM tuner. Hopefully, the OTA will come in a little better since the PHD-205's tuner is so sensitive.

Even with the negatives, I'm still looking forward to receiving the unit and see what it'll do.

Thanks again!

Is the "480p only" on the VGA port a limitation of the Planar or the PHD-205? The monitor is 1280x1024, so it's not a limitation, but it might just be 'picky' about sync rates. Is your monitor DVI & VGA capable? Post back your results. Anyone else try this with a computer monitor?I'm disappointed in the way the QAM and OTA require re-scans when switching between them.1.. Only one RF input (just as 95% of the rest of the HD receivers/TV's have), You can count on one hand the number of sets that have dual inputs and the number seems to decrease each year as manufactures find ways to 'cheaper' the sets. Nothing new here.

Just got my unit. Am satisfied with its operation. I have a Sony 34XBR2. Does anyone know the program code to have the Sony remote control the PHD-205? Thanks.

I tried this with my Sammy DLP and couldn't get any signal (data) into the HDMI inputs. I then tried this with my HP (Sharp) LCD set and it worked.

After spending a hour with EPVision, Samsung level 2 and a quick call to HP I found;
1. The Sammy DLP is HDCP compliant (which I already knew),
2. The HP (Sharp) LCD is not HDCP complaint,
3. The 205, since it only has a DVI out doesn't have to have HDCP since it is not in the specs for DVI (correct me if I am wrong here).

So one would assume it is a HDCP issue, BUT if that was the case, why does a PC work with the HDMI input of the Sammy?? That video card surely isn't HDCP anything since it is a DVI output just as the 205.

(BTW, see the original review for a updated version).

For all you owners that are hooking this to a HDMI input, have any of you had any problems??

Videobruce- Some videocards are HDCP compliant. For example I have a Nvidia Geforce 7950GT which has HDCP. Most of the Nvidia cards from the 79XX series on up as well as newer ATI cards are also compliant even though they have DVI out. I have a nearly 4 year old plasma which has a DVI input so I had no issues with the PHD-205.

Hi everyone,

I received my PHD-205 this afternoon. Everything seems to work well so far but I'm kind of confused as to how the aspect button works on this unit. My previous HD tuner was a non- QAM capable MyHD 120 PCI card. It had a setting on it that allowed me to specify the display I'm attached to (4:3 or 16:9) and automatically letterboxed HD material on my 4:3 CRT.

The PHD-205 seems to be different. If I select the normal setting then I have to manually adjust the hor. and vert. settings on the monitor to get the proper letterbox. I also tried plugging this into my Samsung 914V LCD monitor but it would go full screen 4:3 but none of the setting's would apply the letterbox. The Samsung actually recognized the 1280x720 resolution when I was looking through the menus so I'm not sure what I need to do to get the right aspect. Do I need to get a proper widescreen LCD or am I missing something obvious in the PHD-205? This is for my home office so maybe I'll get a 22" or 24" widescreen panel as they are coming down in price.

Thanks

joemama127; I never bothered to check into wether a video has or doesn't have HDCP since it has never been a issue. The card in use here is a ATI 8500 (around 2001) and aparently it doeshave HDCP as old as it is.

Ok, to re-ask the question;
Everyone than owns a 205 and are using the DVI out to HDMI on your set(s), would you please list the make/model number(s) anf if it works or doesn't.

As far as I know the presence of HDCP isn't required for HDMI to function.

HDMI doesn't do analog. Does the 205 put out analog DVI signal or digital?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdmi

I was under the assumption HDCP was required for sets that had it.
The 205 DVI out is digital .

My understanding is that the HDCP protocol allows a content provider to throw a switch that causes hi-def video to be degraded (output at SD) if the HDCP loop is not made up correctly. As far as I know, no content provider has yet thrown the switch, so HDCP should not yet be a factor. I have read that HDMI interfaces sometimes require the display device to be powered up prior to the signal source device being powered up. This means you might have to power up your TV first and then power up the tuner.

That was my understanding also. I have powered the TV up first and then powered the tuner up, but still no result. I can't even see the menu from this tuner to the Sammy.
I will be trying this on two other sets in the next day or so and will report back.

When I tested the orginal model in May '06, I didn't have the Sammy at the time, only the HP (Sharp) 26" LCD (which works).

After more than a week of using the 205 the thing that still really irks me is the single coax input which forces you to either choose cable or antenna...or use a A/B switch that may degrade the signal of both. Of course Samsung dropped the ball on this also..take a look at this http://accessories.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=DN804&mfgpid=167776&chassisid=8242 and tell me why neither company could offer something similar even though they both use ATI chips in their STB's?

Cost and the fact these Asians don't seem to think anyone would have cable TV and a outdoor antenna.

Does anybody else have this problem? Either Comcast does not provide any guide information or the PHD-200 is not seeing it. I entered the identity of each channel in the Master List but this information does not seem to carry over to the Favorites lists. Consequently, when I add a series of channels to Favorites, I only get the channel number i.e. 84.2 etc. I had hoped that I could select channels based on channel name rather than just a list of numbers. Does my unit have a problem or were my expectations just unrealistic? I have emailed and called PrimeDTV but haven't had a response in more than a week now.

Thanks


Edit: I spoke with Allan on the telephone. He later emailed me to tell me that they forwarded my issue to their engineers in the hope of finding a solution. He mentioned that they are considering a firmware update to address some concerns.
Ray

I have emailed and called PrimeDTV but haven't had a response in more than a week now. I have never gotten a e-mail response from him. He will talk to you if you can get ahold of him durning business hours.

Well, I was hoping to post a review on the PHD 205, but after less than a week, the unit died on me. Not real sure what might have happened, came home today, tried to turn it on and...nothing. No lights no display...nothing. Called them and they gave me an RMA number to return the unit for testing. They'll send me another once they receive it. They also indicated that they would refund my return postage. So we'll see what happens.

When it was working, it worked pretty good. My Harmony remote actually found a listing for the PHD 205 and I only had to program the Aspect button. The Harmony works so much better than the remote they send with the unit. I didn't have the unit fully set-up and was still testing the different settings. One problem was that the unit gave a slight white glow (looked similar to a LCD monitor with backlight bleeding) on the left side of the screen with component connectors. It wasn't too bad and may be my TV, but I never had chance to play with it enough to figure it all out.

The QAM stations worked well and came through fine. I did learn that my PC digital tuner (Hauppauge HVR 1600) isn't finding the clear QAM local stations like the PVR 205 did. So I was real happy to see them. This was especially true since I found that my OTA signal was severly degraded when splitting it between my PC and the PHD 205. I do have a mast mounted amp, but that wasn't enough to help with the signal. I didn't have a chance to try with an indoor amp at the splitter.

Once I figured things out, the set-up was pretty easy and I was beginning to work on the favorite channel stuff. I also had relatives excited because I was going to take it to their house and let them see what clear QAM channels they may have.

So now all I can do is wait for the replacement unit and pick-up where I left off. Hopefully I'll get the replacement soon, but living on the east coast means it'll be about two weeks before I see it since it takes 5-6 days for shipping one way.

Wish me luck :D

Just hope that whoever you have for cable does not start scrambling the QAM stations like Comcast did.

I have both the PHD-101 and the PHD-200 and I was thinking about getting the PHD-205 but I am glad I waited as Comcast in Phila Pa just ixnayed most of the open QAM channels. I used to get all the music choices and a few others but now... gone.. nodda.. zippo...

Oh, well maybe I will pick up the new PHD-210 next month that will have the dual RF inputs for both OTA and open QAM so I can at least have my local channels in HD from both feeds when ever I need them.









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And no.. I do not know of any PHD-210 coming out next month... ;)

I tried this on two other sets, one HDCP the other non-HDCP and both sets worked with the tuner. Apparently, Samsung has another 'quirk' to add to the list. :mad:

Just had my 205 lock up (unresponsive to the remote) requiring a power off reboot. This doesn't bode well for the future..

Anyone notice that the sound level varies a lot channel to channel? The analog channels are definitely louder than the digital overall. And there is quite a bit of variation among the digital channels. Very annoying having to adjust the volume so often.

I also noticed that the analog sound is not quite as clean as it should be (remants of the PHD-200 problem?) and there is a slight pop as you change among analog channels (though not as bad as the 200). I didn't notice it at first b/c it is much improved over the 200.

As for HDCP, I believe it is a standard feature (handicap?) of HDMI. My Toshiba HDTV monitor (HDMI in) used to complain about the HDCP of the Sammie (HDMI) and LG (DVI) once in a while (can't remember the exact error message), requiring me to cycle the power on the set top boxes. So far no problem on the PHD-205.

"I also noticed that the analog sound is not quite as clean as it should be (remants of the PHD-200 problem?) and there is a slight pop as you change among analog channels (though not as bad as the 200). I didn't notice it at first b/c it is much improved over the 200."

I noticed this when I had the volume level on the 205 at max. By reducing the 205 volume to the mid point it went away.

Has anyone noticed that on a SD picture where the picture is almost all white that the unit appears to lose sync, the picture "tears" ? This happens while connected to Comcast cable. Haven't checked it on OTA.

Has anyone noticed that on a SD picture where the picture is almost all white that the unit appears to lose sync, the picture "tears" ? Excellant observation. I noticed that right off the bat and thopught it was a reception problem as it seemed to happen on certain (known to have a problem) channels.

It seems as a AGC issue and/or excessive video and/or low sync issue(s). Add this to the list of known defects/issues since you just confirmed what I have already seen. I will add it to my review.

"I also noticed that the analog sound is not quite as clean as it should be (remants of the PHD-200 problem?) and there is a slight pop as you change among analog channels (though not as bad as the 200). I didn't notice it at first b/c it is much improved over the 200."

I noticed this when I had the volume level on the 205 at max. By reducing the 205 volume to the mid point it went away.

Has anyone noticed that on a SD picture where the picture is almost all white that the unit appears to lose sync, the picture "tears" ? This happens while connected to Comcast cable. Haven't checked it on OTA.
So how often do you see this? Is it rare and not a bother, or is it more frequent and annoying?

I ordered one of the 205 boxes for an elderly friend and will be testing it tonight if it arrives per the UPS tracking status. My friend tried a Samsung 260 but was too confused by only having digital on that box and using the TV internal tuner for analog. Hopefully this integrated ATSC/NTSC solution will be simple enough and stable enough for him to understand and enjoy.

Hopefully this integrated ATSC/NTSC solution will be simple enough and stable enough for him to understand and enjoy.

Has anyone else found that their cable company splits analog and digital between HRC and IRC? This is apparantly what Comcast does in some parts of NJ so the integrated ATSC/NTSC doesn't work.

Has anyone else found that their cable company splits analog and digital between HRC and IRC? This is apparantly what Comcast does in some parts of NJ so the integrated ATSC/NTSC doesn't work.

:eek:WOW!:eek:
Never heard of that before.

I tested the PHD-205 tonight on both Comcast cable (Limited Basic) and OTA. My main objective was to test ease of use for an HDTV novice. I think it will meet that need just fine.

I am quite pleased with the tuner results and I like the opportunity to put labels on channels that don't automatically display them from PSIP or VBI data.

Like Bruce and others have said, on a 16x9 TV I am not impressed with the aspect ratio options, but since I prefer OAR always, there is no issue except for one local PBS subchannel that apparently has an unusual combination of PSIP options, e.g., 480i in widescreen.

Like others have said, the remote is not such a bad layout, but the quality is lacking. Sometimes buttons don't work. The remote may need to be replaced.

All my tests were using component video so far. I have some DVI to HDMI cables in the garage somewhere, but I need to look for them and I ran out of time. Unfortunately I still have to work at 0700, so off to bed for me.

So how often do you see this? Is it rare and not a bother, or is it more frequent and annoying?

I ordered one of the 205 boxes for an elderly friend and will be testing it tonight if it arrives per the UPS tracking status. My friend tried a Samsung 260 but was too confused by only having digital on that box and using the TV internal tuner for analog. Hopefully this integrated ATSC/NTSC solution will be simple enough and stable enough for him to understand and enjoy.
Budget_HT

The "tears" only happen if the picture is almost all white. For the most part it happens during commercials since programming rarely has a mostly white screen.

John

I am quite pleased with the tuner results and I like the opportunity to put labels on channels that don't automatically display them from PSIP or VBI data.


Did you find the labels to be useful for anything other than during scrolling through the channels? When I tried to set up menus using the favorites options the labels did not carry over so I am left with a list of numbers. I am not sure if this is a design limitation or just a problem with my unit.

Did you find the labels to be useful for anything other than during scrolling through the channels? When I tried to set up menus using the favorites options the labels did not carry over so I am left with a list of numbers. I am not sure if this is a design limitation or just a problem with my unit.
I have not tried the Favorites feature yet. Thanks for the info.

Like others have said, the remote is not such a bad layout, but the quality is lacking. Sometimes buttons don't work. The remote may need to be replaced.
I thought I might be the only one with remote issues..on day one the channel up/down buttons were non-reponsive although all the other functions worked normally. Epvision sent me a new remote and all was fine until a couple days ago when the unit became unresponsive to ANY remote commands but cleared up with a power off reboot. I'm thinking the problem may lie with the unit itself now..

Anyone try hooking the 205 up to both a HD-ready TV or PJ AND a S-Video TV? This is my setup: a IF X1 pj for movies/events and an obsolete 27" color TV for regular viewing. My TV only has S-Vid in as it's highest resolution...

Just curious if the internal scaler can:
1) output to two devices simultaneously, at different resolutions; or
2) output to same devices only at same resolution; or
3) output to only one device at desired resolution.

Thanks to all for being the "early adopters"/beta testers for the rest of us!
;)

Anyone try hooking the 205 up to both a HD-ready TV or PJ AND a S-Video TV? This is my setup: a IF X1 pj for movies/events and an obsolete 27" color TV for regular viewing. My TV only has S-Vid in as it's highest resolution...

Just curious if the internal scaler can:
1) output to two devices simultaneously, at different resolutions; or
2) output to same devices only at same resolution; or
3) output to only one device at desired resolution.

Thanks to all for being the "early adopters"/beta testers for the rest of us!
;)

Well, even without an "official" test I can tell you that scenario 1 is out the window because there is a toggle switch on the back of the box to set what resolution you want to output. So there can only be one resolution. Now, since your SDTV is s-vid only, that puts that at 480i, so even IF the box can do 2 oiutputs at the same time, then it would have to be 480i to both. Of course when switching between the two displays, you could reach around and move the toggle switch back and forth... IE: switch to 480i for the tv, then switch to 720p for the pj, so it's either/or.
I can't remember if you have to go into the menu to change anything as well if you were to switch the resolution.

Anyone try hooking the 205 up to both a HD-ready TV or PJ AND a S-Video TV? This is my setup: a IF X1 pj for movies/events and an obsolete 27" color TV for regular viewing. My TV only has S-Vid in as it's highest resolution...

Just curious if the internal scaler can:
1) output to two devices simultaneously, at different resolutions; or
2) output to same devices only at same resolution; or
3) output to only one device at desired resolution.

Thanks to all for being the "early adopters"/beta testers for the rest of us!
;)

My testing time was very limited and late at night.

I did try component and s-video at the same time. The only way to get output on the s-video jack was to move the slide switch to the 's-video' position. That picture looked very good on a small TV (no surprise) but at the same time the component output on my 16x9 TV lost its color and was "letterboxed" making it look vertically squished. The loss of color reminded me of some DVD players where you can select s-video OR component video, but not both at the same time.

I am guessing that the 205 box assumes that if you set the resolution to 480i the TV set "must be" 4x3. I found no other means to specify the TV aspect ratio. The "Aspect" button on the remote gives various, not-so-great, presentation variations, and the book shows what to expect for "16x9 programs on 4x3 TV and 4x3 programs on 16x9 TV, but no direct method for telling the box which TV is being used (at least that I could find late last night).

Bottom line: This unit apparently supports one output at a time, except possibly s-video and composite (yellow) video.

LOL, I just read my own thread again - I guess I'm still in HTPC mode! My vanilla vid card can output two different resolutions to two devices. I apologize, I should have switched mental gears when I switched subforums!

I'm still searching for the perfect, bug-free (and economical) solution for NTSC/ATSC/QAM with PVR, etc. Still haven't found one yet (sigh)!

Brown Radagast & Smarty-pants; Read my review. Composite & S-Video can be used together, but S-Video, VGA & component can't , I just didn't test DVI at the time.

I tried my 205 unit first with component outputs then with DVI. The DVI is actually brighter on my plasma TV and I'll stick with that for my setup. Anyone else notice that?

I will say this about the remote -- it's the weakest part of the system, yet is the most frequently used. Favorite channels buttons have to be hit twice: once to bring up the on-screen list and once to go to the next channel. Not very good IMHO.

Haven't had any audio problems with the fiber output to my surround sound since I lowered the volume which made the NTSC channels loud compared to the ATSC channels.

Wayne

Can anyone suggest a universal remote that will work with the 205?
Thanks
John

Well, I have a couple Harmony remotes and just checked in their database, and the PHD-205 IS in their system. Don't know how well it would work because I'm not using my box right now (my older HDTV in my HTcrapped out and am soon getting a new pj to use the PHD-205 with), but theoretically a Harmony remote should work with the PHD-205.

Can anyone suggest a universal remote that will work with the 205?
Thanks
John

I can confirm my Harmony remote works with the PHD-205. As mentioned in a previous post, I had to program the "aspect" button but everything else did work fine and so much better. Thinking about it further, I didn't get around to working with the "favorites" features before my unit died, so I think those will have to be programed as well.

Just as a follow-up regardimg my RMA, a replacement unit is on the way and should reach me on Thursday, so I'll be able to resume playing with the unit and further testing. Once they received my broken unit, I received a UPS notification that a package was on the way. So far, other than not having the unit for two weeks, things are looking good with the RMA.

I am currently with comcast (HD DVR) with my Westy 42" monitor. I want to cut down costs and still be able to watch HD.

Is this the best thing for under $200? I've done lots of reading here and seems like this will do what I want.

I want all local HD and maybe if I'm lucky some unscrambled comcast HD channels. What comcast plan would I need to see if I can fish in some unscrambled channels?

What is the return policy and warranty on this device? (i emailed them but no response)

I'm still waiting to hear if the freezing thing has went away with a firmware upgrade. I've looked elsewhere for user feedback online, but the 205 must be brand-spanking new - there just aren't any other evaluations out there, just rehashed product descriptions. I think our best bet is to keep monitoring this thread for posts. I haven't seen any followup posts about frustration levels mounting or anything, so I guess that's a good sign!

Yes, some people have had this for almost a month and no "major" complaints. I guess spending $150 is a good risk to take while I can save ($50/month from comcast).

i just called, the $5 off is no longer valid, but they will be including a free DVI cable with the Sept orders for the 205.

including tax and shipping, it's coming out over $170. Yikes!

I'm having pretty good luck with mine overall. The only thing I am noticing is occasionally the video gets a strange super-over-sharp look to it. I can't quite describe it, but I notice it mostly on faces where the gradients of the color of people's cheeks or foreheads looks like someone used "sharpen more" on Photoshop about 10 times.

I need to figure out if I can get a screen capture to better explain it. It seems to happen more on certain channels, but putting the unit into standby and back on seems to clear it up.

Overall, no real complaints other than the remote really should've been better. Haven't had it freeze except on low signal situations (using OTA). Haven't tried hooking it up to cable to see what, if any, unencrypted channels I receive.

It's not perfect, has some rough edges, but yeah, I don't think you'll find anything better under $200.

there just aren't any other evaluations out there, just rehashed product descriptions Apparently you haven't seen my review. including tax and shipping, it's coming out over $170. Yikes! Big deal. It's less than ones with only a 8VSB tuner. What is the return policy and warranty on this device? Shouldn't be a problem . I haven't seen any reports of him giving anyone a hard time. I sent the 101 back with no issue.

Thanks guys. I called today and the guy was very nice. I will most likely buy it before the end of the week.

Its true, I haven't found anything cheaper except the samsung but it doesn't have analog tuner.

to be honest, i'm not sure what that means. can someone explain the advantage of having an analog tuner?

can someone explain the advantage of having an analog tuner?

Right now it might pick up a station in analog that you can't seem to tune in digital. It just gives you more options. Come 2009 it'll be useless junk though without any analog signal to tune in.

I've got the Samsung 260 box, giving serious thought to trying to get one of these for another room though.

Come 2009 it'll be useless junk though without any analog signal to tune in. No it won't. You forgot Cable TV. ;)

Also, if you are close to Canada, as I am, the Canadian cut off date isn't untill 2011.

Hi videobruce - do you have a review online outside of this thread? I haven't seen that review, just your postings here. Sorry, I must have missed that one.

Please forgive me if this has already been answered (I did read the whole thread, honest, but it has been a while!): ATSC and Cable QAM cannot be handled simultaneously, right? This is due to the 205 only having one coax/antenna input, and it only recognizes one or the other, right? A splitter won't work?

Thanks again to all for having that "pioneering" spirit - you people really ease the way for the rest of us! Without your posts, I know I would be stumbling around, making a lot of hit-or-miss purchases!

do you have a review online outside of this thread? No, just here. ATSC and Cable QAM cannot be handled simultaneously, right? This is due to the 205 only having one coax/antenna input, and it only recognizes one or the other, right? A splitter won't work? Correct on all four.

is that the same case with trying to handle ntsc and qam at the same time? I'm trying to find something that I will be able to watch all my channels on cable without having to pay them a fee to rent their equipment.

I want to watch local HD and also espn, and all the other channels (doesn't have to be HD). I have comcast btw.

i just bought the samsung at a local store to try it and see how many unencrypted channels I get and its not many. but if I could get the analog channels at the same time, I could save a lot of money on the monthly charge by comcast.

I've had no problems recieving QAM HD channels, QAM DT channels, basic cable analog SD channels all at the same time with seamless branching and integration on all the channels.

I've had no problems recieving QAM HD channels, QAM DT channels, basic cable analog SD channels all at the same time with seamless branching and integration on all the channels.
I also have Comcast and unfortunately, in my area, they transmit DT on IRC and analog on HRC so you can't get them at the same time (you have to scan for IRC or HRC but not both). I believe that they are looking at a possible fix by getting a firmware update. I think this situation is not too common so I am sure Smarty-pants reply is accurate in most cases.

Ray

they transmit DT on IRC and analog on HRC That makes absolutely no sense at all.

That makes absolutely no sense at all.

What can I tell you? Confirmed on two different receivers. Sure messes up my ability to receive all cable channels.:o

Wow. I hope they find the fix, because I don't want to have to switch everytime I watch something different.

Wow. I hope they find the fix, because I don't want to have to switch everytime I watch something different.

Do you live in the same area as Raylock or something?

Do you live in the same area as Raylock or something?

They're both using Comcast so there is an assumption that it will be the same. Logically that should be a safe thing to assume, but it's not.

I don't have Comcast, but it IS in my area. I'm sure their not splitting between hrc and irc or I would have heard of it before now. First time I ever heard of such a practice was when raylock stated it as such.

I am in central CA so not sure if it's the same. I guess I'll just have to try it. Don't know anyone around here with the same receiver (205)

I have the 200 and was having some problems scanning the QAM channels. Analog cable came in fine. Called epvision and they sent me a firmware update that addresses some scanning issues. First thing I noticed was that it automatically determines HRC, IRC, STD, etc. I don't know if that would help with the mixed HRC/IRC Comcast situation but it might be worth a shot.

I've been looking at this unit to possibly purchase, but I have a question for you guys that already have one. For OTA use, does the tuner bunch the analog stations and their digital couterparts together? For example, on the old RCA receiver I'm currently using, if I use the channel up button it will tune the analog channel first, such as analog 13, then it goes to the digital channels, such as 13.1, 13.2, etc. I also have a Hughes HTL-HD, which separates the analog and digital channels, so that you must surf through all the analog stations to get to the digital channels.

For OTA use, does the tuner bunch the analog stations and their digital couterparts together? No. All in numerical order.

Has anyone here figured out if there are discrete ON and OFF remote control codes for the PHD-101/200/205 tuners? I contacted ePVision, and they were not aware of any. Does the Harmony remote solution provide discrete ON and OFF's or just a toggle? I'm using a MX-850 remote, so I can utilize Pronto CCF files or plain old HEX if anyone has the codes. Thanks !!!

Toggle power only.

Hello Everyone,

I'm still sitting on the roof, watching your evals before I take the plunge into the water.

I know the favorite channels feature has been mentioned earlier in this post, but I thought I'd ask some more details about this feature.

1) Can someone confirm that the user can select all of their favorite analog AND QAM channels (as favorite channels), then the user can just surf through these favorites?
2) Secondly, I think the manual states that there are supposed to be three favorite channel settings - has anyone tried this, and does this mean that up to three different people can have their own favorite channel settings?

Thanks again for keeping us informed on this product!

IIRC, Yes and Yes!

3 groups of favorite channels. Each can include both analog and digital channels.

Has anyone noticed that on a SD picture where the picture is almost all white that the unit appears to lose sync, the picture "tears" ? This happens while connected to Comcast cable. Haven't checked it on OTA.

Excellant observation. I noticed that right off the bat and thopught it was a reception problem as it seemed to happen on certain (known to have a problem) channels.

It seems as a AGC issue and/or excessive video and/or low sync issue(s). Add this to the list of known defects/issues since you just confirmed what I have already seen. I will add it to my review.

Anyone have a fix for this? It seems to be getting worse for me or maybe I'm just watching more SD channels where it's happening. I've got Charter cable, so it's definately an issue with the unit. It's really annoying!

Does anyone else have an issue with the automatic time adjustment on a PHD-205?

Connected to: Cable
Cable Co: Charter
Location: Glendale, CA

I selected Pacific timezone and tried both with DST on and off, yet the time is one hour off. I am able to uncheck "Auto-update time" and it shows up correctly (but then it is not getting the time from the system?..) The auto time is one hour behind.:(

'm still sitting on the roof, Hope your installing or upgrading your antenna while you are there. :D Can someone confirm that the user can select all of their favorite analog AND QAM channels (as favorite channels), then the user can just surf through these favorites? Not at the same time. One or the other. New car or PJ? Brown Radagast; You want a new car or a pair of pyjamas?? I would buy a used car and a new pair of pyjamas.

1) Can someone confirm that the user can select all of their favorite analog AND QAM channels (as favorite channels), then the user can just surf through these favorites?
2) Secondly, I think the manual states that there are supposed to be three favorite channel settings - has anyone tried this, and does this mean that up to three different people can have their own favorite channel settings?


1) Answered above, but keep in mind that saved channel descriptions do not appear in the favorites list so while it's OK for surfing, it's not very good for selecting (unless you are good at remembering channel numbers like 110.6 etc)

2) yes

Had anyone been able to get audio out of the DVI-D output to their HDTV? Perhaps I'm using the wrong cable, but I have none.

Thanks!

Wayne

DVI is a video only interface. You will have to hook up an audio cable in addition to the DVI cable to get audio. Run the DVI to your HDTV, and the audio to your receiver. If not using a receiver, run the audio to your HDTV.

Had anyone been able to get audio out of the DVI-D output to their HDTV? Perhaps I'm using the wrong cable, but I have none.

Thanks!

Wayne

The DVI cable only carries the video signal. You will have to output your audio with another cable. AFAIK, only HDMI carries both video and audio.

DVI-D connectors don't carry audio; you'll need to hook up the sound using RCA cables, if your TV allows that (some have at least one HDMI port with separate analog audio connections for people using DVI-D->HDMI cables).

Friends have Comcast in the Bay Area. They watch all their TV via cable connected directly to RF input on their cable ready TV. They received about 60 odd channels (SD).

If they were to purchase the 205 and split the cable so one end went into the 205 (and HDMI to the TV) and the other went into the RF input on the TV, could they theoretically watch HD via the 205 over HDMI and analogue cable as they do now?

They have a Harmony 880 remote which should make the switching easier

Thanks

Larry

Friends have Comcast in the Bay Area. They watch all their TV via cable connected directly to RF input on their cable ready TV. They received about 60 odd channels (SD).

If they were to purchase the 205 and split the cable so one end went into the 205 (and HDMI to the TV) and the other went into the RF input on the TV, could they theoretically watch HD via the 205 over HDMI and analogue cable as they do now?

They have a Harmony 880 remote which should make the switching easier

Thanks

Larry

The 205 does not have HDMI. It has DVI (for video) and you'll have to run seperate cable(s) for th audio. Now theoretically, you proposition should work and you'll need to switch inputs back and forth between the HDTV and SDTV (just like as if you were switching between dvd and tv)...
BUT... You do NOT need to do that with the 205. The biggest attraction with this particular tuner is the fact that it has the ATSC, NTSC, and QAM tuners all built in to the unit. So you DO NOT need to do what you are proposing. You can hook up the 205 and watch HD, DIGITAL, SD, etc... all together seamlessly and effortlessly.
HAVE FUN !:)

..
BUT... You do NOT need to do that with the 205. The biggest attraction with this particular tuner is the fact that it has the ATSC, NTSC, and QAM tuners all built in to the unit. So you DO NOT need to do what you are proposing. You can hook up the 205 and watch HD, DIGITAL, SD, etc... all together seamlessly and effortlessly.
HAVE FUN !:)

Thanks I got confused. I had read that the 205 has only one coax input so that was proving a challenge with folks with multiple inputs (like cable and UHF) but of course my friends only have the one coax coming in so from what you say they could feed that into the 205 and watch all TV via DVI-HDMI on the set

Looks good


Larry

Thanks I got confused. I had read that the 205 has only one coax input so that was proving a challenge with folks with multiple inputs (like cable and UHF) but of course my friends only have the one coax coming in so from what you say they could feed that into the 205 and watch all TV via DVI-HDMI on the set

Looks good


Larry

Yep, you got it. The dissatisfaction for those that need/want 2 F inputs are those that want over-the-air-tv AND cable-tv.

I have a new problem with my 205. I did a rescan because Comcast reorganized their channel line up and lost analog channels 5 and 6. I tried both automatic and manual scans to try and get these two channel back but that didn't work. Comcast is still providing the stations as the other TVs in the house receive them as well as the TV connected to the 205 (connected directly to the cable) Anyone have any ideas? I sent an e-mail to PrimeDTV this morning but haven't heard back from them.

Thanks.

John

Don't expect a reply. If you can get ahold of him via phone he will talk to you, but his broken English is a problem.

Anyway, you are saying you don't have analog channel 5 or 6 on just this tuner, but have it on other analog TVs'??

Try switching the "STD/HRC/IRC" option and do a rescan...

I rescanned using STD that worked. When I first set up the unit I think I used IRC. Perhaps Comcast changed something.

I have been reading a lot about this new model and some other rewiews pointing to a competing model (Samsung DTBH260F HDTV Terrestrial Receiver).

So which model do you all think is better:
The Samsung DTBH260F HDTV Terrestrial Receiver or the PrimeDTV PHD-205

Thanks!!! :)

Does the Samsung have 3 integrated tuners like the 205?? (ATSC, NTSC, QAM)

Does the Samsung have 3 integrated tuners like the 205?? (ATSC, NTSC, QAM)

The Samsung is ATSC and QAM only i.e. it receives digital signals only no analog reception (NTSC).

The Samsung is ATSC and QAM only i.e. it receives digital signals only no analog reception (NTSC).

It does pass-through the signal though, possibly with a slight boost (while the box is on).

Not to get pedantic but QAM is ATSC, you meant to say 8VSB (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8VSB) and QAM.

The Samsung is ATSC and QAM only i.e. it receives digital signals only no analog reception (NTSC).

Thx for that bit of info, I actually need both ntsc and atsc because my area for soem reason doesn't get every channel, guess that leaves me with one option.

Thx for that bit of info, I actually need both ntsc and atsc because my area for soem reason doesn't get every channel, guess that leaves me with one option.

I actually have both of these boxes and one warning would be that the Prime DTV box has problems with overall bright pictures in NTSC. Maybe that problem has been fixed since I got mine but my Prime box looses black level clamping when the picture is mostly white. It recovers immediately when the picture content changes. It still has a picture during bright content but the picture is much darker than it should be. I have seen others comment about this problem in the past.

I actually have both of these boxes and one warning would be that the Prime DTV box has problems with overall bright pictures in NTSC. Maybe that problem has been fixed since I got mine but my Prime box looses black level clamping when the picture is mostly white. It recovers immediately when the picture content changes. It still has a picture during bright content but the picture is much darker than it should be. I have seen others comment about this problem in the past.

How obvious is this loss in black?

I am not very picky, and unfortunately this seems like my only atsc/ntsc combo solution atm. For its price I am thinking maybe to give it a try at worst I can always take a slight loss and see what I can get back for it on ebay or something.

The Sammy has no display, the Prime does. Both are the same price and only have one RF input. With the lack of a anlog tuner and no display, the Prime is by far the better buy except for this occasional loss of sync issue.

It's too bad these Asians don't understand the importance of a 2nd RF input with any of these devices including TVs'. :mad:

The Sammy has no display, the Prime does. Both are the same price and only have one RF input. With the lack of a anlog tuner and no display, the Prime is by far the better buy except for this occasional loss of sync issue.

It's too bad these Asians don't understand the importance of a 2nd RF input with any of these devices including TVs'. :mad:

Thx for the input, sound slike this is what I will order.

Silly question, does anyone know if this unit displays the time on its LCD Screen?
On the Homepage it just says SCAN in large fonts, and the LED color appears Orange, kinda an ugly color if you ask me but oh well.

No time display, just channel number.

I just got my phd-205, but it's messing up a bit.

Everytime I go to any channel starting in 5, it gets stuck there and I have to reboot and rescan the channels. These channels are

5.1 : ABC HD
5.11: CBS HD

Anyone know why this could be happening? It worked yesterday for a while then started acting up again today.

Any help would be appreciated.

First, try another scan.
Where ar you (zip code or town)?
What directions are these stations comming from?
What are the actual channel numbers?
When you do another scan, after it starts, stop it (that deletes the old list). Then go back into the menu and do a manual scan and enter those two actual channel numbers in (one at a time) and see what happens.

I just hooked up my PHD-205 and so far so good. I am very impressed by how fast it is, especially the menu and scanning, compared to my RjTech 1000 anyway. I also like how each individual channel, be it digital or analog has its own strenght meter found in one of the menus. Also, so far I have not had any freezing nor slowness nor have I found any bugs whilst navigating through different areas of the menu.

I do not notice the black color loss discussed here. I do not know if this is because I might have some newer firmware possibly, or maybe I am not as picky.

I already put aside my VCR and now this is my new baby.

What I do not like, and some of these are very minor things... although its got a nice feature of automatically catching the time, the time is not displayed on the LCD Panel, I am sure this would be an easy feature for them to have implemented.

Also, the unit is NOT CAPABLE of multiple outputs, once the component cables are detected the S-Video and Composite do not give output, to be exact, nothing from Composite and a horrible broken greyscale like output from S-Video. I use my portable Archos AV500 DVR to sometimes record my shows and now need to think of a workaround to record off the PHD-205. Even my RJTech had this feature, so unless I am doing something wrong maybe someone else can confirm this? But this is a somewhat big disappointment.

Otherwise I would say in terms of bang for buck, the unit cuts it being just worth its price and is indeed a nice pickup for OTA viewing.

Ohh, does anyone have reference to a channel guide, for example I notice the channels in the 5.x series are digital, although in my area code 11235 I only get 2 of them, I would like to see any resource on line to know the lineup.

I just hooked up my PHD-205 and so far so good. I am very impressed by how fast it is, especially the menu and scanning, compared to my RjTech 1000 anyway. I also like how each individual channel, be it digital or analog has its own strenght meter found in one of the menus. Also, so far I have not had any freezing nor slowness nor have I found any bugs whilst navigating through different areas of the menu.

I do not notice the black color loss discussed here. I do not know if this is because I might have some newer firmware possibly, or maybe I am not as picky.

I already put aside my VCR and now this is my new baby.

What I do not like, and some of these are very minor things... although its got a nice feature of automatically catching the time, the time is not displayed on the LCD Panel, I am sure this would be an easy feature for them to have implemented.

Also, the unit is NOT CAPABLE of multiple outputs, once the component cables are detected the S-Video and Composite do not give output, to be exact, nothing from Composite and a horrible broken greyscale like output from S-Video. I use my portable Archos AV500 DVR to sometimes record my shows and now need to think of a workaround to record off the PHD-205. Even my RJTech had this feature, so unless I am doing something wrong maybe someone else can confirm this? But this is a somewhat big disappointment.

Otherwise I would say in terms of bang for buck, the unit cuts it being just worth its price and is indeed a nice pickup for OTA viewing.

Ohh, does anyone have reference to a channel guide, for example I notice the channels in the 5.x series are digital, although in my area code 11235 I only get 2 of them, I would like to see any resource on line to know the lineup.

I have a question about a 101 that i have. when i got about a year ago it would scan, i have since packed it up for use at a later date. unpacked it a couple of days ago tried to use it now it won't do anything just gives the power on light nothing else. any sugguestins?

Well, I've got a serious problem with my 205. If anyone can help, I'd appreciate it.
I bought this unit right when it came out, one of the first units sold. I used it immediately when I got it and tested everything too. On the DVI connection, I had an HDMI adaptor, and on the tv I was using at that time I also had a HDMI adaptor to that DVI connection... with an HDMI cable in between (I didn't have a DVI cable).
Anyway, everything worked great.
Then I stopped using the 205 for a while and it was unplugged and stored a wy for a few months.
Now, I can get a great pic using the component output, but when I hook up the DVI, all I get is static/snow on the screen. I'm using a DVI-HDMI adaptor out of the 205 and then the HDMI into a Epson Home Cinema 400.
The cable works fine on my dvd player, and I've tried 2 different adaptors. I have the toggle switches on the back of the 205 positioned correctly, and the proper input is selected on the projector.
I have tried to get it to work till I'm blue in the face and it just won't.
Has anyone else had this problem??
Can anyone think of anything to help??
Thanks

rviele; You don't get the "boot" message when you power it up??
(BTW, you don't have to "quote" a whole post, especially if you aren't responding to it).

xtacydima; I already mentioned the output capibilities in my review eariler.

Smarty-pants; Have you changed the output resolution on the rear panel??

videobruce- nothing except the power light and sorry about the post didn't know any other way to get a response.

Smarty-pants; Have you changed the output resolution on the rear panel??

Ya, I've got every setting correct, but still had snow. Funny thing, after all the trouble trying evrything, I just decided to fire up the pj and give it another try. This time, I turn on pj first, then the 205... BAM, beautiful pic via HDMI :D. Keeping fingers crossed that it keeps working correctly.
What really SUCKS, is now I have a $40 component cable in the mail because I thought I had no choice but to use it. I had to order it this morning for it to get here when my ceiling mount does. Wish I would have waited. :(

Thanks for trying to help Bruce. :)

What really SUCKS, is now I have a $40 component cable in the mail because I thought I had no choice but to use it. I had to order it this morning for it to get here when my ceiling mount does. Wish I would have waited. :(



Go ahead and run the new cable also. When I pulled the cables for my ceiling mount projector, I made a bundle of every cable the projector would accept. It never hurts to have backup in case the unforeseen happens.

Ya, I've got every setting correct, but still had snow. Funny thing, after all the trouble trying evrything, I just decided to fire up the pj and give it another try. This time, I turn on pj first, then the 205... BAM, beautiful pic via HDMI :D. Keeping fingers crossed that it keeps working correctly.
What really SUCKS, is now I have a $40 component cable in the mail because I thought I had no choice but to use it. I had to order it this morning for it to get here when my ceiling mount does. Wish I would have waited. :(

Thanks for trying to help Bruce. :)

I had the same problem with my 205. Snow on a local DVI monitor. I then hooked it up to my FP and it came up just fine even going through the HDMI switching of my 9.8. I just leave my 205 on all the time now... just to be safe...

Go ahead and run the new cable also. When I pulled the cables for my ceiling mount projector, I made a bundle of every cable the projector would accept. It never hurts to have backup in case the unforeseen happens.

Ya, you're right about that theory. It's just that if I ever need to do something like that, it would be fairly easily done. I have a drop ceiling in my theater, and the way I have things set up, it would be almost no trouble getting up in there.
Even more ironic, I used to have a high-end component cable that I paid something like $150 for it. Then later I sold it for like $50 I think.:rolleyes:
Eye-yie-yie...

I had the same problem with my 205. Snow on a local DVI monitor. I then hooked it up to my FP and it came up just fine even going through the HDMI switching of my 9.8. I just leave my 205 on all the time now... just to be safe...

Hmmm, interesting. Keeping my fingers crossed that it keeps working. I'll just have to keep turning on the pj first. I wouldn't mind having the box on all the time, except that ugly channel number display staring me in the face while watching tv is bad enough. I don't think I want it there while I'm watching movies too.:rolleyes::)

except that ugly channel number display staring me in the face

Creatively place a piece of thin cardboard in front. You can even spray paint it the color of the box so it looks like it belongs there.

:D:eek::D

Yea... that is why I keep all of my gear out of the theater room. I do not want to see any of it. Even the projector resides on the other side of the wall... ;)

xtacydima; I already mentioned the output capibilities in my review eariler.



Oh OK, I never saw or read your review, I purchased this product based on some positive feedback in this very thread.

I would like to see it though, got a link?

I guess my next problem is to figure out how to get my archos to work with this, I need a Componenet to Composite converter, and the few I found aren't cheap, and don't have this purpose.

I wouldn't mind having the box on all the time, except that ugly channel number display staring me in the face while watching tv is bad enough. Many boxes don't give you that option. It is a plus. You know where you are without calling up a info screen. I will admit red is a outdated choice of colors. I would like to see it though, got a link?http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11303232#post11303232

I am about to get one of these as a Xmas gift for friends in the Bay Area (San Ramon). It would be connected directly to the cable (no RF since their OTA reception is non existent). They currently use a Panasonic RP LCD TV (720p) and tune into the cable directly with no STB/

Just wondering from anybody in the Bay Area with Comcast if

1. Do you have one of these?
2. Does it work fine?
3. Can you pick up all the HD and analogue channels without having to rescan each time?

Thanks

Larry

Has anyone tried to add a digital coax output to a PHD unit ?

I have a phd-200 which has the optical out but I am over budget on my opticals so I plan to change this over to a coax. I have no desire at all to add one of those adapters as I don't want another unit plugged into the outlets and it just seems like a waste since...

I've seen it done plenty on Xbox and 360, where they take the signal and ground wire from the optical output and direct it to a coax SPDIF. Instant coax.

The obvious problem here is that the digital coax is meant to swing from -1V to 1V. However after reading up on it, I've seen that the almost all CDroms output a pre-spec version of spdif that are TTL (0V-5V) and for that reason, it is within spdif's spec to accept that signal.

So no worry about burning anything up as it should not only be extremely high impedience, it should also be 5V tolerant.


So I guess I've answered my own question about if its possible, but has anyone done this ?? Or just as good does anyone have a closer photo of the spidf port from top and bottom ??

Attached is the only pic I could find, those red arrows are a couple places I'm willing to bet the vcc, gnd and signal lines are located.


96496

the signal and ground wire from the optical output

That only works when you've got one of those gold plated optical cables.

edit - in case someone thinks I'm serious - optical doesn't have a "ground wire", it's light over a piece of fiber optic cable.

wait I see.. nevermind, you're talking about going right off the PCB. Don't mind me here, I just woke up. :)

There is a Test Point on the pcb, right between optical connector and the resistors and capacitors that are near it. Its labeled TP31. There are vcc and ground vias right next to that. I'm guessing (need to confirm) that TP31 is the SPDIF signal wire.

Whoever laid out the pcb did a nice job. Very clean, follows all the design rules I can see... whoever laid out the box on the other hand..... I'll just assume they have plans for a much larger pcb at some point.

So, if I can confirm its the SPDIF signal wire, I'll just drill a hole for the RCA jack (radioshack pn 274-346), connect to the center pin, attach ground from probably the missing Svideo location (I can assume that to be a good reference ground) and thats it. Done.

Thats one thing I did notice btw, the PHD-200 has the PCB location for Svideo its just not soldered on. Must not have been working when the 200 was released.

Am I correct that the 205 only gives you Dolby Digital 2.0. It does not give you DD 5.1? I am trying to decide between this unit and the Samsung. The Samsung gives you 5.1 but does not have NTSC tuner. Are there any other tuners out there to consider? Thank you.

This does 5.1 (I'm 90% certain)

I watch discovery HD all the time, says 5.1 in the info and unless its really doing some funny 2 front 2 rear crap it is definitely driving the surrounds.

This does 5.1 (I'm 90% certain)

I watch discovery HD all the time, says 5.1 in the info and unless its really doing some funny 2 front 2 rear crap it is definitely driving the surrounds.

Thanks for the info. I ordered one today. How long does it take to get this unit from the supplier? I will be using this tuner to watch HD with my projector.

It shipped immediately when I ordered mine.


After reading the SPDIF protocol a little more, I think it would advisable for me to either isolate the two signals via a transformer, or buffer and/or drop the voltage.

However, I'm very much under the impression that on the receiving end when the coax comes in and gets transfered to TTL its either going to go into an OPamp, buffer, transformer, or some other sort of 5V tolerant hardware.

I probably SHOULD at least drop the voltage from the SPDIF/TTL signal and couple it with a DC blocking cap... but.... I'm not sure if the PHD's hardware can handle that extra load and if it can't I'd have to order parts (buffer) and.... I am pretty lazy..... I'm just going to hook it up with the condition that I know its on the receiving end to make sure it'll be safe.

I'm just typing out loud,

I'm not sure if the PHD's hardware can handle that extra load and if it can't I'd have to order parts (buffer) and.... I am pretty lazy.....

I'm awake this time, promise. :) It's always a good idea to isolate if you can, reduces stress on the original sections and (usually) helps to make sure you're not about to turn the device in to a doorstop.

Of course its a good idea to isolate. But, A. I'm impatient and its not that much of a concern to me because B. Its 'likely' there is isolation going on inside almost all receiving hardware.... of course thats a lesson is 'probably' electronics but I'm OK with it.

I found out that the SPDIF signal (Sony/Philips Digital Interconnect Format, in case anyone didn't know) going to the toslink connector is not 5V TTL. Its 0-1.6V TTL. This is sweet because it means while isolation and signal leveling would be a great idea, its not needed.

So, I did it. Last night I grabbed the unit, figured out whats what and where:
96677
The TP31 is a test point for SPDIF signal at the mfg. Its a nice little pad with the solder mask bare, perfect for soldering.

96679
I measured up, drilled the hole (its a good idea to remove the pcb before drilling as little steel flakes will get all over), stuck the rca in, tightened it down. I chose to the right and with the same spacing of the 2ch audio jacks because while it would look better to the left, that is reserved for Component on the 205 and just blocked on the 200.

96681
Took caution when soldering the pre-tinned signal wire on. Too much heat will lift the TP31 pad easily.

96680
Here it is from the top. You can see the RCA from radioshack doesn't fit exactly the same as the others, but who cares ?

96678
And here it is all finished. You can see the dmm confirming that its a 1.6V signal. OK to wire up to spdif. Whats interesting is that epVision did not include a coax port. The signal going to the led that drives the optical could have been 5V and that connector module would have handled it. Instead they knock their own signal wire down to 1.6V which still drives the led's trigger but end up not including a coax port.


If I were to do it for someone I would probably look into this circuit "Simple S/PDIF output without galvanic isolation" on this page:
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/audio/spdif.html
Of course, the transformer isolated ones would be better, but I hate trying to find those. At the very least, a DC block capacitor (100nF or so) would be a good idea.

Anyhow. Got it home, hooked it up. Works great. No popping, signal loss, or attenuation. Woohoo!

So no one else here has sync problems with DVI-HDMI??

The signal going to the led that drives the coax

??? Did you mean optical?

Anyhow. Got it home, hooked it up. Works great. No popping, signal loss, or attenuation. Woohoo!

I've made note of your hack for future reference. Glad it worked out so well!

Yep, meant optical. Fixed that.

I'm psyched it worked so well. Now I won't be sacrificing 5.1 on HD chans if I get a receiver with one less optical.

It really is a shame they gimped optical down to 1.5mbps! With a revision on spdif (dropping coax and enforcing cheap glass or higher quality plastic fiber)they could have easily handled 250-500mbps and had a very robust setup for a long time to come.

Meh, regardless. The PHD-20X series can support digital coax.

I'm a little confused. Are you saying that it's not possible to receive 5.1 via optical spdif output :confused:??

I'm saying its impossible to receive anything when the spdif coax port doesn't exist :)

No, what I'm saying is I have 4 optical cables right now. The receivers I'm interested in all have 3 inputs max.

So unless I added the coax to the unit, I would be listening to 2ch out of the tuner.

Got it.

Ok dumb question...where do I purchase a PrimeDTV box from

I got mine here

http://www.epvision.com/

Just note that the price excludes tax and shipping

Ok dumb question...where do I purchase a PrimeDTV box from

got mine here http://www.epvision.com/

Thanks guys

Ok make sure I have this straight.
I have Charter Digital Cable and 1 digital cable box.
I have a HDTV that doesnt have a QAM Tuner in it.

Can I buy th PrimeDTV PHD-205 and hook it up to my cable and get my regular cable channels and also the unencrypted HD QAM channels?

I hooked my TV up to an ant. and had a booster on it and it pulls in ABC and fox but they tend to break up. I know that charter has ABC,NBC,CBS and FOX unencypted and would like to get them without the breaking up.

Also wouldnt I be able to take this box and hook it up a PC monitor a Samsung SyncMaster 906BW http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=computersperipherals&type=monitors&subtype=lcd&model_cd=LS19MEWSFY/XAA
and watch tv on it without my PC. I got a surround sound box hooked up to my pc so I guess i can output sound from the PHD205 to it for sound.

Do I have all this correct? How long did it take you guys to get yours once you ordered it?

I was in a similar situation...

I ended up with both a Samsung tuner and a PHD205:

I use the PHD on a Monitor and on a projector that have VGA connectors only with the audio connected to external surround speakers.

I use the samsung on the older HDTV that did not come with a QAM tuner.

Took about a week to get mine once ordered (cheapest shipping/etc)

Thanks
My monitor has VGA and DVI and it looks like the PHD 205 has DVI so I should be able to use that.

As far as the TV it has VGA,componets, HDMI,RCA and composite etc etc.

Think I'm going to pull the trigger..It's got to show better than using a antenna hooked up to the OTA side of the tv plus I"m only able to get ABC and FOX with this at least I'll be able to get ABC,FOX,CBS and NBC so my sports are covered except for ESPN

Well I just pulled the trigger. Do they send out tracking number?
Probably won't make it here in time for christmas though

Ok make sure I have this straight.
Can I buy th PrimeDTV PHD-205 and hook it up to my cable and get my regular cable channels and also the unencrypted HD QAM channels?


Yup, that's how I use it. Has QAM/NTSC/ATSC tuners. The biggest caveat is that while you can use QAM/NTSC together to get an integrated view of your cable channels, you can only use ATSC by itself - i.e. you can't get an integrated view of OTA & Cable channels. Mostly has to do with the fact that there is only one RF connector on the bow so you have to decide whether it gets plugged into the cable outlet OR your antenna. I don't know why they don't offer two RF's and integrate the cable and OTA channels. Seems like there is a market for this from folks here.

Am I correct that the 205 only gives you Dolby Digital 2.0. It does not give you DD 5.1? I am trying to decide between this unit and the Samsung. The Samsung gives you 5.1 but does not have NTSC tuner. Are there any other tuners out there to consider? Thank you.

You can get 5.1 output from both OTA and QAM feeds - if the programming has it and is passed along to you. There is a chance that a national network provides 5.1 but the local cableco doesn't pass it through or network affiliate doesn't offer it OTA.

Are there a lot of other choices out there for tuners that features ATSC & QAM integration? I'm not doing OTA, so actually I guess I just need QAM with HDMI output at 720p. I don't care about NTSC anymore, and this tuner is reeking havoc in my setup because of HDMI handshaking issues. I'm ready to sell it and move to a different unit. Any suggestions? Looking for LOW price + TOP performance.

No, there are not a lot of other choices. You could try the Samsung unit, much like the phd boxes except no NTSC.

I'm surprised you're having issues however. Care to elaborate ?

Maybe its my hardware, but I'm not having a single issue with handshaking. Come to think of it though, this unit really doesn't benefit at all from being plugged in over DVI. Is component an option ?

No, there are not a lot of other choices. You could try the Samsung unit, much like the phd boxes except no NTSC.

I'm surprised you're having issues however. Care to elaborate ?

Maybe its my hardware, but I'm not having a single issue with handshaking. Come to think of it though, this unit really doesn't benefit at all from being plugged in over DVI. Is component an option ?

See posts 414 and 417.
Since then, I have figured out that if i turn on the pj first and the input from the 205 is ON... then I have to hit the "hard" power on the 205, then hit standby on the 205 for it to BOOT... then I get a pic via HDMI. Everything works great till I switch inputs to a dvd player, then everything goes to heck. Playing a dvd and THEN going to the 205 does not work. If I do anything but the first scenario i just gave, then all I get is snow. Component does work fine, but I'm trying to have everything integrated here. I have 2 dvd players (soon to be 3) all doing HDMI just fine. So the 205 is throwing a wrench in the works.

I just purchased one of these as a Xmas present for friends who live in the Bay Area and have Comcast cable. Plugged it into the cable, and scanned the channels. It found 300+ digital channels and about 70 analogue ones. Of course the only channels in digital that came through were the FTA ones but the picture was pretty good. Connected it to a Panasonic 720P RP LCD TV and the picture quality is very good. It was quite illuminating to see the PQ difference between analogue cable (my friends were using a cable ready TV) and the HD version of the channel on their set. Plug and play for us anyway

Larry

Hi,

I recently purchased an Olevia 237T which is my first real HDTV (used PC monitors in the past) and have a question about the resolution setting on the PHD-205. If I set the resolution to 720p then the picture seems to be poor (hazy, blacks appear gray). If the resolution is set to 1080i then the picture quality is amazing and appears to be very close to the quality of the Olevias internal QAM tuner. The PHD-205 is connected from the DVI to HDMI on the TV.

So is this a 720p scaling issue with the PHD-205 or an issue with the TV scaler? The TV scaler seems so handle 720p material over the RF (ESPN, ABC) without any problems. Can anyone using the 720p resolution comment on the pciture quality compared to 1080i?



Thanks

On my Epson HC400 projector, on a 9' wide screen, I can not really tell much difference between 1080i and 720p. I have it at 720p though because that is the native rez of the projector.

Received this unit last nite. all I can say is WOW! I like it much better than the samsung unit. This has the best reception of any STB I've tried. Receives both high VHF and UHF equally well. This one's a keeper. :)

As reported before I am very happy with this unit also. Bought one for friends for Xmas who have Comcast cable in the SF Bay Area. Prior to now they had been receiving all their TV via analogue cable using a cable ready (HD) TV. Now with the box there are more analogue channels being picked up, but with the box connected to their TV over component, the FTA HD channels are coming in very clearly (there are about 7 FTA unencrypted HD channels available here)

Quick one here, how much do these cost? I haven't been able to track one down used.

In about a year, there won't be a need for the 200 series with NTSC

Quick one here, how much do these cost? I haven't been able to track one down used.

$149.95 http://www.epvision.com/

In about a year, there won't be a need for the 200 series with NTSC

What about analogue cable - I thought that might be around a bit longer so the 205 will still be useful.

On my Epson HC400 projector, on a 9' wide screen, I can not really tell much difference between 1080i and 720p. I have it at 720p though because that is the native rez of the projector.

Are you running it through HDMI or component? Wondering because I'm using component and setting the PHD-205 to 720p it looks horrid, like someone cranked the sharpness control up 1000%. Okay that is a slight exaggeration but it does look really bad. 1080i looks fine. This is on a plv-z5.

Handshaking probs with HDMI, but I can get it to work the hard way, and when it does, bothe rezs look good.
I have it running through component now, and both rezs look good.

What about analogue cable - I thought that might be around a bit longer so the 205 will still be useful.

I guess that would be the one use for the NTSC. But even cable will eventually move away from NTSC as it takes up too much bandwidth.

Can anyone tell me where to find a PHD-205 used or new?

Thanks,

-spearsd

Can anyone tell me where to find a PHD-205 used or new?

Thanks,

-spearsd

Just read 5 posts back :rolleyes:.

This looks like a good model, but I would like to ask a quick question to those that have it hooked up to a standard flat-panel LCD Monitor (4:3) through the device's RGB output. Is there any known problems with this setup?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Give them a little time, not everyone checks the boards daily.

If you're asking if the box has similar issues to composite out on a Samsung DTB-H260F I'm pretty sure it was determined that it does not. That's about as helpful as I can be as I don't own a PHD box.

I have a PHD-101 that has obvious gross firmware problems. For example it responds to commands from the TV set remote so you can't change TV volume without screwing up the PHD-101. (Same problem with another TV.) It also frequently locks up and stops working completely. As is it is essentially worthless.

I see from this forum there are firmware updates. However the company swears there are no firmware updates.

Thank you for your email. We currently don't have new upgraded firmware for PHD-101. If there is one available in the near future, we will send you a note right away. Thanks you again. Support team ePVision.com

Can someone send me an update or post it somewhere I can download it? How do you check which firmware is installed?

This looks like a good model, but I would like to ask a quick question to those that have it hooked up to a standard flat-panel LCD Monitor (4:3) through the device's RGB output. Is there any known problems with this setup?

When I did some testing(I have a 19" wide monitor) using the RGB i noticed at the top some running fuzzy lines I can't explain, and the picture wasn't as big even on 4:3 content, i know it normally has the bars on the side but the picture was smaller and the bars wider on the side of it but the pixture looked ok but not as good going from thd box dvi to my monitors dvi, put it back to my dvi port the fuzzy at the top of the screen left

If you have a dvi port i would use that instead...

Now I have a question for people

I've got the latest PHD(Dec07) and was wondering if a firmware has been released to fix the tearing on bright shows. I think that might be my only complaint when watching cartoons or something bright you get the occasional tearing

I just got a PHD-205 and maybe someone can shed some light as i take these are common/easy questions..

I did a scan of channels but and i get about 65 analog and then it list 431 digital... i get some of the digital channels but others say "No Picture" am i missing something?

Also i see USAHD but get no audio. Why?

I hear about firmware updates.. are there currently any for this unit

Reason all those channels are blank, is because your cable company doesn't encode them correctly. Channel with no sound, again, cable company. There are other problems I have with this tuner, and I wish they did have a firmware update. I think they are just going to take your money and run though. If there isn't a new fimware or something soon, I will have to get my moneys worth out of it by stuffing it full of fireworks and lighting it up.

From the Samsung 260H Thread: Just an update on what I ended up doing with my Sammy DTB-H260, I purchased the PHD-205, and ended up returning it. The picture quality was not as good as the Sammy, the channel master was terrible, the remote was very bad, the reception was not as good, and I found the NTSC was a waste, the channels as expect looked too washed out and I got most of those worth watching is digital. I also got ride of my TWC premium cable and boxes so I just have basic and the QAM is working great and I still can get the OTA if I need. As far as the 4:3 aspect problem, when I see this happening for a channel that is not HD, I just go to the SD channel for the same programming. So except for a couple of audio issues with the sammy sometimes,( the insect whinning sound), Im very happy with the samsung and purchased a 2nd one .. thanks everyone for the replys

I'm thinking about buying the PHD-205 because I have a new Samsung LNT-5271 that is not picking up a QAM channel that is there (verified with a Vizio TV, Sony TV, and Pinnacle tuner card) and while EARLY last year a 260H picked up the channel(I returned it), the new ones WILL not just like the damn TV.

I also hate the fact that the 260H won't do analog cable. Is what this guy is saying true? Washed out on the QAM unencrypted channels? Doesn't make sense to me. I plan on using the component out on the 205.

To say that you are not getting the channels because they are not correctly encoded is incorrect.

Correct is a relative term. Those chans work with your cable providers stb guaranteed.

There are 3 HD chans (uncrypted QAM) in my area that have no sound. But, when you are using the cable co's box they work perfectly. The only way my cable co offers those chans is with their package and stb. I can't really complain saying "I know I'm not paying for it, but it seems you have not properly encoded the sound to work for free, can you fix this please"

As far as the sammy vs phd argument goes, I have no info. The PHD works for me because most of the chans in my area are analog. If I had all the same chans in digital I would have bought the sammy.

For PHD problems, the only one I can attest to is that the signal seems to underscan to my onkyo receiver when the TV is in Standard Aspect Ratio, meaning I have a picture that sits 3/4" low on the tv and the top lines of the picture are squiggling like crazy, sometimes a small bright green line at the bottom as well. If I put the tv in fit, it works fine. I think this is an issue with the component out on the phd unit, I'll see if dvi fixes it.

..

As far as the sammy vs phd argument goes, I have no info. The PHD works for me because most of the chans in my area are analog. If I had all the same chans in digital I would have bought the sammy.

For PHD problems, the only one I can attest to is that the signal seems to underscan to my onkyo receiver when the TV is in Standard Aspect Ratio, meaning I have a picture that sits 3/4" low on the tv and the top lines of the picture are squiggling like crazy, sometimes a small bright green line at the bottom as well. If I put the tv in fit, it works fine. I think this is an issue with the component out on the phd unit, I'll see if dvi fixes it.

A friend of mine runs the PHD out via component to a Panasonic 720P LCD RP and it works fine. All HD channels are shown in the right AR (16:9 or 4:3 depending on content) and analogue channels are shown stretched to 16:9 (this is a choice on their part)

To say that you are not getting the channels because they are not correctly encoded is incorrect.

Correct is a relative term. Those chans work with your cable providers stb guaranteed.

There are 3 HD chans (uncrypted QAM) in my area that have no sound. But, when you are using the cable co's box they work perfectly. The only way my cable co offers those chans is with their package and stb. I can't really complain saying "I know I'm not paying for it, but it seems you have not properly encoded the sound to work for free, can you fix this please"

As far as the sammy vs phd argument goes, I have no info. The PHD works for me because most of the chans in my area are analog. If I had all the same chans in digital I would have bought the sammy.

For PHD problems, the only one I can attest to is that the signal seems to underscan to my onkyo receiver when the TV is in Standard Aspect Ratio, meaning I have a picture that sits 3/4" low on the tv and the top lines of the picture are squiggling like crazy, sometimes a small bright green line at the bottom as well. If I put the tv in fit, it works fine. I think this is an issue with the component out on the phd unit, I'll see if dvi fixes it.

If you are referring to MY comments, then you need to get your facts straight. Yes those channels may work correctly with the cable box from the cable company, but they should not be there for open QAM. I never said that they should be either. The cable company is not encoding them correctly, because they should not be showing up at all. Wether they are there with a blank screen, or wether they are there with no sound, they shouldn't be there at all. That's all I am saying. I NEVER said that anyone should get something that they are not paying for.

As far as the sammy vs phd argument goes, I have no info. The PHD works for me because most of the chans in my area are analog. If I had all the same chans in digital I would have bought the sammy.


may i ask why u say that about the sammy since i am not all to happy with the PHD205 as i cant even get Fox in HD.. so far all the PHD has done is got me 4 different PBS channels and free PPV movies

may i ask why u say that about the sammy since i am not all to happy with the PHD205 as i cant even get Fox in HD.. so far all the PHD has done is got me 4 different PBS channels and free PPV movies

Where do you live? My friend gets Fox in HD using this device (SF Bay Area, Comcast Cable)

In about a year, there won't be a need for the 200 series with NTSCUnless you near the Canadian border. ;) to those that have it hooked up to a standard flat-panel LCD Monitor (4:3) through the device's RGB output. Is there any known problems with this setup?It really didn't work with my 19" LCD that I use for my computer monitor. I assume this is what you were talking about. It had a problem locking up and displaying a centered image.
Beside, the video looked terrible, especially analog, as the monitor wasn't designed for SD. I have seen it reported in the past, these straight 'computer' monitors don't do well with analog TV or any 'TV" for that matter. They were made for text. DVDs' don't look good either. I would assume it's the scaling that is the issue.

For those newcomers, here is my review of the 205;
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11303232#post11303232


Has anyone had their unit power up by itself??

Has anyone had their unit power up by itself??

Yes... along with a slew of other problems including not decoding Dolby Digital properly, and DVI output not handshaking properly with an HDCP compliant 720p native projector.

Ordered one today.

I never tested the digital audio out, nor the DVI except on a computer monitor. Because (mostly) of the monitor, it didn't work.

Ordered a PHD-205 this morning. It still seems to be the tuner with the most features on the market (for the price) and nothing new seems to be on the horizon. :rolleyes: I'm sure once I have it hooked up I'll at least post a mini review with my opinions.

All you people posting that you just bought one of these?... I hope you don't have the problems I did. I feel as if I could have just thrown $150 in the trash :(. Good luck to you all...

I've thrown more that that away in the past.

This is an excellent STB. I've only had it for a month or so, but so far I love it. It has the best atsc reception of any box I've ever used. :)

Got mine in tonight. It was able to pull in my missing channel. Works great so far!

All you people posting that you just bought one of these?... I hope you don't have the problems I did. I feel as if I could have just thrown $150 in the trash :(. Good luck to you all...

I hope it doesn't give any problems either since I bought it for friends as a Xmas present and I live out of state! But I did leave them with the receipt (in a sealed envelope!) in case they needed to do a return/repair.

So far it's worked well, using analogue audio, component video and picking up all the FTA channels available on their cable system.

Mine worked well too, till 2 weeks after the warranty ended :rolleyes:.

Mine worked well too, till 2 weeks after the warranty ended :rolleyes:.

I am sure the vendor would understand that and cut you some slack. Did you try asking?

Here is a little bit of info for everyone.

I own a PHD200, I have been using it for about a year to decode QAM and OTA for my HDTV that is really not a HDTV, but a HD monitor. I pull in all of the QAM signals on my cable, in fact, I see 59 analog and 222 digital channels with 4 QAM and 29 DMX.

I work with a guy that owns a Samsung plasma with a built in QAM tuner. He couldn't get any QAM on his set. I took my PHD200 to his house and scaned his cable and found the same 59/222 channels.

Not bad for a $150 box!

I bit the bullet and bought one of the PHD-205s, intending to hook it to a standard VGA LCD Computer display. Everything works super, except on this 4:3 monitor, there is no way to force letterboxing of 16:9 content, so everything is stretched vertically. Has anyone worked around this problem, or is there a firmware update in the works to address this issue?

Otherwise, I'm a happy customer...

Got my PHD-205 this week. Based on some of the comments I was a little concerned, but so far so good. Most of the rest of the comments I wrote the first night I got it, but not much has changed after 5 days of use. I'm happy with it so far.

Overall, it's a much nicer looking unit in real life than in the pics. The only exception is that the characters on the display are nowhere near as big as they appear in the pics. It's a little goofy that it says "boot" on the display whenever you turn it on. I'm using this on a 42" 1080p monitor over DVI, resolution on the PHD-205 is set to 1080i. The fonts and the alpha channels they use in the interface are very nice. The setup was easy other than on cable you have to choose between STD, IRC, HRC for cable. Hmmm ... I picked STD, it took quite a while to scan but came up with all the analogs (71) and lots of digitals (295). Oh no, I'm thinking it's probably a bunch of unreceivable ones, but actually all the digitals were legit including the NHL game plan preview Comcast is doing this week. There were a bunch of duplicates on the local channels and a lot of music channels (I was surprised that it also picks up the somewhat lame trivia and artist video on the music channels). It auto-sets the time after you give it your time zone info.

So, in real use on cable, it wasn't too bad. A lot of channels to navigate. The program "Guide" doesn't do anything other than show what's playing on the current channel, and what's on next ... for the channels it works for, which on cable was mostly a few of the locals. Also, it tries to auto-detect the call letters/name of the channels, but that only worked for a handful of channels (the HD locals, and a handful of other cable channels, maybe 10-15 total). Not sure yet how motivated I am to go in and enter them manually (especially since I assume if it loses power, my work will be lost). It handles 3 favorite lists with separate buttons on the remote. Programming favorites helps considerably with navigating a bunch of channels. One thing I was looking forward to was the zoom feature, which will let you get letterbox movies on SD channels to fill an HD widescreen. I've tried it some and am happy with the results.

After the time it took to do the cable scan, I was reluctant to try OTA (and then have to do the cable again). Also, some of our locals aren't so local, and usually take a decent antenna to pick up. All I have is a decent set of rabbit ears. I'm glad I took the time to try it. I was only expecting to pick up a couple of the locals, but even with the rabbit ears, I was able to pick up all the digital locals, including the ones they usually recommend somewhat larger antennas for. Nice! And the channel names all came through, plus the program guide for each channel. Nice! It was great knowing I can get CBS in HD, as Comcast won't carry it.

The buttons are a little small on the remote, but it's pretty easy to use. It responds to the remote much more quickly than my Comcast DVR. Since I now realize I could get an extra OTA channel, I can see why some are asking for dual inputs. Seems like if your cable and OTA locals matched up, it wouldn't be such a big deal. I haven't tried the digital audio out yet, hopefully this weekend.

Wishlist-wise, I wish it had a sleep timer. Wish the favorite list navigation would show the channel names, wish it would save tuner settings when you go between OTA and Cable. Wish for some way to save/load channel names you add manually. Wish there was a way to see the nice Channel Scan view with the signal strengths without doing a channel scan. Wish the range/angles the remote works at was a little longer/wider.

System information says Chipset: ATI Technology; Demod: ATI Theater; Remote Code: 254; Version: 32.11.12

It's a little goofy that it says "boot" on the display whenever you turn it on.No. It's the same for many/most satellite receivers and for probably all new TV's also. Thet just don't say "boot". ;)

Good review, pmjoe!

klier, did you figure out a work-around for widescreen material on your 4:3 monitor?

I was so set to order a 205 this weekend, but then my PC died and I had to buy a new hard drive, vid card and OS (but at least I got away with a new BFG 8800 GTS!). Oh well, the new PHD with cablecard slot should be coming out soon...
;)

J/K, I wouldn't want to start any rumors - that last sentence was just a wish list item!

klier, did you figure out a work-around for widescreen material on your 4:3 monitor?



Nope, not without moving the rear resolution control to 480, which kind of defeats the purpose.

I sent snapshots of what I was seeing to Allen from epBoard. I'm waiting to hear anything back. He was very polite when I was on the phone with him, so hopefully some fix will be made through firmware. One would think the problem could be solved by just adding an additional Aspect option.

Nope, not without moving the rear resolution control to 480, which kind of defeats the purpose.

I sent snapshots of what I was seeing to Allen from epBoard. I'm waiting to hear anything back. He was very polite when I was on the phone with him, so hopefully some fix will be made through firmware. One would think the problem could be solved by just adding an additional Aspect option.

This STB is junk. I've emailed him 3 times over the last month and never heard anything back. I don't believe there will ever be any improvements to the 205. Some things could easily be fixed via firmware, but he's too busy counting all his money to bother with us lowly customers.