Sansonic FT300A DTV Converter Box - Page 3

Mine is no longer being used because of reliability issues. It started not getting audio on certain channels and then the remote quit working.

How long did you have your sansonic?maybe you just got a bad unit,did you exchange it for another sansonic?i would like to here from some more of you who bought the sansonic ft-300a to see if this is an isolated problem or not,i was thinking of exchanging my venturer for the sansonic,i would like to here more opinions about the sansonic ft-300a,good or bad.

Doesn't it have a factory warranty?

I got my unit on April 16. The warranty statement in the manual doesn't make it sound like there really is one. It's not something I'm going to worry about.

It's correct that the Sansonic provides no controls for deleting channels found in the auto-scan set-up step. But here is an alternative to that.

First you need to understand that each broadcaster is usually assigned one physical channel by the FCC. With this they can then support up to four virtual channels. One example: In my location physical channel 47 is assigned to the main PBS station and they're supporting four virtual channels, 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, and 11-4. With my method of "re-selection" you can choose physical channels, but you have to accept the virtual channels that are part of them. I've found no way to selectively choose among virtual channels.

After using the auto-scan method to store all of the channels that your antenna can pull in, view each physical station (or just one of each virtual channel set) at full screen view (not in menu view). Press the Antenna Level button on the remote (Ant Level) for each of the channels that you wish to view regularly. Note down on paper the channel number that is shown at the top of the antenna level reading window for each of those channels. Put all the channel numbers in numerical order. Now you are ready to make your "re-selections."

1) Unplug or unscrew the antenna connector from the Antenna IN connector on the back of the Sansonic box. The converter box can be on or off when this is done.
2) With the Sansonic box and connected TV both turned on, press the Channel Scan (CH Scan) button on the remote control. The "Easy Install" window will appear on your TV screen.
3) The Auto Scan selection is highlighted by default. If not, use the CH+ or CH- buttons on the remote to highlight that choice. Press the OK button to begin the automatic scan process. Allow this process to be 100% complete. This will erase all of the channels that the box tuned in when you set it up originally. You will be left with a clean slate -- no channels at all. The message left on your screen will read, "No Stations Found."
4) Plug or screw back in the antenna connector to your Sansonic back panel.
5) Press the Antenna Level button on the remote. The antenna level window for physical channel 2 appears on the blank screen.
6) With your list of desired physical channel numbers handy, press the CH+ (or "Up") button on the remote to move through the channels to select each of the channel numbers on your channels list.
7) Stop at each desired physical channel on your list. Then press the Antenna Level button to dismiss that process. Press the OK button to view your channels menu to verify that new virtual channels have been added.
8) Repeat steps 5, 6, & 7 until all of your desired physical channels have been added to the Sansonic. These are now stored for your regular tuning. Those channels that you did not put on your list have effectively been "de-selected." Even if the Sansonic is turned off, unplugged, or if you should suffer a power outtage, these channel selections will not be lost. The only way to wipe out these choices now, would be to perform another complete Auto Scan process.

Since many users may never come upon this forum, I've passed on the above instructions to Mr. Michael Young, Sansonic's Service Manager in Consumer Sales and Support at their El Monte, California offices. You can share with him your feelings about the FT-300A at michael@sansonic.net.

I would recommend not contacting the above named individual unless you are into death by spamming. I can't get him to stop sending me junk.

Speaking of junk, my Sansonic has picked up an annoying tic. On 1080i channels, the picture kind of "throbs" - changes vertical size slightly several times a minute. It's on all the 1080i channels, and *only* on the 1080i channels. The "screen" setting doesn't affect it.

I've been trying to scare some kind of response out of Sansonic's alleged customer support for a couple weeks now, and to quote Clara Peller, "I don't think there's anybody back there."

My recommendation for this brand is hereby withdrawn, and my recommendation to steer clear of it is hereby entered for the record.

These guys ain't ready for prime time, and you probably won't be either if you buy their box.

I picked this one up and noticed the "throb" effect too. It's kind of like watching the image through water and a wave effect occurs. It's quick, but quite smooth.

Most importantly, it's annoying and it sucks.

Ditto,i think i have seen this effect too with my sansonic,i hope my local target gets the new venturer with pass through so i can exchange my sansonic for it.i had the venturer before and it was pretty good, too bad i exchanged it for the sansonic,i now have to hope target gets more venturers in stock.

I bought one of these in July and have just now opened it. I have the throb effect but I don't find it that annoying.

I'm actually having a far worse problem. On some channels the audio and video are out of sync. I think it only happens when receiving a marginal signal but I'm not sure yet since I've barely started using it. The RCA in the other room doesn't have this problem so it's not the channel. Has anyone else experienced this?

I just went to Gridlink in Pasadena, CA to bought another 2 GLT-200 for my parents, their price has raised to $45.99 (no more handling fee) compare to when I made my first order in May, but still is lower than Best Buy. GLT-200 is exactly the same as Sansonic and Lasonic which sold elsewhere a little bit higher and it does not provide analog pass-through capability but actually that might not needed for some TV. What I setup for myself and my parents (we all have cable TV) is leave the original coaxial cable from cable un-touch and use a composite cable with L,R audio cable connect (those red, white, yellow cable) to the extra video-in provided from most TV set and when watching cable program, I just use channel 3 as usual and when I need to watch the DTV program, I switch to Video-1 from my TV remote. During Olympic period, I usually set my TV as picture-in-picture and switch them back and forth. I have to admit that the digital broadcast signal is far better than my cable quality. By the way, Gridlink they are offering free shipping for their combo set order at this time (converter box plus an active antenna), even I did not benefit for it but that might come thru for someone.

I Like the san sonic great picture got free shipping on it too from consumer electronics group.. But I don't see the throb you see

I got my Sansonic FT300A at Target on sale for use in the garage and for antenna testing. It has both signal level and signal quality meters as a bar and a numerical percentage. I have yet to see the "throbbing" described here. It certainly has less features and is less user friendly than the Zeniths I use in the house. Reception performance wise, it doesnt seem to be too bad at all.

It appears as if the Sansonic has been discontinued by Target (at least in my area, which is NYC)......
seems odd, since they only had it for a short period of time to begin with!
......speculation abounds.

My brother in-law works at Target and he told me they ran out of their store brand, and picked up the Sansonic to tide them over.

A bunch just arrived at CVS locations in the NYC area. I know they just had a sale on the CRAIG CVD506 which is apparently a regular item too. Has anyone tried both?

Hi folks...

I just picked up the Sansonic FT-300A... At this time I still receive both digital and analog signals. How do I switch between the ATSC tuner and the NTSC tuner in the FT-300A? I already hit the CH SCAN button and set the RF CHANNEL to 3 and performed the AUTO SCAN... That worked very well... All digital channels are now scanned in and available to me.

Now what do I do to get in my analog signals... Do I hit the CH SCAN button and change the RF CHANNEL from 3 to 4 and then do another scan? Will that not wipe out my previous digital scan? Do I have to set my TV onto channel 4?

There's not a lot of help in the manual on this topic?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thks.
Dan

You will need to use your TV's NTSC tuner for analog channels. If the box doesn't have analog passthrough, you'll need a coax splitter before the converter box and and A/B switch at the TV, to switch between straight antenna input and converter box input (which will be on ch 3/4).

See crude diagram at:
http://i40.tinypic.com/2n7h8h3.png

Thks arxaw...

That's exactly what I did last night... But then today I read that the FT-300A does have a built in "User-selectable Ch3 or Ch4 NTSC RF Output".

I just don't know how it works bacuse there is very little documentation on the Ch4 NTSC RF Output feature...

I'm hoping someone here has used that feature and can explain how it works.

This and all CECB (coupon eligible converter boxes) only have an ASTC tuner, none have a NTSC tuner, some can pass through NTSC signals when off (APT) this model can not.

To use this converter and still receive analog signals you would need to split your antenna (using and antenna splitter or an antenna switch), one going to converter box and the other to an antenna switch. The antenna switch is called an AB switch (for two positions). Take the output of the converter box to position A on the switch. Take the other split from your antenna to position B on the switch. Then from the common position of the switch to your tv, tune to 3(or 4) for digital (with the box on) and tune with your tv to analog (with the box off).

You would either use a splitter and an AB switch if your signal is strong. You would use two AB switches if your signal is weaker.

Ask more questions on doing this setup if needed.

Thks john...

If this does not have a NTSC bypass or passthru then what do they mean by...
"User-selectable Ch3 or Ch4 NTSC RF Output"?

That's exactly what I did last night... I split the co-ax and employed an A/B switch and that works... It's just not conveinient!

But then today I read that the FT-300A does have a built in "User-selectable Ch3 or Ch4 NTSC RF Output".

I just don't know how it works bacause there is very little documentation on the Ch4 NTSC RF Output feature...

I'm hoping someone here has used that feature and can explain how it works.

Also... thks arxaw... I posted a response to you right after your post but it's waiting to be MOD'ded...

You can view the output of the converter box either using direct video (the yellow jack along with red/white for audio) or using the antenna coax connector output into your tv set. If you use antenna coax connector output you can have it come out on channel 3 or 4 (you set that in the converter box menu) and then tune your tv to the same choice of 3 or 4. You pick whatever suits you (if you have a local channel on 3 or 4 you pick the other), I thinks it is set to use 3 if you don't change it.

The FT300A does not have Analog Pass-Through (APT).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_CECB_units

I made an error in trying to rescan the box, and have a dilemma now
I was using channel 3, and it worked fine, but was missing a few stations.
SO: I decided to try on 4, forgetting that my old TV cannot be set to chanel 4 (the wonders of losing a remote control on a TV with no manual)

so the screen is now blank and I cannot read the menu to rest to chanell 3, nor can I find any info on how to revert to 3 when I cannot see the menu on the TV screen

any help?

I guess I'm not totally clear on how your sansonic is hooked up.
Is your Sansonic hooked up via an RF cable?

(Versus RCA cables for Video & L/R audio?)

Can't you switch the Sansonic to output to channel 4 on its RF output?

Wait, I suppose that may be hard to do if you can't see the menus.

Can you switch your TV back to channel 3? Does it not have any control buttons on the tv itself?

with your tv on channel 3

on the CECB

on
ant level
CH+ (3 times) or CH- (1 time)
right or left blue button

you should now see menu

switching between channel 3 or 4 does nothing to get more channels. you would pick 3 or 4 based on which didn't have an existing tv signal on it or what channel your tv could tune to. all the tv reception is done before the converter ever makes it into channel 3 or 4.

Check it out the sansonic ft-300 has an easter egg/hidden menu.

tune to an active channel, press ANT level, press 0000, menu will change:

3 subs menus
receiver info
remote code

load factory default

software upgrade
RS-232 Logo/ Code /database
or off air

still trying to find the qam feature.

Thanks to the contributor who described it earlier. A point of clarification - You MUST proceed rapidly to the channel you want so that the box does not "tune" into any channel that you don't want. You are taking advantage of the "latency" of the box in actually tuning to a channel while in the "ant level" mode. If you don't linger at an unwanted channel, the box will not be fast enough to actually tune to it and store it in memory. Therefore you must speed through all of the channels that you don't want before STOPPING at the one(s) you do want, letting the box actually tune to your wanted channel and thereby store it into memory, while skipping any that you do not want.