Apex DT250 with passthrough - Page 6

VHF channels 2-6 are especially susceptible to this kind of interference. (This is one reason why most broadcasters have avoided using those channels for their digital signals.) From what you described below, it does sound like the interference is only happening in APT mode, so it probably doesn't affect digital reception. Still, you'll probably see less interference on analog channels 7 and higher. Of course that's no consolation if you need APT for one of the lower channels.


Two boxes with the same problem - makes me wonder if this was a bug in all the earlier models (sort of like the audio bug in the Zenith / Insignia). Mine doesn't seem to have the problem (analog channels 3 and 4 are both OK), so Apex may have fixed it in a later production run.

I am interested in this unit to feed a standard TiVo, so this news is interesting. However, what do you mean when you say that many of the buttons are mixed up?
If you enter 8 on the Sony remote, does the box tune to 8.1, etc.? This is the behavior I need for the TiVo to be able to make use of this.

Also, thanks for the update on S-Video quality. I ran across these at my local BB while looking for the Insignia unit, which I know the TiVo can control. They had no Insignia's - sales guy said they were expecting updated units EO Jul or BO Aug. However, this is one of the few with CECB's with S-Video out so would be preferable if I can find suitable IR code so the TiVo can control it.

Thanks again dattier for the info, yeah I'm going to just stick with the 901 then and forget about the Insignia. Yeah I have some great opportunities with my height for some DX, I only wish I could put a monster antenna on the roof on say a 15' mast or so - that would be about 120' or so up, I'm sure with that height I could lock stations well over 100 miles away frequently. I suprised an indoor antenna works so well for me since I am in the corner of the building and don't really have a great LOS except for West. But overall I think the 901 is a nice box.

If you were considering an Insignia, I'd say just get a Channel Master CM-7000 instead. Better in every way. The only thing the Zenith's even got on it is the pass-through.

In fact, it's on sale at Fry's right now and they are now taking coupons, if you have one near you.

Wow really? I'm curious what's better about the CM? Really the biggest thing I am concerned with is the tuner sensitivity, the rest of the features aren't as important. I really like the menu/screens with the 901. Unfortanutely, I used my coupons already but do you know how much it's on sale for at Fry's?

I just got an Apex DT250 at BB. $59.99 - $40 + tax= $24.19 out the door here in Jacksonville, FL. I thought that I might be able to use my rewards discount coupons as well, but no luck there -- just the Govt coupon. I haven't hooked it up, yet, and I looked through the manual to see if there was a manufacturer's code set to use with an IR blaster. Has anyone tried and found any working codes? I just started searching to see if I could find any info online. Thanks.

Luckily the number buttons are fine. The major mix-ups are:
1. The channel up/down buttons on the universal remote correspond to the up/down navigation buttons on the Apex remote. The up/down navigation buttons on the universal remote correspond to the Favorite up/down buttons on the Apex remote.
2. The left navigation button on the universal remote corresponds to the add/delete favorite button on the Apex remote. The right navigation button on the universal remote corresponds to the Zoom button on the Apex remote
3. I couldn't find any buttons on the universal remote that correspond to the left/right navigation buttons on the Apex remote. However my Sony universal remote won't send volume commands for any device other than a TV or audio amp. I suspect the volume up/down buttons would do the job if my universal remote didn't have that restriction.

Just to be safe, I'd ask BB if I could exchange the Apex for an Insignia if the Apex didn't work with the TiVo. It'll probably work, but I don't have a TiVo so I have no sure way to know.


S-video will give you the best picture possible with a CECB, but if you want S-video right now it's either the Apex or the Channel Master. IMO the CM is a bit better: the user interface is more attractive and more intuitive, and it has two levels of Zoom while the Apex only has one. But it's pricey and not available locally - unless you can catch it on sale at Fry's. (If you do go with a CM, set your TiVo for a Pioneer cable box. And Rammitinski mentioned that Fry's can finally accept the govt. coupons, if you plan on using a coupon.)

I found that Hughes/DirecTV satellite receiver codes work. See above post for some problems, though.

I've been frustrated by this problem with most CECBs. They're required to respond to "standard" remote codes so universal remotes can control them - but they're not required to tell you which codes they respond to! I couldn't find anything in the Apex manual and just had to try various codes until I hit upon one that worked.

Thanks, JH. I hope to get started today with installing the Apex, but may have to wait until tomorrow. My wife has two days a week off and I have to give her some attention -- more than usual, anyhow.
I plan to get a CM 7000 as well, but I didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket -- plus the Apex was immediately available. I want the S-video output and I have two older DVD recorders: a Panny E50 and the Toshiba XS32 with a hard drive. I use only RAM discs for TV recording and don't do any fancy editing -- just skip through the commercials.
Again, thanks for the help.

If either of those recorders have TVGOS, they should be able to change the channels on the CM-7000 with their IR blasters.

Has anyone been able to find any codes for the Apex that work on this remote control? I have contacted Apex and still waiting for an answer at the moment. This remote uses 5 digit codes. I tried all the new Apex tv/dvd/cable codes from Bose, but I still have no luck adding this box to it. Thanks.

Well, I have tried all the Hughes codes and non work either. I did see the earlier posting about it, so I'll try some others just for fun. If I can't get the codes from the manufacturer, I think that will really suck. Bose did everything they could to help me, unfortunately there's not much else they can do right now, so now I'm back on the Apex court. We'll see if they respond. I'm half way through the sat/dvrs.

Ramm, I confirmed that the Apex responds to Hughes codes on my TV remote, but am trying to find the right code for my Toshiba XS32 which has VCR Plus and manual timer recordings. This will take a while because the XS32 turns on 10 minutes before the record start time and there are 4 possible codes. I hope to be able to power everything down and have the XS32 turn on the Apex and set the channel. I did find that I don't have enough RF signal after going thru a 1-to-4 way splitter. I have an amplified (inside) Terk antenna outside. I might try adding another amp, but that may not work. I'm not very happy with the Terk, but I have a cobbled together PITA antenna setup on my roof. It's a directional antenna but I have it pointed where most of the stations are within about 10 degrees. I've monitored signal strengths moving the rotator, but it seems optimal for all stations -- just not enough signal from the antenna. I would need a sturdier "mast" to put up much more antenna. I'm not far from the stations -- 10 miles, maybe -- but our house is just down a small hill so that we're not line of sight, hence the shaky antenna mast attached to our wooden chimney surround -- not too sturdy.
Waiting for the XS32 to turn on. If I ever figure this out, I'll report my findings.

efx, see if any other brands use the same codes as Apex or Hughes/Sat and try the ones you haven't tried, yet, listed with the other brands. JHBrandt earlier said that Hughes/DirecTV Sat codes worked and I duplicated that with my TV remote using Hughes codes.

That might be trickier than it sounds. The CM doesn't have APT, so the TVGOS info won't even make it to the recorder(s) unless you put an RF splitter in front.

And after Feb. 2009 the TVGOS info won't be available in analog, so you'd need a CECB that converts digital TVGOS to analog. The DTVPal is the only CECB I know of that does that.

The SX32 Guide says to leave the STB on so its channels can be changed by the XS32's IR blaster. So far I can't get the Apex to change channels that way, 'cause the Record Menu lets you enter a recording channel, but it gets locked to the input you set in the Setup STB menu. Maybe I haven't gotten the right code set, yet, but unless I'm trying to set more than one program, on different channels, what's the use of the blaster? I've never used one before and am stumped for the moment. I hope to finish trying codes tomorrow. It's time consuming with the SX32 turning on 10 minutes before the scheduled recording. I have to wait until the actual recording starts to see if the channel was changed on the Apex. No channel display on the Apex doesn't help, either.
I DO like the signal strength meter. I got stronger signals using that to point my rotator, but I have a couple of really squirrely stations that fluctuate from weak to excellent like a branch swayed by gusts of wind, seemingly without regard to rotator position. They're a couple that I don't really watch -- a local independent and CW -- so no biggy.
Has anyone successfully used a Toshiba XS32's IR blaster? There is one possible factor -- that I'm not using the Toshiba supplied IR control cable. I'm using one that points back while protruding about halfway out under the front of the STB, rather than one that lies on its back and fires straight up. I would imagine that one is pretty much like the other with a two-pole mini plug unless the voltage and/or frequency is/are different. Hmmm. When all else fails, maybe I'll heed the Note "Do not connect an accessory other than the supplied IR control cable...."

My coupons were expiring, and boxes were hard to find, so I went to the BB in Addison on 7/5. They had about 5 of each the Apexes and Insignias. The sales guy touted the Apex for its APT. BB's customer reviews seem to favor the Insignia, and many mentioned overheating, I bought one of each.

The Apex seems to have a slightly better tuner, a much better signal strength meter, a better remote, and S-video, but the case gets much hotter. Has anyone measured the power consumption of the various boxes?

The Insignia's specs say it consumes 7 watts, 1 watt on standby, and is Energy Sar rated. The box appears to have more ventilation holes and stays much cooler than the Apex. Except for the signal meter, the Insignia seems just a little more polished, although the remote control buttons are upside-down. The number pad is on the bottom, and it takes 2 hands to select all 3 digits of a certain sub-channel and push the Go button. It's annoying.

The Insignia has a mfg date of March 08, and I can't hear any humming from it, even between channels when there's no dialogue.

I'll reconnect the Apex this evening and give it a second chance, especial the S-Video, but has anyone measured the power consumption of any of these boxes?

Thanx.

You can get around that by pushing just enough digits so that the desired channel comes to the top of the list, or just enough digits so that the desired channel appears on the list and then cursor down to it.  Then you can wait a couple of seconds instead of pushing the OK key.

(If I were more skilled with using vBulletin, I'd post that on the NS-DXA1's thread with a reference here.  Sorry.)

Okay, here you go...someone had asked about what was inside the Apex DT250 converter box, to see what's inside here's the link...enjoy.
http://jaime128.gotdns.com/web/techl...exdt250p3.html

Thanks, efx. I'm sure everyone appreciates your contributions here. Great pictures and info. I added some taller "feet" to my Apex after hearing guys talk about the hot bottom, but the thing only draws about 10 watts when on, so how hot can it get? I only have an amp clamp and could only measure about 0.1 amp at 115 volts or so-- about 10 to 12 watts. This is not very accurate -- really near the bottom of the amp clamp's capability -- and that was using the 10X multiplier loop on the 6 amp scale -- as low as it can go. The needle wouldn't even move with the Apex on standby.
I gave up on using the IR blaster on my Toshiba XS32 because that was more or less for using only the Apex as a tuner for your recording device. I still record cable TV as well, so I'll I'll just set the Apex on the channel and the recorder input for it. Thanks again for the pix and information.

Well, I used the Apex last night, and must correct myself. The Insignia has a MUCH better tuner. The Apex had problems finding all the channels the Insignia did, and there's no way to add them without rescanning the entire channel list. Even when the signal strength meter said Excellent, some channel were still freezing or breaking up. Once again, the box got hot to the touch.

The S-Video does give a better picture, but not enough to have to make up for constantly jumping up from the couch to readjust the antenna. I'm used to snowy OTA PQ, so the Indignia PQ even with its RCA composite cables is a big improvement. The remote is much better, although it sometimes jumped 2 channels, but can't make up for picture freezing and dropping.

The Apex has 3 Zoom settings vs the Insignia's 5, which I find easier to use. And each is larger than on the Insignia. Letterbox on the Insignia is 33" diagonally, on the Apex, it's 34" on a 36" Sharp CRT. When you Zoom the picture, you lose 10-15% from each edge - that's 20-30% of the picture!

The look, feel, and menus of the Apex are good, but the performance is worse than the Insignia. If BB offers a Zenith 901 clone of the Insignia with APT, I'll return the Apex for the Insignia 901.

Is this the only box with BOTH analog pass through and a S video out??

I called Apex, asked the question about adding channels and the answer was NO.
I responded; that makes this useless.

Your welcome Wyntrout, I'm glad you found it useful. As for the amperage draw, I'm almost sure you're right. From what I remember reading some specs, these boxes are supposed to draw a very small amount to save energy. I think most of them are supposed to be energy efficient, at least the ones the government approves.

The other thing is I have noticed the programming changes dramatically. Pay attention in the morning, noon and night programming. Even weekends. I mean the actual image size and things like that. You'll see, at least I have noticed that quite a bit on my end, but seems to slowly be getting fixed. The last part may just be my wishful thinking. This is why I leave mine on auto for the most part, the programming changes too much so I'm not going to try and fix every program that doesn't show up the way I like it. Hopefully this will take some of the headaches away. I'm sure this will apply to any box too, not just mine.

From an abundance of info on the following link:
http://www.ezdigitaltv.com/Additiona...es_Matrix.html
there seems to be only 3 CECB-eligible boxes that have S-video: Apex DT250, Apex DT1001, and the Channel Master CM-7000. Only the APE DT250 has analog pass-through, though.

Actually I looked here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_CECB_units
That listing seems more complete.

Again, AFAIC, not being able to manually add channels without doing another scan and wiping out all the existing channels makes this useless. Even if all your stations are in the same direction, if something changes, then what?

Too bad, it had possibilities. It's also too bad the CM doesn't have pass through. One would think the CM version would.

wikipedia is ok but holl_ands list is better.
The most up-to-date list can be found on his signature or looking at his profile

I also have a link in my signature sometimes but don't always check for the latest version and update the notlong link.

Maybe later someone will incorporate ALL of the desired features, but for now there are only compromises. If you want to use your expiring coupon, you have to settle for the one with most of your requirements. I was ready to get the CM-7000 now, too, but my remaining coupon is good for a few months. I'll wait for a while and see if anything better pops up. There's always the choice of a full-blown ATSC/QAM tuner with ALL of the outputs... but not coupon eligible.
I'm ready to spring for Satellite because Comcast has really sucked for the last ELEVEN years and even more so the last 17 months since I "upgraded" to digital. I'm tired of losing audio and having blocky or frozen video. Comcast doesn't need bad weather to lose signal and it's been proven to be out in the lines somewhere, not from the connection out at the pole to or in my house.
I want to be able to use my analog recorders OTA as well as my digital ones. This Apex has some nice features, but the lack of an analog RF pass-through and lack of STB channel buttons does miss a lot of people.

The Wikipedia list seems better organized though I couldn't find a date anywhere so I don't know how up to date it is.
After my coupons expire.

Wikipedia is dynamic so changes are frequent, maybe not always significant but frequent.

That list would always be fresh within days, it might not always be correct but it will be fresh.

Up at the top of the wiki is a "history" tab so you can see what changed, who changed it, and when. Not always accurate, but usually changes daily.

Watch out for false info on Wikipedia, someone keeps putting in a "P" for power consumption rating to try and upsell the zeniths 901's and insig apt's - they do NOT use less than 5W of power - I bought a Zenith and it is rated at 7W in the instructions and on the box itself. For a little comparision the Magnavox MW9 is 8W.