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Apex DT250 with passthrough - Page 2

post #31 of 251
6/18/08 at 1:12pm
Product Features
Note: Coupon-eligible converter box
Compatible with analog TVs with antenna-based broadcast reception
Converts digital TV broadcast signals to analog TV; displays digital TV at standard-definition (480i) screen resolution
Parental lock function helps keep children from being exposed to undesirable material
Closed captioning
Outputs: 1 composite video, 1 S-video, 1 analog audio L/R, 1 RF
Includes remote

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Not that this really means anything - subject to change, may or may not work, etc.

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My real question is does the box work and/or is it better than the LG/BB/Zenith box?
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post #32 of 251
6/18/08 at 7:21pm
I picked up an Apex DT250 at Best Buy (Torrance, CA) today. Also a Zenith DTT901 at CC.
First impressions: the Zenith was faster at autotuning and let me know how many stations it found as it did so; the Apex shows a nebulous percentage.
I THINK the composite picture was a bit better on the Zenith. Have to rearrange a bunch of cables to try the audio (both) and the S-video (Apex), and don't have a smart antenna to try. Both units seemed to get the same set of stations, using only a 24" whip inside my home office. Almost the same set of stations that I get with the Sharp LC-37D90U and Wineguard PR-9018 in the attic.
I'll try to post back with specifics soon. 73 ...Al
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post #33 of 251
6/18/08 at 8:30pm
@n6ac: Can you try a clearQAM scan by connecting the antenna input of the apex to your cable/high speed cable internet? Apex has a reputation of keeping some nice easter eggs in all their previous gadgets.
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post #34 of 251
6/18/08 at 9:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kousikb View Post

@n6ac: Can you try a clearQAM scan by connecting the antenna input of the apex to your cable/high speed cable internet? Apex has a reputation of keeping some nice easter eggs in all their previous gadgets.


If it could do that it wouldn't be a CECB.

If it did do that then it could be taken off the list of CECBs. There are so few quality boxes to choose from that I don't think it would be good to loose what seems like might be a good one.

Maybe buy one yourself and test it.
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post #35 of 251
6/19/08 at 7:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by n6ac View Post

I picked up an Apex DT250 at Best Buy (Torrance, CA) today. .... I'll try to post back with specifics soon. 73 ...Al

Please try to let us know some more specifics on the box. My last coupon is ending in a few days and am debating between waiting for this or ordering a Channel Master. I was just at my local BB on Tuesday and I only saw the Insignia. I guess I could call them.

Could you at least confirm that it has S-Video? Smart antenna? Does it mention anywhere downmixing DD to Dolby Surround instead of stereo?

It would be great to here a little about PQ but would purchase this over the Channel Master if the answers to the above were Yes.
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post #36 of 251
6/19/08 at 11:26am
has anyone used both the Insignia and the Apex? Pros and Cons?

How great is the SVideo on the Apex?

BB close to my house does not have them. None of the BB stores in Houston have them, except one store has 130 in stock and a second has 80 in stock; both too far to drive too.

Tuner and Software problems, etc?

Not interested in spending the gas money to get there.
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post #37 of 251
6/19/08 at 11:50am
Called BB here in N.O. and no stores in the area have them. They said the computer does not tell them when they will be arriving.

With my last coupon expiring in a few days, looks like I'll be ordering the Channel Master online. I would still like more info on the Apex though as it sounded like what I wanted to upgrade my DVD recorder.
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post #38 of 251
6/19/08 at 1:28pm
Called my local BB, and they said they have them on order, but no stores in my area (DC/Balt.) have them, and he had no idea when they would get them.
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post #39 of 251
6/20/08 at 12:27pm
I saw them and the box DOES have an S-video output. Some guy opened one of the boxes and I checked it. That store has about 100 of the Apex boxes.


Quote:
Originally Posted by 4HiMarks View Post

Called my local BB, and they said they have them on order, but no stores in my area (DC/Balt.) have them, and he had no idea when they would get them.
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post #40 of 251
6/20/08 at 12:29pm
Don't all analog signals pass through? Pass through to what?




Quote:
Originally Posted by n6ac View Post

I picked up an Apex DT250 at Best Buy (Torrance, CA) today. Also a Zenith DTT901 at CC.
First impressions: the Zenith was faster at autotuning and let me know how many stations it found as it did so; the Apex shows a nebulous percentage.
I THINK the composite picture was a bit better on the Zenith. Have to rearrange a bunch of cables to try the audio (both) and the S-video (Apex), and don't have a smart antenna to try. Both units seemed to get the same set of stations, using only a 24" whip inside my home office. Almost the same set of stations that I get with the Sharp LC-37D90U and Wineguard PR-9018 in the attic.
I'll try to post back with specifics soon. 73 ...Al
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post #41 of 251
6/20/08 at 12:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carib909 View Post

Don't all analog signals pass through? Pass through to what?

All the CECB boxes have only an digital tuner in them, they cant pick up
the current NTSC analog signal. THus there needs to be a pass through
mechanism .. Think of a switch with straight through wire to the output of the box carrying the analog sigal - Analog pass through

Hope this helps.

John
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post #42 of 251
6/20/08 at 9:02pm
The Best Buy in Evanston, Illinois, and the one at the southern end of Skokie (didn't get to the one at the northern end of Skokie) had more Insignia NS-DXA1's on the shelves and in stacks on the floor today than I'd ever seen at either before, but absolutely no Apex DT250's.
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post #43 of 251
6/21/08 at 6:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kousikb View Post

Apex has a reputation of keeping some nice easter eggs in all their previous gadgets.

That was my thought exactly on this unit. Maybe try some of their dvd
secret access codes, like mentioned here:

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks?dv...r=apex&hits=50
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post #44 of 251
6/21/08 at 9:55pm
They had several boxes in the Best Buy in Dallas at Park Lane.
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post #45 of 251
6/21/08 at 10:00pm
Apex Digital-to-Analag Converter at Best Buy.com
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post #46 of 251
6/22/08 at 7:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HomeVideoGuy View Post

Could you at least confirm that it has S-Video? Smart antenna? Does it mention anywhere downmixing DD to Dolby Surround instead of stereo?

Yes, Yes, Yes.
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post #47 of 251
6/22/08 at 7:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HoustonPerson View Post

Tuner and Software problems, etc?

The only thing I've noticed so far is that one press of the remote button often changes through two channels.
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post #48 of 251
6/22/08 at 12:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4HiMarks View Post

This information appears to be 3-4 years old. What does that have to do with CECBs that probably weren't even in the design phase at that time? I don't think the cut-off date had even been set then. I would imagine his health and future will have been settled by now.

-Chris

I'm not suggesting that this information impacts the Apex CECB's. FWIW, it does provide some insight into the character of the company.
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post #49 of 251
6/22/08 at 12:42pm
BB in wester PA, WV show them On Order. When they are shipped, that changes to In Transit. It takes about 1 week to arrive when they switch to In Transit.

My cards expire 7/4. I feel like the FCC is prohibiting me from buying the Apex.
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post #50 of 251
6/22/08 at 2:11pm
6volt, Best Buy does allow exchanges don't they?
You could always buy something before your coupon expires and exchange it for the Apex.

You want to talk about prohibiting a sale look at the MicroProse.
This is not like your Apex at Best Buy where you can exchange.

It was all ready to go and the NTIA but a stop to it because the PassThru version was not on the approved list they said.

They were also the only ones to start a partnership with the CBA and get a NTIA Alert on 5/22 very strange coincidence from the NTIA.

I am sure it will still come to market but when is up to the NTIA.

That is what I would call prohibiting.
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post #51 of 251
6/22/08 at 2:18pm
Doe sthe remote work both the converter and the TV at the same time?

Are there problems with the sound from the box, and/or controlling at the TV?

Any other issues or problems?
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post #52 of 251
6/22/08 at 3:57pm
Can you get RF passthrough while the unit is on, or only while the unit is off?
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post #53 of 251
6/22/08 at 4:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HoustonPerson View Post

Does the remote work both the converter and the TV at the same time?

No, it is not a universal remote.

Quote:


Are there problems with the sound from the box, and/or controlling at the TV?

None yet. It does have a volume control that works for RF as well as for RCA audio out.
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post #54 of 251
6/22/08 at 4:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dattier View Post

Can you get RF passthrough while the unit is on, or only while the unit is off?

Like I stated in my previous post, off only. It is like a VCR where the TV/VCR button is the on/off button. When it is on, channel 3/4 is driven as the RF output.
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post #55 of 251
6/22/08 at 5:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccbrianf View Post

Like I stated in my previous post, off only.

Thank you.  Honestly, I cannot locate a previous post from you in this thread where you said that.  Perhaps you said it in another thread.

So I guess I'll be holding onto my Magnavox TB-100MG9, since it gives passthrough when it's on (though it wouldn't hurt if it could also do it when it's off) and thus can output its tuned channel through the A/V jacks while it passes RF through the RF output.  By connecting both to my old NTSC-only VCR, I can record events from a digital channel and one or more analog channels without needing to stop home between them nor to split the antenna connection.
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post #56 of 251
6/22/08 at 6:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dattier View Post

So I guess I'll be holding onto my Magnavox TB-100MG9, since it gives passthrough when it's on (though it wouldn't hurt if it could also do it when it's off) and thus can output its tuned channel through the A/V jacks while it passes RF through the RF output. By connecting both to my old NTSC-only VCR, I can record events from a digital channel and one or more analog channels without needing to stop home between them nor to split the antenna connection.

Why not just use a splitter on the antenna feed?
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post #57 of 251
6/22/08 at 8:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by raddok View Post

Why not just use a splitter on the antenna feed?

  1. A splitter would attenuate the signal by 3.5 dB, far more than the drain from the MG9's passthrough.
  2. I already used a coupon on the MG9, and the store where I bought it doesn't carry any other model that I could exchange it for, so I'd be out $40 if I returned it, and while it is not my favorite CECB it is adequate to the task.
If you're going to use a splitter and connect the converter box's A/V output to the TV or VCR's A/V input, you don't need to have RF passthrough in the box.
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post #58 of 251
6/22/08 at 11:23pm
My BB told me that if I returned a tuner within 30 days, I could not exchange it for another model. I was talking to rep on phone and he went off to ask someone about this and came back with that answer.

My plan was to get a Channel Master and a Zenith but we shall see - I just like the ideal of S-Video output!
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post #59 of 251
6/23/08 at 7:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dattier View Post

Thank you. Honestly, I cannot locate a previous post from you in this thread where you said that. Perhaps you said it in another thread.

Sorry, you are correct:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...3#post14135473

Quote:


So I guess I'll be holding onto my Magnavox TB-100MG9, since it gives passthrough when it's on (though it wouldn't hurt if it could also do it when it's off) and thus can output its tuned channel through the A/V jacks while it passes RF through the RF output. By connecting both to my old NTSC-only VCR, I can record events from a digital channel and one or more analog channels without needing to stop home between them nor to split the antenna connection.

My answer was by the manual instead of tested. I'll test when I get home tonight to make sure.
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post #60 of 251
6/23/08 at 7:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccbrianf View Post

My answer was by the manual instead of tested. I'll test when I get home tonight to make sure.

I just called my wife and had her test. The manual is correct.
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