DigitalStream DTX9950 - Page 7

Yes, that's July.

No, I'm not using the line out setting. I found that the audio is way too low on the line out setting. They both produce stereo and I find the audio to be superior this way (audio is produced at both RF and composite as well this way). I basically have no need for the pass-through option but I can understand if you're using multiple boxes.

You may want to seriously consider an exchange if it's running "hot".
However, the ambient temperature of the room could be a factor.
What's the temperature of the room?
My unit is running warm. Definitely not hot. My room temperature is approx. 72-75 degrees (with air conditioning on almost all of the time).

Here's a real shocker. Please sit down to read further . . .

I just checked out Antennas Direct site to see if they ever got a converter box. Get this. They are selling the DS DTX9950 for

$160.00!

OUTRAGEOUS! That's beats Solid Signal's overpricing by a long shot. I wonder if anyone is buying . . .

Yeah, but they're offering free shipping through the end of the month !

See, when they get an order, they have an employee drive over to the local Radio Shack to purchase one retail for $60 plus tax, then have lunch, then drive back, carry it down to the shipping department. That's a lot of staff time to bill per order!

Maybe somebody accidentally put a "1" in front of 60 (the normal retail), and they said, "what the heck... let's go with it".

I was thinking just that. I think I'll give them a call to confirm one way or the other.

Digital Stream used to make full-fledged HD boxes that originally sold for a little over $200.00. Maybe they got it mixed up with that.

I tried that and I still don't get APT when the box is turned "ON" (just confirmed).

I called Antennas Direct and it is indeed a typo! They said they were trying to get it fixed. Just checked and it's still $160. Hard to believe they don't have someone in-house who could make the change. It would only take a minute.

You know, instead of buying this online...you can get it at Radio Shaft and pay an extra $6 to be able to walk back in the store with it up to a year and swap for a new one. Just a thought, if it helps.

Oh, I'm not interested in buying the DS. I checked the Antennas Direct site because I was curious if they had a converter box available. I was told last spring that they were going to manufacture their own but looks like that project tanked and they decided to offer the DS instead. You are absolutely right that doing business locally is always preferable.

Oh-oh . . . it's the lemon chiffon syndrome again.

Yeah I see that when I go from my normal "Black" back to "Default" in the Quick-Style forum scheme chooser.

I highlit it all and made it black instead because I think most people don't bother to enable the darker easier on the eyes scheme...

Sure looks crappy when I switch back to dark though.

I noticed from the file DTAs_prod_list.pdf of energy star units that there are 5 versions of the DTX9950. Two draw 7.2w (no letter and "S"), while A, B, and C draw something less than 5w. A, B, and C have slightly different power draw, so there must be something different about them. The tests are as of 8/1/2008 for S,A,B,C and 5/1/2008 for no letter.
I recently acquired a 9950C (the letter is next to the bar code on the bottom label on the "c" unit). It is only warm after hours of operation.
In comparison with a DTT901, it pulled in one station the 901 did not, but didn't find one the 901 did. A channel that periodically breaks up on the 901 seems to be more solid on the 9950c. Passing airplanes disrupt both boxes on that channel. I use a fixed position roof top antenna.
I think the 901 has a slightly better picture. Fewer digital artifacts. On a 27in TV, if I didn't point them out, others didn't seem to notice the difference.
The 9950c remote is a little easier to use in the dark/without looking because of the shape and button arrangement. There are TV volume controls in addition to the converter box volume. The resolution of the volume control is coarser on the 9950 than the 901. 20 steps vs 100 steps if I remember correctly. If you need to get the volume down quickly (as in someone is sleeping and had the volume high before they turned off the box) the 9950 performs this function rather quickly. The 901 takes a few more (agonizing) seconds.
The power LED is more subdued on the 9950c, which is appreciated in the bedroom. The 901 LED is not bad, but much brighter. An artistically cut piece of electrical tape could easily "fix" the 901 glow .
The 9950c unit is physically smaller than the 901. It happens to sit better on top of this particular TV.

I'll keep both of these units.

It looks like I just bought a defective DTX9950 today. The UHF digital channels are strong as usual. The analog pass through has a BIG signal drop. I have a nice setup in the garage to test the boxes & indoor antennas. I could only pull in a couple of UHF analogs. Just to double check, I hooked up antenna straight to RF input of analog TV. 4,6,8,18 & 24 come in OK. 12 & 15 analog were weak as usual. I will borrow back my other 9950 tomorrow just to make sure.
Bob 61231

Spokybob, I may have a defective one too. I bought this unit some time ago for our trailer we keep at a hunting camp in the middle of nowhere. Because of its location, the camp area will never have cable or even electricity (we run everything via generator). We also only use it during hunting season and maybe a few other times but not often enough to warrant dish or directv sat service.

I hooked the converter box up and did the scan but it found no stations and no signal strength. We don't have much of an antenna but we are able to pick up a couple channels through the tv, although a bit snowy. These channels should be broadcasting digital already. Is the digital stream just not as sensitive as the tv receiver? I thought if you could see at least some picture on the screen, the converter box should show some strength.

The Digital Stream has a digital tuner but no analog tuner. If you're in the middle of nowhere you may be a long way from a station broadcasting a digital signal. When you pick up a couple of channels "a bit snowy" these are probably analog translator stations that rebroadcast a distant analog/digital station. Go to antennaweb or tvfool and enter the address/zip code for the hunting camp. That should describe what, if anything, you might expect to receive in that location.

Thanks, that might the problem. I'll check out antennaweb.

tvfool.com is better.

I have learned from these forums that while analog receivers can cope with weaker signals (snowy or fluttery pictures), digital receivers must have 'some' level of signal to even function.
(It must be ALL of the 1s and 0s not some 0.99s and some 0.0s.)

This is progress!?

This thread has been idle and I don't see much new discussion about the DS in other threads. Has anybody bought a DS recently and noted anything new, better?

Do they run cooler?
Have they finally made the volume the same in stereo and mono modes?
Any changes to the EPG, etc?

This post is prompted by a visit to the local RS where, hard as it may be to believe, they had an overly opinionated salesperson. He proceeded to tell me that the DS had a full matrix EPG showing more than one channel at a time. He was adamant that the Zenith and DS had nearly identical EPG's. I told him that my DTX9950 and DTT901 were quite different, but he was not deterred. I'm pretty certain such an advance would have shown up here on the forum and the RS employee is full of crap as usual, but just in case...

Why didn't you ask him to demonstrate all of these great "new" features ?

An agent in a RS I was in, claimed the DTX9950 had the highest ratings !?

They also had the DTT901 at $59.99.

I have a couple of questions. I am buying a converter box for a family member who is not a fan of complicated electronic devices.

Does the remote of the DTX9950 control the volume for the TV only? I don't want her controlling the box volume only. Is there one button on the remote that will turn on (and off) both the box and television?

I am either getting this box for her or getting another DTT901. But the DTT901 remote doesn't include TV volume and has different buttons for TV and box power. And I know the box will be on 24/7 if there is only one, which could be a power usage and unit life issue. Any suggestions are welcome! Also, which has a less complicated daily operation, the DTT901 or the DTX9950?

Personally - I don't find ANY of these CECBs to be all that complicated, even for someone who would be considered "techno-phobic". The hardest part is hooking them to a good enough antenna system then performing the setup routine -you can almost do them half-asleep...

It has separate controls for TV volume and box volume, but there's no guarantee that it will have a preset for her TV.
No.  There is one button for TV power and there is another for CECB power.  Again, though, there's no guarantee that it will have a preset for her TV.  I wanted to use my DTX9950 with a Funai television, and the TV power and TV volume buttons work but the TV input button on the DTX9950's remote does not with the Funai TV, so I have it hooked to the 13" Daewoo television in a room where nobody inthe household watches TV any more.
What exactly do you mean by "daily operation"?

Thanks for your help. I mean after I set up the box (channel scan etc.), which box is easier to navigate.

Can't decide that for you.

To navigate?  As in surfing channels or as in moving about the menus?

The DTX9950's remote has larger buttons in a variety of colors, but they require more pressure from the finger.  It's not too much for most people, but my nonagenarian mother has dexterity problems now and not much finger strength, and it would be troublesome for her.  She'd actually have less difficulty with the smaller buttons, all black, on the DTT901's remote.

If you're surfing channels, both lock (if the signal is good enough to lock) with roughly the same speed and let you keep going past the current channel without waiting for it to lock.

The EPGs are entirely different, and I'm sure you'll have a preference between them.

For menu navigation, I'd say the DTT901 is easier, but many viewers don't need to go into the menus that much once they have the initial setup done.

My 88 y.o. mother decided on an RCA DTA800b1 solely based on the ease of operation of it's universal remote.

Anybody else have a DTX9950 that responds to their CM7000 remote? I occasionally noticed that my DTX9950 was on when I didn't think anyone had been using it. It turns out that it interprets the digit "1" on the CM remote as an "ON" code. Sometimes the "1" will also shut it off, but not always. As it turns out, quite a few keys on the CM remote will trigger actions on the DTX, but of course none doing what they do on the CM.

FWIW, I can't find any keys on the DTX remote that get any response on the CM.

If others have the same issue, then this would be a combination of CECB's to avoid if they will be used near each other.

Wanted to bump this thread, because I'm thinking this is a worthy box that has suffered from some bad word of mouth that may no longer be an issue with current models.

Picked up a unit yesterday at Radio Shack, which I'm taking to be an August model (O8F08). Already preferring this over my Zenith 901, although for absolute picture and sound performance, my sets aren't going to tell me which is better than the other (I'm expecting, anyway).

For more detailed comments, you can read my post in the Comparison thread at the top of the forum. So far, I'm very impressed where the "details" are concerned.

Just to be safe, I did spring an extra $5 and some change for the 1-year in-store return policy - something I rarely do.