DigitalStream DTX9950 - Page 2

Yes, please do. And if the numbers on the major ICs and tuner module are not readable on the pictures (often requires good resolution, focus, and the right camera/light angle), please type those out. Also, if you find an FCC ID number that is very useful.

Thanks.

That's unfortunate, Rogee.  My local Radio Shack was kind enough to exchange my rebought-with-coupon Zenith DTT900 for a DTX9950, and in fact the manager wrote up the reason as the customer's wanting passthrough, so that she could resell the DTT900 instead of returning it to LG as a defective unit.  She said that the Zenith DTT900, which she has never had in stock at that store, is still the "holy grail" (her words, not mine) among their customers and they could resell a working DTT900 easily.  In her opinion, virtually nobody would be bothered by the bug I found with long synopses any more than by the sibilance or (if my January 2008 DTT900 even has it: its pitch is above the hearing of anyone of my years) the left-channel chirp.


For that, you need a unit that implements passthrough as the Magnavox TB-100MG9 (or the Philco TB100HH9; I think they're the same machine with different brandings) does.  It passes RF through only when it's on, and the selected digital channel is still sent out the composite jacks.

The DTX9950 acts as jbestor described: the A/D (formerly INFO) button is a second power toggle.  When the unit is on standby, the RF output passes the input through and the composite jacks are dead.  When the unit is on or unplugged, there's no passthrough.

I was wrong yesterday to state that the A/D button would have no effect while the unit is off.  It turns it back on!

Hi. I'm new here.

With my coupon expiring on 6/6, I purchased the DigitalStream DTX9950 at the 11th hour from Radio Shack. I read a number of posts on this forum prior to doing so. One individual brought up the issue of this converter box getting "VERY, VERY hot." He/she was not kidding!

In less than 2 hrs. of use, I experienced the same and have concerns (i.e. fire, etc.) of such that it will be returned. I've wondered why no one else mentioned this issue.

Does the insert say which device key on the remote you're supposed to use? I presume this CECB would need to be progammed onto the Cable/DBS key (as opposed to the VCR or DVD key). I'm going to buy a 9950 for use at my workplace so in the meantime i'm trying to program my shop's universal GE 4-in-one remote either by directly entering a code or using the code search but so far i haven't been able to get this remote to operate my DTX9900.

When you turn off your 9950, does it cool down or does it stay hot by some standby mode?

If it cools down when off, then I wouldn't be concerned personally.

You could also place some spacers under the unit to elevate it from what ever it sets on to get some air circulation under the unit. This might help with your heating problem.

Dennis

My coupon was about to expire on 6/12. I called the NTIA to find out if there was any way to extend the date. It was a flat no. The woman on the phone sounded weary so I think they are getting alot of calls on this question. Consumer Reports says that this is a major problem and they along with other organizations have pressed for changes. They further stated that the NTIA is likely to make some changes to make the program more flexible but at this time there's no give on the 90 day expiration period.

So I went out and bought 2 of the Digital Stream 9950 at Radio Shack. $59.99 + Tax = $64.94 - $40 = $24.94 x 2 units = $49.88. The clerk then tried to sell me an extended warrantee for $5.99 each and told me that the factory warrantee was 90 days. It's not it's 6 mo. Didn't buy the warrantee.

Hooked it up and it works well. Easy to program channels. Startup wizard gets you up and running easily.

Now for the bad news. I bought this unit for two reasons. One - it was the only unit available locally with analog pass through. I was also considering the Zenith DTT900 and the RCA units without pass through. Those are not available anywhere in my area. The Zenith DTT901 has APT but does not appear to be out yet. The EcoStar unit also is primise ware at this point. So this unit appeared to be the next best thing. Two - I wanted the ability to add channels tha the scanner missed. I have a situation where I have to move the antenna in several directions to get all of the channels. So if I scan in one direction it will miss the channels in the other. They are still valid just can't do it with scan alone. So I wanted a unit that could manuall add channels. So I compared the listings on...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_CECB_units

It showed that you can manually add channels that are missed with this unit. At least there's no -n in the 'Other Features' column. The truth is that you can edit the channel list but it appears that you can only remove channels and tag channels as favorites. I can't see any way to add a channel that was missed.

Can anyone else confirm this or tell me how to do it?

RS

Go back into the scan menu and choose UPDATE. This will look like it's rescanning completely but in fact it will just add in new channels it finds. The other option on the menu is RESCAN but that will wipe out any it's already found.

So you can do it but must be done with multiple UPDATE scans. I didn't think there was a way to forcibly "add" a individual UHF frequency into the list manually, but you can manually tune to the frequency itself by pressing . first then entering the real VHF or UHF freqency. (EDIT: Read below, others state you can add, at least the primary sub channel this way)

If you want to add one channel and you know its true RF channel number, you don't have to do a full Update as Replay3030Owner was describing.

Exit the menus if you're in them, press the "." key, and you'll get a window marked "RF."  Then press the digits of the physical channel of the station you want to add (if it's 2 through 9, give it a leading zero or press OK afterward).

That will add the channel (and its subchannels, I believe; the only channel for which I could test it has only -1 and no subs) to the channel list as deselected.  Go back into the menus and select Channel Edit, so that you can put a checkmark into the middle column and add it to the stops for Channel Up and Channel Down.


Actually, it will add it, but it will add it as deselected for Channel Up and Channel Down.  You'll have to go to Channel Edit to select it for that.

Ok.. thanks guys. I'll try those suggestions. The first idea of using update may be the way to go as I have to rotate the antenna to get each station. As long as I don't loose what I already have I'll be ok.

RS

And how does one tune a VHF channel?

Not sure if this has been addressed yet, but since the DS 9900 units are based on the LG chip that has the left channel noise issue, does your new 9950 have the Left channel noise problem when a HD 5 channel Broadcast comes through the unit?

I know the new Zenith DTT901 has this fixed, just wondering if the fix went into the new DS 9950 unit as well.

Dennis

The same way.  I wouldn't have said what I did about single-digit physical channels if it worked only for UHF.  Just read Replay3030Owner's "UHF" as a typo for "RF."

Sorry, dattier, I missed your reply. Thanks.

I had just ordered one of these and since I currently have two VHF DT channels (9 & 10) and one more to be added in '09, I wondered if I was going to have some sort of problems receiving them.

Sorry. I am so used to every station around me and all the people across the state I'm helping with the digital conversion all being in the UHF range. I realize parts of the country do have some digital stations on VHF as well, but just don't always remember.

A VHF can be entered the same way as a UHF.

I edited the post to state this and include the new information that others posted about manually adding without having to do an update scan.

I'm going to try to zero my DTX9950's channel table by doing a rescan [edit session #2: I did mean "rescan" there] with the antenna disconnected, and then reconnect the antenna and try adding a couple of channels that have subchannels to see if the subchannels are added to the table as well.

EDIT (#1):

Going back and editing my previous posts is too error-prone, so here's what I found: tuning the RF frequency of a channel by pressing "." first does add all subchannels, but like the main channel, it adds them deselected, and you have to go to Channel Edit to include them as stops when you surf with Channel Up or Channel Down.

Also, a rescan [edit session #2: I meant UPDATE, not "rescan"], if it finds the channel, will flip that toggle and change it from deselected to selected.

Hmm... I still have to see what happens if a rescan [edit session #2: there too I meant UPDATE, not "rescan"] doesn't find a channel that's added but deselected.

EDIT (#2):

Let's try those last two paragraphs of edit #1 again ...

Also, an update, if it finds the channel, will flip that toggle and change it from deselected to selected.

Hmm... I still have to see what happens if an update doesn't find a channel that's added but deselected.

Well, I tried to call TIVO on this question, but after a long time on hold I got the infamous accidental TS hangup when he had to check with someone else... and I got no callback, so I will pose this question here...

I currently have Comcast Cable, here is Portland Oregon, which is hooked up to my TIVO box. I am going to be shutting of my cable and going only with my *future* don't have one yet, 9950 box.

Can I just route the signal from my 9950 to the RF input on my TIVO and still be able to record, or pause like I can with cable? I really like my TIVO and hope that I don't lose this capability.

Anyone know for sure if this will work?

Thanks in advance,
Dennis

So:

1.) Is this tuner any less sensitive than the DTX9900 because of the pass-through?,

2.) Has anybody been able to find a remote control or IR blaster code to control it, unlike the DTX9900?, and

3.) Does it still cut off a good portion of the picture like the DTX9900?

I need to know these things because the DTVPal looks like it's vaporware now, and my coupons are up on the 27th.

I just purchased a DTX9950 and from preliminary side by side testing against an April build Zenith DTT900 (series 0201 with LG tuner) I cannot detect any difference in tuner sensitivity between the two. Each picks up the same number of stations but I am admittedly in a fairly good signal location. I have not compared signal strength meter readings.

My guess is the pass through implementation of this box does not require any split of the signal since it is only in pass through when off.

Sorry, I am not currently looking for IR blaster control of either box.

The zoom mode of both does have a significant overscan and the amount of picture cropped seems to be identical. Neither appears to have this problem if left in the native picture mode. The DTX does have a 14:9 mode that does not quite fill a 4:3 screen but does not have the crop that 4:3 (zoom) mode does.

One issue I have with the Zenith is it's low audio output volume even at max volume. If configured in stereo mode it is less than half the volume of my other components or the TV's internal tuner. Putting it in mono mode brings it's volume up but still not to the desired matching level.

The DTX does not have a mono/stereo setting but as a previous poster described it has a curious "preferred output" setting. This can be set to either RF or line out. When set to line out its level matches the DTT in mono. However, when set to RF the output volume is raised significantly and pretty much matches my other components. Strangely, audio line out is live with either of these settings and is what I used for comparison purposes.

I suspect that this audio setting is actually setting mono (RF) or stereo (line out) but need to test further (hopefully with a music program as source material).

Thanks but those don't apply as far as setting the codes for my IR blasters and recorders. Every unit uses different code numbers for the same device. I just need to know what sort of code can control it (what brand, type of device, etc.). I really don't want to purchase this box and go through hundreds of codes again. It's much, much more tedious than with a remote control. It could take a week. I had to do that with the Zenith box, after people here saying it could be controlled by an IR blaster. The recorders I wanted to use it with are apparently too old to contain the right code (supposedly an LG DirecTV satellite tuner one).

Thanks jbestor for the information... I just want to be able to record incoming stations to my TIVO and do not care if I can't watch one station while recording another so if this all works, I'll be one happy puppy.

I'll check into the series 3 and series 2 solutions.

I appreciate your response and will let people know of my successes or failure using my TIVO when I get my 9950.

Take care,
Dennis

Bump... sorry to be Dennis the Menace, but does anyone have the answer to this question?

Thanks,
Dennis (again)

As near as I can tell the audio problem does not exist in the DTX9950. I have both a DTX9950 and an April build (series 0201) DTT900. In side by side testing both sound fine to me although their volume output levels are a bit low unless put in mono mode (the DTX9950 calls this "RF" with stereo being labeled "line" in the Audio Output Preference setting).

I was incorrect in my previous post when I stated that the DTX9950 had a higher output level than the DTT900. On my initial comparison I thought I had left the DTT in mono mode but in fact I had it in stereo. When set the same (DTT stereo / DTX line output or DTT mono / DTX RF output) the audio levels are identical.

I have both connected to older Sony equipment. An XBR TV with stereo / SRS sound and a Sony Dolby Pro Logic receiver. I have tested several channels with standard stereo programs and DD5.1 (including the infamous NBC Nightly News) and detected no problems or significant difference in the audio between the two units. This was using both the TV and the Receiver in the various supported stereo / SRS / Dolby Pro Logic sound modes.

To my eye the DTT900 has a very slight edge in color saturation (using composite video connections on both) but nothing that a slight tweak to the TV's color settings would not correct.

The DTX9950 remote has a much better layout of its buttons and the EPGs are notably different. While the DTX will show you more programs than the DTT's Now/Next, it can do it only for the currently tuned channel. The DTT will allow scrolling through other channel's Now/Next while remaining tuned to the current channel (assuming that the other channels were recently tuned to pick up PSIP data).

Both tune the same number of channels with the same reception quality in my suburban location @ 20 miles maximum from the farthest transmitter. CM3020 roof mount with CM7777 preamplifier (admittedly not a challenging reception environment).

Except for one thing, JBestor: I typoed lavishly and meant to say update rather than "rescan."  An update changed the channel (which I'd added manually but not marked as selected) from deselected to selected.

Of course a rescan would do that, so with the mistake in my post, it came out stating something obvious and irrelevant rather than anything useful.

Thanks for catching it.  I'll scroll up and edit the original.

Sorry about that.

Where can I find a complete listing of RF to Displayed channels? For example UHF channel 11 in my area is RF 12. Is there such a listing? Are these relationships the same in all locals?

RS

Enter your location information at tvfool.com or antennaweb.org.  Also, see if the Local fora here on AVSForum include one for your area.
No.