Dish Network DTVPal Plus - Page 2

That'd be nice all the users wanting a Dish to release a TR40-CRA+ will get their wish. Somebody can have a laugh.

I would have been in the market for a + model since I've several stations that are on the fringe. I wonder if it's just a DTVPAL/TR40 with a small built in amp... which someone could "add on" to a regular model themselves and save the money.

Oh, I wonder if "plus" is actually a software (firmware) update and not a hardware upgrade. F106 to the rescue.

It uses a new silicon based tuner instead of the Thomson can. If they were like any other consumer electronics company, they would have just released this as a Pal with a new hardware version number. But since they are Dish, they're going to milk this for everything it's worth PR wise and jack the price up.

Not silly at all - they need something to justify the price increase of the DTVPal Advanced with s-video output.

So the grand total now is 3 models with 4? firmware versions and we have 5 months till the transition. Anyone care to guess what'll be the grand total by then?

Microtune MT2131 tuner?

Reportedly the tuner is built into the main board. No tuner brand name on the beta versions.

This was posted on a SatelliteGuys thread:

It's the same one in the DVR as in the Plus. The DTVPal Plus uses a Silicon tuner from Microtune instead of the old Thompson "can" tuner.

FYI, it's the same tuner as in the Sansonic and Lasonic CECBs that got top ratings for picture quality.

In the digital world, the tuner has nothing to do with picture quality (other than possibly getting pixelation break-up if it's not receiving a station well enough).

As many as people are stupid enough to buy.

I'm looking forward to future press releases to see what kind of spin Baghdad Francie will put on it.

Sounds like they have learned from Microsoft.

I liked the Plus/4. Its BASIC made easy things that took lots of POKEing and ML routines on the C64. By then, Commodore's only distribution channel was sitting through a timeshare spiel. Got a C16 that way. Traded it for the Plus/4 someone else got.

Sorry to drift off off-topic, I thought I read that silicon tuners are supposed to run cooler than the can tuners. Maybe that means the DTVPal/Plus won't have to use the antenna as a heatsink.

There are others that use the Microtune chip.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...nits#CECB_List

Don't ask me. If that's the only difference, then I certainly have no intention of ever ordering one.

I don't think anyone here has ordered one. I wonder how many they've sold so far?

The only Microtune-equipped unit which I've tested is the Zinwell ZAT, and its tuner does not seem any better than the existing DTVpal's Thomson tuner. Hmmm.

Also:

I see the CM7000 has a Thomson tuner, and I think it's the best box, and yet I think the DTVpal is the worst box (in terms of sensitivity). Hmmm. Maybe there's more to the reception of channels than just dropping a tuner in a circuit.

If you mean the Zat 970A, it's a Sanyo can tuner.

I updated the Wiki page on Sunday, after I opened my ZAT-970A to confirm the internals. Zinwell does have a couple of units that use the silicon tuner.

No, he means the ZAT-756A

I know a couple Zats have Microtune, but IIRC electrictroy said he got the 970A for the timers -- and it is Sanyo.

Is there any way to know without taking it apart? The tuner in my Zat970A is excellent so I'm thinking it might be a Sanyo.

I now have a M-F timer set and it fires perfectly at the appointed time. If another coupon comes my way, I'll probably get another ZAT as DTVPal still isn't fixed, it seems.

yes, golinux, read Systems2000's comments post #67.

The ZAT-970A was the simplest CECB that I've taken apart. Just remove all the phillips screws that you see. I haven't taken apart my APEX DT502, because of a warranty tag that would be broken and I don't feel like voiding my one year warranty, on the box.

Microtune has a list on their website: NTIA-Certified Converter Boxes that Contain Microtune Technology

A Consumer Reports comparison of several CECBs from earlier in the year had the Sansonic and Lasonic boxes listed as the highest picture quality of the 10 or so that they tested. I don't remember what other boxes were tested.

As stated on Microtune's website:


What CECB doesn't? If this is what makes a "Silicon Tuner" better than a "Can Tuner", I don't get it. ???

I thought the "Silicon Tuner" was supposed to outperform and exceed the capabilities of the "Can Tuner." From what I read the Sansonic and Lasonic, don't perform well at all.

Actually, most of the "can" tuners don't, which is why Microtune sent letters the the NTIA to report them (after the manufacturers did nothing to fix the problems). Of course, the government did nothing...


There are other issues with the Sansonic and Lasonic boxes that are unrelated to the tuners.

That was not why I asked the question. A box can have fantastic picture quality, but it's worthless if it only gets 1 station. But a box that gets 20, I'd probably $100 just to acquire that, even if the picture looked like VHS.

More stations == more choice == better.

DTVPal Plus arrived today. I don't have a DTVPal to compare it against however using the same antenna and location comparing channels received with ATI's TV Wonder USB 600 the DTVPal Plus receives 18 channels here in the office while the ATI stick only receives 8 channels.

We ordered the Plus from DTVPal.com on Monday and it's here by Friday via UPS...

Firmware is F106

......They recently updated their ratings and found the Channel Master to have the best PQ......
so much for the tuner influencing the PQ!

......perhaps it's more the overall design vs. the type of tuner used?