Airlink101 ATVC-102/Zentech DF2000L

The AIRLINK ATVC101 specs show:
Includes Electronic Program Guide (EPG) function with up to 7-day on-screen listing of TV programs information.

This seems to one of very few if not the only CECB that will decode and show a complete EPG.

In San Diego every OTA DTV broadcaster that transmits the EPG supplies 8 days of program info as verified by TSReader to analyze the digital transport stream.

If any AVS poster has this converter please post your findings.
I have the Zenith 910 and the CM 7000 which are limited to one and two days of EPG info as does my Vizio LCD TV.

If the AIRLINK ATVC101 does indeed meet that spec I might be interested in buying one.

Ok, here's the bottom line. The Zentech, Airlink, GE, and Goodmind all have the same general menu and EPG software. The GE and Goodmind allow you to do a full 7 day guide OR a simplified ~6 hour guide. The Zentech only allows you to do the full 7 day guide. The Airlink can only show the simplified guide. We assumed for a few days that you could switch between the simple and full guides on both the Zentech and Airlink boxes, like you can with the GEs and Goodmind, but you cannot. The buttons that allow you to switch it on the GEs do not do anything on Zentech or Airlink.

So, it is not true the the Airlink has a 7 day guide. The software is obviously capable of it since the other brands can do it, but the manufacturer has disabled it. I am speaking on the ATVC102. The 101 may be different.

Good info, thanks.
Glad to see there are CECB's that do show 7 day EPG listings. My interested was prompted by so many posts on these forums and on the DTVPAL DVR thread that blamed the broadcasters for the lack of 7 day listings.

My analysis with TSreader showed that, in the San Diego market at least, the broadcasters are not the culprit.

Interestingly, Fry's no longer shows the Airlink ATVC102, only the ATVC101. Wonder why. After the DTV transition I may try the ATVC101. The Fry return policy is good for a return if it is deficient in EPG listings.

The APEX DT502 will show 7-days of EPG if they're available. The most I've seen has been about 36 hours, but most stations I receive are only 12 hours.

FYI: EPG data for San Diego OTA DTV stations
Compiled Feb 16 2009 from 1PM to 1:30 PM
With TSReader and a Hauppauge HVR 1800 Capture card, indoor UHF bowtie.

KFMB 2/16/2009 1:00:01 PM to 2/17/2009 12:37:01 AM
KUSI 2/16/2009 1:00:01 PM to 2/17/2009 12:30:01 AM
XETV 2/16/2009 1:30:01 PM to 2/17/2009 5:30:01 AM
KGTV 2/16/2009 1:00:01 PM to 2/20/2009 12:00:01 PM
KPPBS 2/16/2009 1:00:01 PM to 2/19/2009 12:30:01 PM
KNSD 2/16/2009 1:00:01 PM to 2/17/2009 12:37:01 AM
KSWB 2/16/2009 1:00:01 PM to 2/19/2009 12:00:01 PM

So anywhere from 1 to 4 days compared to 8 days for the TVGOS.

fyi for anyone interested....if u have a $40 gov't coupon u can get an Airlink ATVC102 totally free from MeritLine.com >

http://www.dealigg.com/story-Airlink...-Converter-Box

What is the actual or advertised power consumption for the Airlink ATVC102?

PM3839 thanks for another good link to a free box.

glad to help...u cant beat free...

i ordered one yesterday even tho i dont like its use of a mini-plug for the a/v outputs instead of the traditional RCA jacks...what a stupid choice....but then again its a free box and they include an a/v cable so i cant complain too much....i'll report here after i get a chance to put it thru its paces....

and i have a KILL-A-WATT power meter so i can measure the power consumption for u....i can predict that its almost for sure going be about 7 or 8 watts in the 'ON' mode and maybe half that in 'OFF' mode cuz thats one of the specs the gov't demands for the $40 cecb's (coupon eligble converter box)....

The Airlink is free after coupon at freedtvshop.com too. Other boxes I ordered from them have been good.

While I'd prefer a set of conventional RCA jacks instead of a A/V breakout cable that later on is prone to get lost... or damaged rendering the unit useless....

I noticed from the pics that the unit uses a external PS with a standard barrel connection 12vdc/@1amp...... When /if the PowerSupply dies (or gets lost) you can use a "standard" power supply ...

( DTVPal /TR-40 Series uses a PROPRIETARY plug...)

i've had an Airlink ATVC102 cecb dtv box for a few days now...bottom line is i would not buy another one, mostly because of the poor video quality on some but not all channels.....it has 5 problems...1 major and 4 minor, in my opinion >

1 - using the a/v output the video blurs/smears then clears in ~2 second cycles on most hd channels...(i think the rf ch 3/4 output would be the same but i haven't checked it that way) ...its most noticeable on horizontal lines but its actually across the entire screen.....my local CBS hd channel is ok but most other hd channel video blurs....the video is good on non-hd content, no blurring/smearing on any of those sub channels....

2 - the CHANNEL RECALL function doesn't work properly when the 2nd channel is selected using epg guide list...it RECALLS to a random channel, not the previous channel....u have to direct enter both channel numbers for CH RECALL to work properly....must be a software/firmware bug?

3 - the on-screen display (osd) font size is very small/too small for all osd menus....its very hard to read on a 27 inch crt at any reasonable distance....

4 - the signal meter displays STRENGTH & QUALITY like an fta satellite rcvr.... but it seems to make no sense? at first i thought the STRENGTH threshold (b4 video pixellation happens) is under 48 or so? later impression > no, it seems QUALITY is most important but it seems to behave unpredictably....for example, a known to be weak signal can be at or near 100% QUALITY but when that weak signal falls below threshold and starts to pixellate the QUALITY number will instantly fall to zero...makes no sense....nothing like this happens with my TR40 or ARTEC tuners when using the exact same antenna connection...

5 - the epg is only NOW/NEXT program....the SIMPLE GUIDE function displays program titles only for the next 3 or 4 programs for a single channel only but with no program description info....

audio is ok on all channels...tuner sensitivity seems to be ok...

it uses a 24 hour clock with no 12 hour option....

it runs a little warmer than the DTVPal aka TR40 or ARTEC boxes but not hot at all....it has an all metal case with vents...

i didn't measure power consumption yet...if someone needs that let me know and i will do it later....

i called AIRLINK tech support with zero good results....one guy put me on hold after my lengthy detailed description of the blurred video and the CH RECALL problems and then lost me....and tho he had my phone number he didn't bother to call me back...i had to call back and the next guy stupidly implied my antenna signal was the problem....lol...pathetic! so much for AIRLINK tech support!

so as i said, the bottom line is i would not buy another Airlink ATVC102 box...

PM3839 thanks for taking the time to do a review on the Airlink.

I think I will pass on ordering the Airlink and order another free Artec.

Your description of reception and meter results doesn't surprise me. You seem to be describing your reception capability. The low "Signal Strength" numbers tell me you need a better antenna and is confirmed by the 100% "Signal Quality" that drops to 0% when the "Signal Strength" drops even lower. It also tells me you don't seem to have a lot of multi-path or co-channel/adjacent channel interference. If you had that, the "Signal Quality" level would be bouncing all over the place, sometimes 20-30% or more.

no....i have excellent/strong signal levels on almost all of my locals....my ARTEC and TR40 boxes work very well and dont have any meter issues like the AIRLINK does....the AIRLINK just seems to have a weird signal meter in addition to its other problems....

hmmm.... I noticed that too, and it might not be just the Airlink 101 CECBs. Looks like all the Airlink 101 "cheapo" electronic equipment is hard to find at Fry's. Used to be they promoted Airlink 101 stuff all the time in their ads. Now, NOTHING. Too bad... I got a lot of cheap (Airlink 101) electronics there.... darn! (can't beat those $6 wifi 802.11g cards)... lol