Channel Master CM-7000PAL HD DVR - AKA Dish DTVPal - Page 10

That's too bad. Don't give up completely on new firmware being released. There is no telling what, if any, features could be added, but it sounds like they told you exactly what you wanted to hear.

Mark

I'm glad the link for CM's Return Policy was noted previously. You got a better deal but your unit is non-returnable according to the specific mention of excluding the CM-7000PAL and the mention of all open box/refurbished sales as final - no returns. You do have a 1 year warranty, but I have read that dealing with CM is now like pulling teeth in regards to service issues...I think I'm agreeing with pay a little more for less hassle. Hopefully, you will be problem free! I'm convinced that a lot of the problems with these units and the Dish PAL DVR (since 2010 and the latest firmware) are really users that don't come up to speed with all the glitches and their workarounds and also users who may be expecting a more refined Tivo class product (although Tivo reviews on Amazon - especially the newer Premiere product - seem to indicate a lot of software glitches as well!)

Gary - I'm in the hardware/software business: They always try to get to marker 1st, then worry about the software fixes later. Windows been doing this for over 10 years. It's becoming the normal way to do business now.

Even though I have an open box purchase, I can still return it. After the warranty expires, I will update the hard drive to 1T & see if I can get the software to stream internet videos & movies.

Hi Ives,

If you change the time manually, you will still have non DST time for the guide made from the PSIP. This way it is very difficult to record something at the right time, because you have to calculate the offset, and you cannot use the guide directly. Also the information recorded to identify the recording will not be the good one. Each time you reboot the CM-7000Pal you return to the non DST time.

It is simple to leave it at the normal time and program with the guide witch have the same wrong time. If there is no guide for that program you have to figure out the one hour offset when you do the programmation.

Darmand

So can the CM-7000 PAL HD DVR be hooked up to a receiver with an HDMI switch and the audio and video be passed from there in the single cord from the receiver to a projector? I'm looking to buy a unit that has an OTA tuner with a DVR and there doesn't seem to be many options. Ideally I'd like to just have one cord going from my receiver to the projector and use only HDMI for all of my components. Have people had success doing that with this device? I thought I saw mixed reviews earlier in the thread...

HDMI works good on my system (CM-7000PAL => HDMI => Receiver => HDMI => Plasma monitor). Since my display does not have speakers, audio always comes from the receiver's speakers.

Initially, I thought the HDMI was not working, but it turned out that I had not fully inserted the connector into the CM-7000PAL. Make sure you push it firmly!

Dan.

I bought an open box CM via an ebay dealer, and even though I didn't buy directly from the CM site, they were very easy to deal with when I needed a replacement for my randomly rebooting unit. All I had to do was email a copy of my purchase receipt, and they shipped me the replacement and a label for my returned one. They can't fix yours and return you the same one, but they apparantly have no problems swapping out another. It only took one call, one email, and a few days for the replacement to reply, so to me it was hassle free.

X2. It might not have been the absolute lowest price, but it was good with the $20 off. It should arrive Tuesday. I finally talked the wife into ditching DTV for OTA (supplementing with Netflix streaming).

Matt

I really only like to watch the network stations for news and some of the shows/sports, so when I set up my entertainment system at my new place I'm not getting cable and I just want to get an OTA receiver for my HD projector (and have the added DVR)... I pretty new to this stuff since I've had basic cable in the past, and now that I'm searching around it seems like there aren't a lot of set-top boxes similar to the CM-7000PAL HD DVR that does what I want. Are there any alternatives? Or is this the best and most user friendly one on the market?

There's TiVo but that can get pretty expensive with the monthly fee or lifetime service fee. There is also Sezmi if you happen to live in one of the markets they serve. From those I know with the system, it seems to work pretty well and isn't expensive ($150 for the equipment and $5/month for service).
http://www.sezmi.com/

Glad to hear it! I've had no personal experience since both of my DVRs' are the Dish DTVPal version - I simply related a conclusion drawn from the negative comments (reviews) on Amazon about the CM7000 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...sr=1-1&seller=). I went to the bottom and selected 'See All Reviews' and started reading.
Since the product is functionally identical to my Pal, I would expect the same kind of problems - mostly avoidable if users were to come up to speed on the main DishPal DTV AVS Forum as well as this one. This product does have glitches! - But, is better now than when first released a few years ago - it's just not for those wanting everything perfect.

I am looking at possibly getting one of these.

Does it have wifi for streaming or will I also need a Roku box or something similar for streaming?

Dawn

It doesn't have network features for streaming even though it has a network port (only to update firmware).

Thanks. I will need another Roku box then.

Dawn

I have looked high and low for the firmware update online. I can't reach my ethernet cord to the box and I was going to download the update and install with a thumbdrive. Can anyone give me a working link for it?

You won't be able to find anything online because there haven't been any updates. The firmware shipped with the unit is the latest and only version so far. Here is the Channelmaster link for the DVR:

http://www.channelmasterstore.com/HD...cm-7000pal.htm

[quote=OneFore9;20550958]You won't be able to find anything online because there haven't been any updates. The firmware shipped with the unit is the latest and only version so far. Here is the Channelmaster link for the DVR:

(Link removed so I could post)

That was true for me as well. I plugged in the ehternet cable and it basically told me that there were no new updates available.

On lock ups that have been mentioned, occasionally my DVR doesn't respond to the remote. I have found that if I get close to the DVR and continually press power on the remote, it finally shuts off. Then when I turn it back on, it seems to be fine.

One thing I recommend and have done with any DVR I have owned, is put the DVR a UPS. It not only keeps it running when there is a power failure, but also during power fluctuations like gray outs, since it it keeps a steady power source to the unit. Fluctuating power is the worst enemy of electronic equipment, so eliminating it definitely helps.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6#post20469426

I've spent a lot of time in the XBR-960 CRT forum, but am brand-new to this one. I couldn't find any comments regarding my questions, so I apologize if this has been discussed.

I just ordered one of these Channel Master PVR's, and I'm not sure how to interface it to my system. I have the XBR-960 HD TV, a small home theater receiver, a Blu-Ray player, and now this PVR.

I have never owned a PVR before, so I'm not sure I understand how I will be using this device. I have two questions:

First, do you always want to watch TV with the PVR "in line"? In other words, with the PVR feeding the TV, so you could "pause live TV" and resume when you want? Or, should I connect the PVR as if it were just another video device such as a DVD player that's connected to a different video input to the TV and a different input to the receiver?

Second, my TV has only one HDMI input. Currently, I'm using that for my Blu-Ray player. So I'm thinking I'll use the component inputs for my PVR. Or, should I reverse that--use the HDMI for the PVR and the component inputs for the Blu-Ray player? Or, does it matter?

Sorry for the bandwidth, and thanks for your comments.

Mark

I now watch essentially all TV through my TiVo, which works similarly. But how does that affect how you hook up a PVR? If you mean should you bother with a coaxial connection to the TV, that will allow you to view live TV when you are recording two shows on the PVR.


I would probably leave the Blu-ray on HDMI, but it probably doesn't matter.

I have my CM7000-PAL DVR connected to my TV by both HDMI and coax. When the DVR is off (well, sorta off, no green light) the antenna's signal is routed through the DVR and on to the TV by coax. When the DVR is turned on the normal OTA coax output to the TV stops and the HDMI feed is available. Often, if I'm just going to watch TV for a few minutes (for news, weather, etc), I don't turn on the DVR and just use the TV's tuner, instead. But, for watching half-hours shows or longer, I want the pause feature that the DVR supplies. It is great to be able to pause for a phone call, potty break, etc, and then pick up where I left off. I can then skip through commercials to catch back up to live TV.

My TV has 3 HDMI inputs (CM7000-PAL, Blu-Ray, & Roku currently). If I had just the one HDMI, like yours, then I would connect the Blu-Ray by HDMI and the CM7000-PAL by component video. No real evidence that works best, but the Blu-Ray is 1080P, while HD OTA is either 720P or 1080i.

AJ

or when the DVR is on but it's in pass-through mode (and then the green light is on) It's also possible to watch some stations through the television's tuner even when the DVR is on and pass-through is off, if their RF frequencies aren't clobbered by the DVR's coax output.

For the record, I have the Dish-branded version with F208 firmware, but the CM should logically operate the same way.

Thanks for your reply, David. re: which input gets HDMI, that's what I thought.

Regarding the hookup, it seems to me if I connect the PVR to feed the TV whenever I'm watching TV it could mean a slight degradation to the signal because it's "looping through" the PVR. Also, does the hard drive spin whenever the PVR is on? So that's why I'm wondering if I should feed the PVR into a separate video input on the TV.

If it's plugged in the hard drive is spinning.

I'm more familiar with TiVo, but as dvdchance says, the hard drive does spin all the time. Watching everything through a PVR should cause no degradation since the digital data stream from the tuner/demodulator is just written to the hard drive and then later retrieved and decoded exactly as it would have been live. I suppose your TV could have better playback circuitry for decoding the data, but I doubt that that would make much difference.

I did forget that C.M. and DTVPal DVRs don't just pass RF through on the coax but can also generate output there, so you might have to put the unit in standby or activate pass-thru to watch a third program while recording two others.

Thanks, everyone--wow, quick and "spot on" comments. You guys know your stuff.

I have it connected temporarily via component inputs, and I am very impressed! It's working just as I had hoped!

Two comments:
1) The PVR remote's volume control doesn't seem to have any affect. Is that only active when outputting via RF (ch. 3 or 4?) Probably doesn't make much difference as I don't expect to be needing it. (See next point.)
2) I forgot to mention I have a Harmony remote. I believe it will be versatile enough to handle the system so we can control the audio from our home stereo receiver.
3) So now I have to get my wife comfortable seeing the PVR menus instead of the Sony TV menus. That may be the biggest challenge!

Thanks again for all the comments.


Mark

The Volume and Mute buttons have to be coded to control your particular TV (or maybe your A/V receiver). They don't do anything on the PVR itself.

How do you like the Roku unit? I'm using Boxee software right now....very limited on the programs on Boxee.

Why is everyone calling it a PVR, it's a DVR or am I missing something?

The two terms are pretty much interchangeable.