Recommended Digital OTA converters

Does your cable provider offer a limited basic lineup of just the locals, for example, for a very small fee? And, more importantly, are they still providing NTSC over their cable?

I don't mean to change the subject (so you can answer in a private message), but were you able to use the ir blaster to control the Zenith after you uploaded codes to the photo partition, or did you find existing codes that worked? If so, can you share which ones? I was under the impression that no existing codes could control the Zenith at all, that you had to upload new ones.

Thanks!

I think we've touched on this subject before, but a RTV can be made to work any D2A converter, but you'll need a custom blaster file, and some luck....

We know the RTV does not accept dashes. But, if you can determine that one digit between zero and nine is NOT used in your market, you can map the hash (-) to that digit, make a custom blaster file that sends (-) instead of the digit, and use WiRNS to re-map channels to four digits, you are good to go.

For example, in the New York Market, digits 6 and 8 are not used (primarily). Therefore, all the sub-channels on 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 21, 31, 41, 47, 55 can be mapped by substituting a 6 or an 8 for the -.

i.e.:

Channel 2-1 becomes 281.
Channel 4-4 becomes 484.
Channel 11-3 becomes 1183.

Not trivial, but not difficult. You need some luck in your market and hope you have an unused digit....

Cheers!
-Doug

You could use WiRNS to change the call signs of the stations to something that helps, unless you NEED to have WNBC-DT4 or something similar.... Here is an example for the NY market.
WPIX Channel 11 has 4 subchannels.
WPIXDT, 11-1
WPIXDT2, 11-2
WPIXDT3, 11-3
WPIXDT4, 11-4

If I was going to use "8" as my hash, I'd have the WiRNS channel map file read:
WPIXDT, 11-1, ,1181
WPIXDT2, 11-2, ,1182
WPIXDT3, 11-3, ,1183
WPIXDT4, 11-4, ,1184

But Then I could also change the call sign for the station:
WPIXDT, 11-1, WPIX,1181
WPIXDT2, 11-2, Estrl,1182
WPIXDT3, 11-3, ThisTV,1183
WPIXDT4, 11-4, AntTV,1184

or...
WPIXDT, 11-1, 11-1,1181
WPIXDT2, 11-2, 11-2,1182
WPIXDT3, 11-3, 11-3,1183
WPIXDT4, 11-4, 11-4,1184

The channels will still sort in the same order. Do whatever helps you find your station....

Cheers!
-Doug

+1

Back in ~2005-2006 I had a difficult time getting WiRNS 1.2x+ to stay running on a Pentium 233 with Win98. Eventually I tried WiRNS 2.0.0.0 on a P4 2.4GHz and its been MUCH more stable. So much so that since the 'False Mayday' back in June 2011, I set up Channel Mapping, using the method I quoted, to restrict two FiOS Guides to:

1. ONLY the Clear QAM channels that I can receive on my Magnavox DVDRs.
   
   NOTE: I had 3 PCs crash, one-a-day, one right after the other back in the end of March. I got my Gateway6400 DVArchive / Print / File / Music server back up first, I got my Dell4100 Workstation (that crashed around 2007) back up second, but since I'm now totally dependent on WiRNS I can't get my Dell400SC IVSMagic / WiRNS server back up (with a repair - I HESITATE to do a full format; it takes SO LONG to set up a PC just the way you want it).
   
   Thus, until I get the Dell400SC back up, I further limit #1 at each ReplayTV 5XXX to just one channel each - CBS, NBC, ABC - and set the DVDR to record the appropriate channel daily at 8-Hr mode for 18:30 and 23:00 News and 20:00-23:00 Prime Time. This feeds 16x9 Anamorphic via S-Video to the ReplayTVs which record it @ Medium. Works good until I can get the .RID I created installed and debugged. Can't find a discrete 'Power ON' for the DVDRs so I have to re-map 'Eject Tray' to turn them on. Anyway, it's a fun project that I'm looking forward to completing. Along with finally building a 'Coat Hanger UHF Antenna', putting it up into the attic (~24 miles from the Empire State Building) and playing with my collection of "$40 Coupon' CECBs (~12 IIRC) that I WISELY assembled back in ~2009, IIRC.
   .
2. ONLY the actually channels that I subscribe to on my FiOS 'FREE for 1 year' Motorola 7232 DVR and Motorola 2500 STB.

As you pointed out, 'AntTV' is much beter than 'WPIXDT4'. WLIW is the same with the regular 'PBS', then 'Create' and 'World'.

Around 3-4 years ago, I looked into DVDRs with ATSC / QAM tuners. My first purchase was a $99 'Open Box' Panasonic DMR EZ-17 @ Target. Using DVD-RAM discs, I was able to enable 'Chase Play' and it was nice - BUT, it didn't have a HDD.

While reading the AVS DVDR Forum for tips on the EZ-17, I discovered a devoted community to the Magnavox DVDRs - 2160 at the time. I bought 1 new from Walmart ~$230?), and then a year or so later 1 refurbished from J&R (~$160). Even though they're SD, not HD, the 16x9 Anamorphic 'Prime Time' recorded @ SP looks fine to my 'Over a Half-Century' eyes from the couch ~12' away. Sure you can see the graininess @ 2' but I don't watch shows from 2'. Plus there have been several EXCELLENT PBS Masterpiece Theater series (i.e. Downton Abbey Seasons 1 & 2) that I have recorded, edited out the 'fluff' and burned to DVD to watch again a few years from now. I have ~1TB of STD Analog shows saved on several DVArchive instances that now look like CR@P on the new LCD HDTVs, so except for the YEARS of Cooking and Home Repair shows that I plan to export to DVDs, the rest is going to be 'canned' and I'll start anew with the 16x9 Anamorpic @ MEDIUM shows. Time moves on...

I posting all this because you too might want to give the Magnavox DVDRs a look. Sadly, they've been discontinued. So, while I was able to purchase refurbished 513s for ~$170 and refurbished 515s for ~$200 @ J&R, SCALPERS seem to now be buying as many as randomly appear @ J&R and then attempting to resell them @ ~$300-400+ on eBay and Amazon Marketplace. Any way to make a buck, even at the expense of other fellow human beings.

At least take a look and see what you think. I'm sad to read that the Channel Master 7000 turned out to be such poor quality. I thought that would be my MAIN box. Luckily, Whitebar has documented the 'Repair Procedure' for WHEN (not IF) mine die.

Good Luck!

I am a total dummy. I own several harddrive-upgraded SonicBlues. Right now, I'm paying for a cable settop box to feed each Replay.

I've tried FIOS, and Comcast DVRs, but their version of the "TV Guide/Schedule a recording" is so crude and user-unfriendly compared to the Replay, that I've gone back to plain STBs for each Repaly. But I hate, hate, hate spending that kind of money.

I have a Zinwell ZAT-970A Digital to Analog TV Converter Box (for Antenna Use), and an antenna that works well with it (Mohu MH-ANT-1000). I've figured out how to make them talk to my TV, but don't know how to make them talk to my ReplayTV. I guess the problem is figuring out how to make the IR Blaster work with the Zinwell. I did find a comment on Amazon about the Zinwell that said: "The TiVo Series 2 I have is compatible with this unit, but note that I had to input an "IR Code" into the TiVo (used IR code 10112)."

I'm *certain* I will never be able to figure out how to use the various software things you techies have invented. I've been reading these forum messages for years, and just don't seem to have what it takes.

So, is there any configuration of gadgets that is simple enough for a total dummy to just plug into one another to make a SonicBlue work with an over-the-air antenna? (BTW, I did pay for that great service that some of you techies created, which if I remember right, made the translation of TV station numbers from NTSC to ATSC numbers. If that's the only answer, I'll re-up with it,if I can remember what that service was called.) But would that resolve all my IR Blaster problems?

Downloadable RID file found on "JP1 Remotes::File Section"

"Rid file for using the ZAT-970A DTV box with a ReplayTV. Based on the Zinwell_ZAT_970A.rmdu file posted on this site."

http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dl...4cbb658e09b3f2

jlv,


While I appreciate that you pointed folks to my FAQ #45 entry regarding CECBs / STBs ([How-Do-I] Control My NEW OTA / CABLE Digital STB With My OLD ReplayTV?) as the "...master thread to start from...", I'm disappointed that you didn't take the time to reply, positive or negative, to my Magnavox DVDR suggestion.

IMHO, it really is a *GREAT*, relatively-low-cost 16:9A ATSC / 'Clear QAM' tuner and it's *VERY* sad that market demand convinced Funai / Magnavox to discontinue production.

Realistically, even if I continue to buy as many "Reasonably-Priced" Spare 5XXXs as I can find, *EVENTUALLY*, one day, that "Beautiful / Wonderously Simple" Method of recording TV Shows *WILL* die. And, as I see it now, with Funai / Magnavox discontinuing production of their DVDRs, the *ONLY* option remaining will be PAY-PER-MONTH DVRs. Of which, the "Pay-Once" $600 TiVo appears to be the best alternative if you ever wish to burn a DVD and/or BR copy of something that you would like to watch again.

Comments (from *ANYONE*)?