Digital Stream DTX-9900 ATSC D2A Converter Box - Page 2

have you tried uploading them to a flickr account?

So has anyone tried to find out yet if a Pioneer cable box code will control this tuner like it did Digital Stream's last, HD ATSC ones?

This info would be very important to know for those with old recorders with IR blasters.

Anyone with a universal remote out there willing to take a few minutes and try?

Since you have a Gmail account, you can easily download Picasa software from http://picasa.google.com, use your Gmail account info for your new Picasa account, and upload the pictures to an online public album at your new online account. I use Picasa myself and find it quite useful.

Check out this review.....................

http://www.hdtvexpert.com/pages_b/DTVconverters.html

Good job on the reviews, guys. Just wanted to ask a favor of the Digital Stream DTX-9900 owners. Can someone do a quick test of receiving a digital channel broadcasting Digital Dolby 5.1 audio (typically Prime Time network shows). IIRC, the DTX-9900 appears to have the same chip as the Zenith/Insignia CECBs.

LG Electronics
LGTD1111D

The Zenith/Insignia owners have reported that the left audio channel has some "distortion", ONLY when receiving Digital Dolby 5.1 sound. The right channel appears to be fine. I know it's a different design, but this may eliminate the chip as the problem. Thanks in advance for your efforts.

I just used my first coupon to pick one of these up from Radio Shack in 18603, PA, USA. Last/only one they had too. Sadly, when monkeying with it at my in-laws, I left the remote behind; now that I am home, I can do nothing but sit and look at the red power light until my wife gets done repainting the kitchen with her mother (oh joy!) and brings it home with her.

In what little playing I did there (and again here at home), I would have to say that I'm liking it more than I thought I would. I was turned off by the Now/Next only EPG, I wanted one with more than that but didn't want to wait. Nice and small, but it does feel flimsy being all plastic. OSD I find nice, especially in that it says "Weak Signal" if you decide to be goofy and just scroll the RF channels (Thanks Stanislav for the direct tune tip!).

My in-laws are on satellite, so they have no need, and nothing set up as antenna; I was playing around with a raw section of co-ax dangling about their living room as an antenna and having the box find 'weak signal.' I can't wait to try it with the rabbit ears my wife and I use now!

We're not big TV people, but there are a few shows she likes - I mainly use the TV for games.

There's a minimum number of posts (Q: how many?) before you can post urls & attachments.

And when you get to the attachment upload menu, you'll see there are SIZE limits.

First, thanks to dmulvaney for pointing me toward Picasa. I have created an 'album' of 6 photos (sorry but one is a duplicate). For each one, there are comments, but not always a caption.

Second, thanks to DigitalTorque, I read that review. IMHO, the GE/Jasco unit only brings "design (appearance) to life". (Swipe at GE ad tagline - we 'bring things to life').

Third, for those who wish to see what the inside looks like, here is the public folder:

http://picasaweb.google.com/bfilipiak/DTX9900

Last, to holl_ands, I did notice the size limit (500KB) the 1.3 Mb mentioned is how much space the photos took on my hard drive.

The DTX 9900 board looks just like the picture of the Zenith box posted elsewhere. That Hynix chip is the RAM.

I would say that it appears that all 3 boards are coming off the same assembly line - just differences in the F/W ROMs

DTX 9900 does NOT pass-thru analog. Neither did the Bestbuy Insignia that I bought.

I didn't notice any when listening to Saturday Night Live with my wife last night, but I wasn't really trying too hard either. I'll check again in more detail today sometime if I can find a show that's coming across in DD.

So LG also makes the Digital Stream?

Based on the pictures from BFilipiak ( http://picasaweb.google.com/bfilipiak/DTX9900 ), my guess is yes. Same assembly line, different firmware / case.

Or Digital Stream (a well known Korean STB manufacturer) is making the boards....

I just purchased the Zenith DTT900 from Circuit City yesterday, and removed the case a few moments ago to compare the boards to the images posted for the Digital Stream.

Though the big LG chip inside of the Digital Stream unit appears to be the same chip that is in the Zenith, both the main and power supply boards are noticeably dissimilar. For starters, the large LG chip is directly to the right of the tuner in the Digital Stream box. That same chip is above, and to the right, of the tuner in the Zenith converter. Audio/video out jacks are almost much closer to the tuner in the Zenith converter, and placement of other components is vastly different as well, in both the main and power supply boards.

Have seen photos of the Zenith converter elsewhere on this group, but for convenience and easier comparison I've attached one that I took to this message.

Try watching the Tonight Show (Jay Leno) or The Late Show w/ David Letterman, if you're looking for 5.1 audio.

Well, when watching Big Bang Theory on WYOU-DT, I noticed a distinct "chirping" with higher pitches coming out of left channel only. I backed the DTX volume down until the chirping stopped, and then I needed to turn up the TV until the volume level was usable again. The chirping was still there.
I'm using the RCA connection for audio/video.

I also opened up the box (bottom screw and thin blade into side slots. No stickers were harmed) and it does have a different board and layout despite similar components. Mine gives a date code Jan08. What is the header to the rear of the box with vcc gnd and tx and rx? Looks like a USB port. Also wired to empty connector pads on the rear. The resistors and caps are on the board. Would be cool to dump the stream into my computer. Still havent found much on the the LGDT1111D but did see something about it being a 3304 with some more of the external stuff intigrated in.
Can't leave well enough alone.
Seems to receive well. I was suprised how much I could knock the signal down before it would start jerking. As soon as I got over the fact that RF wouldn't pass through or do stereo, I just split the antenna to the VCR and STB. The stereo outputs are clean with good program material, but some local channels aren't up to par yet. I have about 40 channels here in Los Angeles area, half of which I zapped (shopping channels, other languages).

Info re LGDT1111 was posted earlier:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&#post13258622
TV System-On-a-Chip (SOC) Incorporates LGDT3304 6th Gen ATSC Decoder function:
http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/516849

LG announcement re 6th Gen ATSC Decoder:
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/ht...612280032.html
With blow up of 6th Gen (left) and 5th Gen LG ATSC Decoder chips:
http://english.chosun.com/media/phot...2280032_00.jpg

Possibly an optional connector for a smart antenna?

It's probably an RS-232 serial I/F (or maybe USB) for uploading F/W & test.

Smart Antenna connector is 6-pin.

Good job, aethyrmaster! Assuming the DTX box has a different design (and manufacturer) than the Zenith/Insignia box, the only connection may be that they use the same chip (LG Electronics LGTD1111D). hmmm...

The Digital Stream box has the exact same audio problems as the Zenith/Insignia box. I've tried both kinds of boxes and can confirm this. See the thread on the Zenith box for a detailed discussion of this problem.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...7#post13414667

I saw the comment about the header and solder pads, so I snapped a couple of more photos with that cheapie camera. Pen points to header and pads. For those who are reluctant to open up your box, the header is located to the right (viewing the unit from the back) of the channel 3/4 switch. The pads are just behind the case back, and the header about 5/8" (14mm) behind the back. The header is noted CN400 and the pads are CN401. Also, on the front of the circuit board, I noticed a pair of pads, labeled SW400. They are at the right (viewing from the front) edge of the circuit board, in front of the tuner.

So far I haven't found them for sale anywhere yet, but the Digital Stream D2A1D10 (& D2A1D20) DTV Converter Box seems the best available now. It has an S-Video output, others don't. It, as most all others also don't have, a QAM tuner or analog pass-thru.
ezdigitaltv.com Digital_STREAM_D2A1D10.html

What I would like know is why all these converter boxes are being designed to have yet another remote? Seems to me that no remote is necessary if they just design to convert UHF channels to the old VHF channels.

wouldn't matter if it has s video if the chirp is still there.

Chirp? What's that?

The guys at ezdigital may have access to more recent info, but be advised
Digital Stream website does NOT list S-Video in D2A1D10/D20 spec list:
http://www.dstreamtech.com/english/p...uct_detail.asp

Until we receive more definitive info, I'll update spread sheet with "Yes?".

PS: We also don't know what chip is used in these D-S models....
it might not be LGDT1111 as in DTX9900.

=========================
In their infinite stupidity, the CECB specs apparently prohibited boxes
including an analog NTSC capability...which would have meant a
converter box could have been used just like any HDTV or cable/SAT box,
using a single R/C to enter desired NTSC/DTV channel.

However (either with or without pass thru), if you want to watch either
DTV or NTSC, you have to switch between controlling the converter box
or your old TV. An integrated R/C makes this a little bit easier.....

===========================
BTW: The converter boxes don't simply convert from UHF to VHF...they are
advanced digital receiver systems that convert DTV to the old analog TV formats.
Today, the new DTV channels are on both UHF and VHF...with only some of
them taking over the old VHF channel position by Feb2009.

Because I had 2 coupons, I decided to set up a side-by-side comparison of the video outputs of the Zenith DTT900 and the Digital Stream DTX9900. Did a pretty extensive comparison of the 2 boxes. The killer issue for me was the fact that for some strange reason, the DTX9900 blanks the bottom 10 lines or so of a converted HD-image ( our local PBS station broadcasts in HD ). I was viewing the pair of converters on a 4:3 TV (using the A/V outputs from the converter boxes), so the picture appeared in letterbox form and the missing 10 lines at the bottom on the DTX9900 were clearly (not) seen. Not a very bright idea by Digital Stream, since many in-picture subtitles and other text occupy the bottom of the screen. Fiddling with the various zoom settings on the DTX9900 did NOT cure the problem.

On more general issues, the Zenith is a very nicely styled piece of gear and the text resolution of the menu displays are far superior to those of the
DTX9900.

My DTX 9900 was returned for exchange with a second DTT900.

Are there any other tests, photos, or things that people would like to know about the DTX 9900? I'm willing to pop it open as well.

One thing of note - in the TV controls on the Remote, the TV volume up is on the LEFT, and down is on the RIGHT - kind of backwards.......?