[DTV Plus Guy]

Does anyone have any inside information if the DTC-100 is going to be upraded with any new features? to improve performance or add WINK or combine both guides into on for seamless channel changing or is this impossible? Or has the box run out of upgrade memory already?

 

[klimekt]

I don't think there is much need for updates anymore. The box is bug free and most users are happy.

I have only one complaint left I'd like to see addressed - the ability to switch analog OTA channels on/off separately from the digital channels.

Tomasz

 

[ernie]

Bug free! Are you kidding? See:
http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/Forum11/HTML/014210.html


Ernie

 

[acourvil]

Yes, there are definitely still bugs in the function for guide info for OTA channels. Turning it on screws up reception of certain channels.

 

[Ken H]

The so called "bugs" are not bugs in the conventional sense, as much as simple preferences.


As far as the gray panels, you can make them black or leave them gray. What is the bug with this? If this is a bug, then every stb has this bug.


As to the analog/digital channels, this was the design of the box, not a bug. But, the good news is that there is a workaround. Disconnect the DTV antenna, select "Acquire Off-Air Guides" in the menu, do a full channel search, which should leave you with no channels to select in Profiles. Reconnect the antenna and manually select (punch DTV channel number, not the remapped number, & OK) the DTV channels. As you select them, they will be available in the Edit Profiles, TV Setup menu section and the analog channels will not be there.


Another method is to delete all channels as above and do a full channel search while connecting the antenna just before the DTV channel numbers you want are being scanned, using the on screen channel scan information to determine when to connect/disconnect. A F-type barrel and a few pieces of push-on end coax cable is needed for this approach.


Either method will leave you with only the DTV channels to choose from in User Profiles.


The OTA PSIP info problems is a problem of the local DTV stations, not the DTC-100. This has been discussed here previously and been confirmed by the DTV engineers that frequent the AVS HDTV Forums. If you have a problem with PSIP issues, call your local DTV station to initiate a dialog to resolve the problems.


The DTC-100 is pretty much bug free. At least more so than any other HDTV receiver ever made.


ernie,


If you are having software crashes, you have a problem with your unit. I have had no software problems since the A04.37 upgrade last November. I recall no other topics with this problem. I would get the unit looked at by RCA, they should be able to fix it.





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"Better living thru modern, expensive electronics devices"

tm

 

[Lee Wood]

For its age the DTC-100 is STILL the only available STB that offers:

* Off-Air PSIP Program Guide support

* Easy access to multiple audio/languages services

* Closed Captioning


Yeah, it will occasionally turn itself off (but, you can lock the power on if you want) or 'get lost' is a stations PSIP data changes (you may have to wipe the memory and rescan as described by Ken). It doesn't have the Advnaced Program Guide of the newer receivers. But, after spending some time playing with most of the new ones (Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba) at Good Guys this past weekend I'd still go for the DTC-100.


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Visit http://pub1.ezboard.com/fdigitaltele...isionnewsforum for news and information on DTV and HDTV

 

[RScogland]

Quote:

Originally posted by acourvil: Yes, there are definitely still bugs in the function for guide info for OTA channels. Turning it on screws up reception of certain channels.

I had not heard this before ... if I were to choose to NOT "acquire off air guides" is it possible that I may get improved reception of some digital OTA channels? Since there is never any programming ever listed in the guide for my area, is there any benefit to acquiring the off air guides? (I always had set it to aquire them just so I'd notice right away if anything ever did show up).


------------------

Rick W. Scogland

My Email: [email protected]


My Home Theater:
http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/Forum15/HTML/000169.html

 

[Kipp Jones]

Quote:

Originally posted by ernie: Bug free! Are you kidding? See: http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/Forum11/HTML/014210.html Ernie

Those are not bugs with the dtc-100, those are personal preferance bugs with the users!



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Kipp


IS THAT A REMOTE CONTROL IN YOUR POCKET OR ARE YOU JUST HAPPY TO SEE HDTV?

 

[acourvil]

Yes, it's possible. While it does not make difference with most channels, I have a couple of channels that somehow get messed up with the OTA guide info turned on.


>>if I were to choose to NOT "acquire off air guides" is it possible that

>>I may get improved reception of some digital OTA channels?

 

[klimekt]

Quote:

As to the analog/digital channels, this was the design of the box, not a bug. But, the good news is that there is a workaround. Disconnect the DTV antenna, select "Acquire Off-Air Guides" in the menu, do a full channel search, which should leave you with no channels to select in Profiles. Reconnect the antenna and manually select (punch DTV channel number, not the remapped number, & OK) the DTV channels. As you select them, they will be available in the Edit Profiles, TV Setup menu section and the analog channels will not be there.

Ken,

Yes, I'm using this method myself, however this is a rather dirty workaround. Anytime the digital station happens to be off the air for any reason and I select it the analog signal gets mapped instead. Then I have to go through the whole process again just to get rid of this one analog channel. I'd still like to see this functionality build into the receiver. I don't think this is a hard request to implement and it would make our lives a lot easier.

Tomasz

 

[TopJimmy]

I have experienced a problem similar to Tomasz. This appears to be the appropriate topic.


In using the DTC-100 for DXing or a situation where a directional antenna can receive signals on the same channel number but from different bearings the functionality of the DTC-100 is troublesome:


Suppose you receive analog ch. 50 at bearing 180, but your directional antenna (or DXing conditions) allow you to receive digital ch. 50-1 from bearing 90. If you have already viewed analog ch.50, the DTC-100 thinks 50 will always be an analog channel. If you then attempt to manually key in 50-1, the DTC-100 does not even attempt to receive the digital station. It goes into 'analog-only' mode for this channel. The workaround is similar to those as prescribed above (clean channel search with antenna pointed at the digital 50-1 bearing). However, the next time that you view analog ch.50, digital ch.50-1 is vaporized once again, requiring the workaround to be performed.


This functionality makes the DTC-100 very non-user-friendly for use as a DXing or multi-directional receiver. It would be nice to be able to manually key in a digital channel and have it 'work hard' to receive it.


j

 

[dish in it out]

In that case use a splitter to A&B antenna inputs and do a channel search for each input. Change antenna orientation for each input. Switch inputs for the desired station. A variable attenuator may help if analog 50 is problematic in both antenna orientations.

 

[Kipp Jones]

TopJimmy,

did you pick that name from VanHalen? It rocks!


------------------

Kipp


IS THAT A REMOTE CONTROL IN YOUR POCKET OR ARE YOU JUST HAPPY TO SEE HDTV?

 

[aviators99]

I've found a bug in my DTC-100 where if you leave it on for a while, eventually the audio will get slightly out of synch from the video. Power cycling the unit brings it back in synch.