[Jay_S]

It's a very inexpensive (sub $100) ATSC tuner. Here's the Coby product page . The product literature links are broken at the moment. It can be purchased through Amazon (AVSforum breaks my direct link, go to Amazon and search for item# B000NW7A2G). I realize the Coby name is not held in high regard, but man - that's cheaper than most HTPC tuner cards.


After a recent failed Hauppauge tuner experiment , I'm exploring stand-alone STB ATSC solutions, and this Coby is half the price of the coveted Samsung tuner.


Has anyone used this? I cant find ANY reviews online - if anyone knows of one, please let me know.


Maybe I'll have to be the guinea pig for this one.


Thanks,

Jay

 

[bdfox18doe]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay_S /forum/post/0


Maybe I'll have to be the guinea pig for this one.Thanks,Jay

I have one coming, but it says September delivery..

 

[SowegaBowler]

It looks like the Coby STB is in many respects a knock-off of the Hisense/USDTV box like the one I have (only the Hisense box does not have a DVI output), that was sold in Wal-Mart for some time before USDTV started having financial problems (they eventually went under a few months ago).

 

[[Square]]

I'm very interested in this unit as well. I have to get something figured out before football season starts. Any reviews or opinions would be very helpful.

 

[[Square]]



Quote:
Originally Posted by bdfox18doe /forum/post/0


I have one coming, but it says September delivery..

Did you order one from Amazon? It says in stock, so I'm just wondering...

 

[bdfox18doe]



Quote:
Originally Posted by [Square] /forum/post/0


Did you order one from Amazon? It says in stock, so I'm just wondering...

Yea, Amazoon.

 

[jtbell]

In stock but September delivery? That must be by literal "snail mail"!

 

[[Square]]



Quote:
Originally Posted by jtbell /forum/post/0


In stock but September delivery? That must be by literal "snail mail"!

Slow boat from China. I'd call up Amazon's customer service. They might give you something extra (or a discount) for the delay. They are usually pretty helpful. And if it the wait is 4 weeks...I don't think they should show it as in stock.

 

[Jay_S]

bdfox18doe, did you ever receive your tuner?


Any impressions?


Thanks,

Jay

 

[Robert Spalding]

I like it...$80!

 

[Whidbey]

There's another one coming out soon to - The Coby DTV-100. Even less features than the 140. Maybe that will be the one that qualifies for the coupon discount program.

 

[steedums]

i've been looking around for info on this too. i have the samsung STB currently. I also found the dtv100:
http://www.westcoastmall.net/coby-at...-up-box/3273/p

it only does 480i & 480p, so this is for people that still watch ota on their old crt's

 

[bdfox18doe]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay_S /forum/post/11756991

bdfox18doe, did you ever receive your tuner?

Jay

No, received a note from Amazon for sometime October-November..

 

[haley-SEA]



Quote:
Originally Posted by steedums /forum/post/11779508


i've been looking around for info on this too. i have the samsung STB currently. I also found the dtv100:
http://www.westcoastmall.net/coby-at...-up-box/3273/p

it only does 480i & 480p, so this is for people that still watch ota on their old crt's

From reading the specs on that thing, it has no RF output for the older TV's. I'm not sure if this box will certify as a "Coupon Box" though for that reason.


Also no mention of a zoom mode. The old-guard will be shocked at the sight of "postage stamp" 4x3 programming on their 27" CRT's. The mfgr/distributor needs to address these needs for its intended market.

 

[sneals2000]



Quote:
Originally Posted by haley-SEA /forum/post/11787123


Also no mention of a zoom mode. The old-guard will be shocked at the sight of "postage stamp" 4x3 programming on their 27" CRT's. The mfgr/distributor needs to address these needs for its intended market.

If US set top boxes are anything like UK set-top boxes the TV configuration option usually allows a switch between 4:3 and 16:9 displays, with 4:3 allowing permanent 4:3 centre-cut or 16:9 letterboxing, with many having a button labelled "WIDE" to switch between modes. This button is seldom needed over here though - as we have AFD signalling of pillarboxed material on the outlets using pillarboxing -allowing the box to flip to 4:3 centre-cut automatically.


AFDs are a real requirement for decent, seamless 4:3 display viewing of permanent 16:9 services which pillarbox 4:3 material.


The WIDE button isn't usually called ZOOM over here because it isn't really a Zoom mode. (Zoom over here is usually used to refer to taking a 16:9 letterbox in a 4:3 frame and filling a 16:9 frame with it)

 

[kilimats]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay_S /forum/post/11756991

bdfox18doe, did you ever receive your tuner?


Any impressions?


Thanks,

Jay

i've ordered the DTV-140 from Dell.ca (currently on sale for $79 CAD)


will post my review once i played with it

 

[tlniec]

Looking forward to your review -- I'd love to pick up a cheapy tuner box to feed my projector. Just been watching DVDs and playing Xbox 360 on it for now!

 

[kilimats]



Quote:
Originally Posted by tlniec /forum/post/11820540


Looking forward to your review -- I'd love to pick up a cheapy tuner box to feed my projector. Just been watching DVDs and playing Xbox 360 on it for now!

if you a geek like me, don't hesitate to add a Home Theatre computer to your living room. Mine is acting as the home server (Win2k3) but i've also added a powerfull graphic card for Games, a Yamaha keyboard plugged via USB for Fruity loops / atmosphere / sample tank 2.5. surfing the web is no problem, watching movie not bothering about codec compatibility is no problem and since a server is up on the time, i run Emule and torrent on it 24/7. Also have a Wii rocking the above shelf


My projector is happy enough with all that, my gf too


DVD is outdated, upgrade if you can

 

[tlniec]

I've been weighing an HTPC against stand-alone components. The HTPC route would definitely have performance/capability advantages. The main advantage I see of standalones is that I can trickle them in over time, spreading out the costs. Decisions, decisions!

 

[esingollo]

I have been waiting for a good review of this unit, too. There seem to be none on the web anywhere. It must be a very new model.


Anyway, the only one I see for sale is through a certain manufacture with the initials B and A (not sure if you can list manufacturers and prices on this board or not), and you can buy it from them directly our through a very well-known online merchant with that cost me a lot of money in the day. Cost is around the same including shipping/tax--just over a C-note.


I should get it next week. I have been living without cable for some kind (Comcast and I have gone through a nasty divorce; astount.net/RCN is not in my area yet; D* and DirecTV satellites make his property look bad, my landlord keeps telling me), and am getting itchy. Blockbuster makes up for some of it, but . . . I also do want want to play the antenna merry-go-round, so I decide to bit up a Winegard SS-3000 Sharp Shooter 3000 Indoor UHF/VHF Antenna--the on-line reviews says this is about the best indoor antenna you can buy. Even with the open-box price I got, it is something like 4-5 X the cost of some of the ones people are using (i.e. Silver Surfer). I just do not want to mess arround; and I live in the SF bay area, so with a good antenna I should be able to receive a lot of HD signals.


Again, I plan to receive these before the end of next week. Will definitely plan a review. Two bad things--one is that I could not wait for the coupon program to take effect next year. Since this has a dvi port and does 1080i, I am not sure it would even qualify. But it might have. Second, it does not have hdmi out. I have a monitor with dvi input, so that is no problem, but the only avenue for 5.1 sound is coax. I already use the (1) coax digital input on my receiver for something else, so until I get a switch of some kind or another receiver, I am stuck with stereo audio.