[mattbullis]

First I want to say thank your for all the helpfull information on these forms. It's about time I write up some of the things I have found.


I live In Winder, GA, 30680 East of Atlanta

I'm using both at Zenith DTT900 and DtvPal Plus.

Using a Philips MANT-950 Amplified Antenna on my roof.

Most channels are about 40 miles away and the same direction.


The following channels are in my area;


RF 39 Digital 2.1 ABC

RF 27 Digital 5.1 Fox

RF 12 Digital 8.1 PBS (moving back to 8) 30 miles

RF 10 Digital 11.1 NBC

RF 20 Digital 17.1 Peachtree TV (old TBS)

RF 51 Digital 14.1 Ion 60 miles away and 40 degrees off

RF 21 Digital 30.1 PBS

RF 48 Digital 34.1 Univision

RF 25 Digital 36.1 MyTV

RF 19 Digital 46.1 CBS

RF 44 Digital 63.1 Religious

RF 43 Digital 69.1 CW


Signal Quality With my Zenith DTT900.


RF 39 Digital 2.1 Good Picture, no breakup

RF 27 Digital 5.1 Good Picture, little breakup with bad weather.

RF 12 Digital 8.1 Lots of breakup during daytime, watch-able at night

RF 10 Digital 11.1 Good Picture, little breakup with bad weather.

RF 20 Digital 17.1 Strong Signal, no breakup

RF 51 Digital 14.1 Weak Signal, wont even lock.

RF 21 Digital 30.1 A lot of breakup with normal weather.

RF 48 Digital 34.1 Strong Signal, no breakup

RF 25 Digital 36.1 Good Picture, no breakup

RF 19 Digital 46.1 Good Picture, no breakup

RF 44 Digital 63.1 Good Picture, no breakup

RF 43 Digital 69.1 Good Picture, little breakup with bad weather.


Signal Quality With my DtvPal Plus.


RF 39 Digital 2.1 Good Picture, no breakup

RF 27 Digital 5.1 Good Picture, no breakup

RF 12 Digital 8.1 Almost watch-able in the day, good at night

RF 10 Digital 11.1 Good Picture, no breakup

RF 20 Digital 17.1 Strong Signal, no breakup

RF 51 Digital 14.1 No luck here, no signal or anything

RF 21 Digital 30.1 Good Picture, little breakup with bad weather.

RF 48 Digital 34.1 Good Picture, no breakup

RF 25 Digital 36.1 Good Picture, no breakup

RF 19 Digital 46.1 Good Picture, no breakup

RF 44 Digital 63.1 Good Picture, no breakup

RF 43 Digital 69.1 Good Picture, little breakup with bad weather.


All and all, I have far less breakup with the DtvPal Plus and an exellent EPG guide to boot.


I use Tivo with the Zenith and when i channels it's sometimes to fast for the box to keep-up. The DTVpal box is not supported.


I'm noticed signal loss when I use a splitter, would a distribution amp be to much so close to the pre-amp power supply?


Also, I've been looking into the Antennas Direct C4 ClearStream4 and wonder if it would improve my reception as well as help me get Channel 14.1 witch is 60 miles away 40 degrees off. Would I need a pre-amp?


Also I have the potential for getting signals from South Carolina, this would be almost 180 degrees the other way.


Thanks in advance!


Matt

 

[electrictroy]

They must have really improved the DTVpal when they added "plus" to the title. My standard DTVpal only gets half as many channels as my Zenith or Channel Master.

 

[pcwII]

suggestion

check lavasat HDTV antenna

built in rotor and preamp

Clif

 

[pcwII]

I believe i have identified a problem with the DTV PAL plus i just purchased a couple week ago:

compression block break up at timed intervals on certain channels. I thought this just to be a low signal level issue. I corrected that issue with a strategically place line amp to drive loss in a 4-way divider. I have two other converters (Insignia, Digstream)that show no break up problem on same channel, program, time. anyone else seen this issue on the Plus? I bought this unit due to its alleged Rx capability.


BTW the complete signal drop out level on the Plus is 50% or below. seems like a strange way to scale a meter to me.

CLif

 

[johnpost]



Quote:
Originally Posted by pcwII /forum/post/15530595


BTW the complete signal drop out level on the Plus is 50% or below. seems like a strange way to scale a meter to me.

CLif

it is a good scale for antenna aiming. you want to know when a signal is detected while still below decoding threshold, you then can adjust antenna easier. with the time lag for dtv decoding if people adjusted antennas like they did with analog then you might never find a signal or spend way too long doing it.

 

[electrictroy]

I'm stuck with three DTVpal that absolutely refuse to keep accurate time.


What recourse do I have to replace them?

 

[pcwII]



Quote:
Originally Posted by johnpost /forum/post/15532300


it is a good scale for antenna aiming. you want to know when a signal is detected while still below decoding threshold, you then can adjust antenna easier.


with the time lag for dtv decoding if people adjusted antennas like they did with analog then you might never find a signal or spend way too long doing it.

let me clarify, decode level is 50% meter and a fraction below that the meter drops to "0%". the signal is still there but no indication! the other two converters i have indicate a low signal warning above & below decode threshold.

Clif

 

[pcwII]



Quote:
Originally Posted by electrictroy /forum/post/15533108


I'm stuck with three DTVpal that absolutely refuse to keep accurate time.


What recourse do I have to replace them?

My unit is running SW ver F106 and no sign of time of day problem(TOD)

If your unit is older SW try to exchange where you purchased it.


Have you seen periodic block breakup on good signal channels?

Clif

 

[pcwII]

eletrictroy, I just noticed this AVS thread
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...postcount=5024

 

[electrictroy]

Is Dish still selling DTVpals (no plus, minus, or otherwise)??? I don't see them listed at dtvpal.com.

 

[pcwII]

Purchase available online at Solid Signal and others. I bought mine from a local Dish installer/dealer. I have been relaying information to him about potential issues with the DTVPAL. He has done numerous OTA DTV installations recently with no call backs. I suspect this because he installs high gain outside antennas since we are 30 miles from the major broadcasters in Portland.

Clif

 

[WeAreNotAlone69]



Quote:
Originally Posted by electrictroy /forum/post/15562404


Is Dish still selling DTVpals (no plus, minus, or otherwise)??? I don't see them listed at dtvpal.com.

RE: Is Dish still selling DTVpals


http://dtvpal.com/


Ummm


The DTVPal is the TR-40CRA

http://www.dishnetwork.com/dtvpal/order.html

DTVPal DVR $249.99 0 1 2

after instant $50.00 rebate

DTVPal Plus $69.99 0 1 2 Compare DTVPal Receivers
TR-40CRA $40.00

 

[electrictroy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by WeAreNotAlone69 /forum/post/15573432


Ummm. The DTVPal is the TR-40CRA

No the TR-40CRA is not a DTVpal, anymore than an Insignia is the same as a Zenith DTT901. They might have the same internals, but they have different brand-names.


If I bought a TR-40CRA, and returned a DTVpal instead, do you think the Dish Company would accept that?


Of course not.

 

[Beeper]

On the TR-40CRA system info screen, the model ID is shown as "DTVPal".

 

[electrictroy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by electrictroy /forum/post/15579166


If I bought a TR-40CRA, and returned a DTVpal instead, do you think the Dish Company would accept that? Of course not.

Of course I could always just contact VISA and let them refund my money.


Hmmm.

 

[lar01]

DTVPal Plus For $59.95 before applying $40 coupon, or $19.95 (plus tax). Has release 106. I've had no time problems at all. In fact, I'm surprised because I cannot use automatic time updating for my VCRs which end up coming up with the wrong time, but the DTVPal Plus is always right on, time wise. Re picture quality, it's slightly less sharp than the Zinwell box. Both have timers, but it's more fun using the DTVPal Plus. Re sensitivity, I'm on a condo master antenna so I can't tell the difference. It's interesting that the Zinwell-970A, which uses old technology (can tuner) shows 100% signal strength and signal quality, whereas the DTVPal Plus which uses a silicon tuner, shows that it's getting a little less than that.

 

[WeAreNotAlone69]



Quote:
Originally Posted by electrictroy /forum/post/15562404


Is Dish still selling DTVpals (no plus, minus, or otherwise)??? I don't see them listed at dtvpal.com.

Quote:
Originally Posted by electrictroy /forum/post/15579166


No the TR-40CRA is not a DTVpal, anymore than an Insignia is the same as a Zenith DTT901. They might have the same internals, but they have different brand-names.


If I bought a TR-40CRA, and returned a DTVpal instead, do you think the Dish Company would accept that?


Of course not.

RE: TR-40CRA and the org DTVPal being the SAME INTERNALLY.


(EG they are the SAME unit- abit for different skin screening on the box.)


electrictroy,


You had asked if the DTVPal was still being sold, and did not go into reasons of why you were asking such. If you are wanting to swap out a unit as your second post implies then of course you would need to assure that the units were the same.


My post was in the context that the units were the same internally and was geared towards someone who was looking for a DTVPal to "purchase" and did not know the DTVPal and the TR-40CRA were the SAME unit internally.


Anyhow the above is a moot point now so far as availability as the TR-40CRA as of Feb 17,2009? has been dropped from Dish site as well....



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