comparison with dtvpal plusNovember 17, 2008 8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I purchased the two major timer event schedulable/programmable converter boxes available as of this date: the Zinwell and the DTVPal Plus (enhanced version of the DTVPal or TR-40 CRA). These are some of the major problems and advantages of each. The biggest problem I have with the Zinwell is that the remote control is the flimsiest and cheapest control I have ever seen with any product. The down arrow button is already having problems responding to pressing after only a few days. It usually takes several years before buttons on a remote control begin to go bad, and I am concerned that this one will not even be working a year from now. The biggest problem with the DTVPal Plus is the poor reception. The Plus is supposed to have enhanced reception over the prior models which were famous for bad reception (and you pay $20 more for the 'enhancement'), but in my area it does not get as many channels as the Zinwell and does not even pick up the local ABC affiliate. Both devices get the clock time automatically from the digital signal but both devices (at least the ones I possess) keep erratic time. After a few days, the Zinwell became stuck at 62 minutes behind the correct time and the DTVPal Plus became stuck at 53 minutes ahead. If you are buying this to schedule timed events, this is obviously going to be a problem. Attempts to remedy do not help. The Zinwell has no daylight savings on/off (which is not the problem in my case anyway), while the DTVPal Plus does allow you to control daylight savings. The Zinwell has the advantage that you can manually set the time, while the DTVPal Plus does not allow you to. Even after manually setting the time in the Zinwell, I found it loses 1-2 minutes per week and also loses the clock time completely if power goes out even for a second (most devices will hold the time for 2-3 minutes in a power outage). I have mine on a UPS (backup battery) to keep it from losing time in a brief power outage. At least the Zinwell allows you to control the time. I have had problem with the Zinwell mysteriously changing the number of channels (5 suddenly becomes 31) with no way of changing the numbers back-even re-recognizing does not help. The Zinwell has a quirk at the end of the timer scheduling process that makes it easy to cancel your timer event, so watch out. The analog pass-thru of the DTVPal Plus provides a strong signal but shuts off digital operation if you go into analog pass-thru mode. The Zinwell puts a little interference on the analog signal, but if you connect all cables (both RF/coax and RCA/composite) it keeps digital operation alive while in pass-thru mode so it is easier to switch back and forth between digital and analog channels. Zinwell has poor support: they responded to a question after 4 days and then never replied after I gave them follow-up information. I have not contacted DTV so their support may be just as bad. There are several other issues and quirkswith both devices but this review is already too long.
It worksNovember 14, 2008 2 out of 4 found this review helpful
Unpack it, hook it up, and use it. No problem.
cph
Great for the priceNovember 7, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
With the $40 government coupon this was a wonderful deal.
I love the remote and the on screen menus etc.
The only downside is that I bought it for the analog pass through and unless I'm doing something wrong... that just doesn't work. Hoenstly have not spent a lot of time on it but I get nothing. I would still buy it again though.
great purchase! better than expectedOctober 9, 2008 9 out of 10 found this review helpful
The only reason I ordered this was because of the upcoming tv conversion to digital. I had no idea that having a converter box would make such a huge difference!! I get 3-4 times more channels than I received before and they are as clear as cable tv. Especially with the government $40 discount, this box is such a great deal and I would recommend it to everyone who uses rabbit ears.
VCR TIMER - good to keep your DVR or VCR workingSeptember 13, 2008 22 out of 24 found this review helpful
The main reason I bought this product was for the DVR/VCR Timer. This feature allows you to program your favorite shows, and the box will automatically change channels to that show. You can then use your DVR or VCR to capture the video off the box.
Other boxes like the Zenith DTT901 have better reception capability, but lack the ability to operate with DVRs or VCRs.
The Zinwell also has analog passthru for people who will be watching Low Power or "clear air" stations after the February 2009 analog shutdown. If you're like me, and don't have any analog stations post-transition, then this feature has no real relevance.
The Zinwell's guide is rather poor, since it only tells you what program is on now, and what program will be on next hour. The Dish DTVpal has a full=featured guide upto 12 hours into the future, but I don't recommend that device due to poor quality build & software bugs that make it almost unusable.
Overall I'm satisfied with the Zinwell's DVR and VCR capability, although I still use the Zenith as my main box when watching live television.
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Sony DAV-IS10 Home Theater System $399.97 - $558.99 from 5 stores. User rating:0.0 out of 5.
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