Whats the best OTA tuner/converter box

Advertisements

Huh?

When the CM-7000 is receiving a 16:9 picture, you can choose a letterbox, zoom1 (semi-letterbox), zoom2 (4:3 crop), or full (which would squish the 16:9 to 4:3.

I could swear the center of the zoom is the center of the 16:9 screen.

Why don't you just record letterbox for all HD content?

Cheers!
-Doug

 

The Channel Master CM-7000 also works well for me on one of my Series 2s - don't use it much only if there are 3 things I want to record from OTA

Good Luck,

 

Looks allot like the DTVPal DVR that Dishnetwork sold.

http://www.dtvpal.com/

http://www.channelmasterstore.com/CM_7000PAL_DVR_p/cm-7000pal.htm

Only it costs $150 more.

Thanks,

 

Well, I'm convinced. I bought one of the refurbs from CM's site. It has a one month guarantee, and after a month a new one would be the same as a refurb one anyway. Plus, it's cheaper; and doubleplus, there are no new ones anyway.

 

Advertisements

I dont have it hooked to my tivo s2. I got it just in case i needed to get rid of cable. I almost did when 50 of my coworkers were fired.
I do use it almost everyday when my s2 is busy recording and i want to watch the local news. also it looks better then the cable box i have on the s2.

 

For those using the Channel Master 7000 -- do you change channels via an IR blaster, or serial cable?

Also, are you able to change into subchannels?

Thanks for your wisdom...

 

IR blaster. It would NOT be coupon eligible if it had a serial port on it. CM had to disable digital audio out in order for the box to be coupon eligible.

Your DVR will need to send the proper button presses / digits in order to tune subchannels. This will also be dependent on how the channel guide for your DVR is constructed

For example, To tune channel 44.1, your DVR needs to send 4, 4, 1, Enter to the CM-7000. To tune channel 3.2, your DVR needs to send 0, 3, 2, Enter to the CM-7000. If the DVR cannot send three digits, it can also send one or two digits -- and then it will only tune primary channels. If 3, Enter is sent to the CM-7000, it will tune to 3.1. If 4, 4, Enter is sent to the CM-7000, it will tune to 44.1. If you send 3, 2, Enter to the CM-7000, it will tune to 32.1, NOT 3.2.

It will all depend on how the channel guide is constructed for you DVR.

Cheers!
-Doug

 

Once you set the Zoom Factor on the CM-7000 for 16:9 programming, it will remember that for 16:9 programming. I recommend recording in letterbox because:

1. You will see the whole picture.
2. Your DVR will record the letterbox pic. If you are viewing on a 16:9 TV, during playback, you can set the zoom of your TV (zoom a 4:3 pic so that the left and right edges are at the left and right edges of a 16:9 screen, and the black bars get pushed off-screen -- NOT STRETCH to fill) to fill the screen. Quite a bonus.
3. The PQ will be noticeably better with the CM-7000.

Cheers!
-Doug

 

I've got the Channel Master 7000 now, and it's all connected to my antenna (found 57 channels), with video going through to my TiVo Series 2 (240).

Everything seems like it is working, but the CM is not changing channels. I can see the IR Blaster typing in the channels, but the channel never changes.

It seems like the IR Blaster is never hitting the "Enter". I can change the channel with the TiVo remote, but only if I hit "Enter" after keying in channel.

Any advice?

Thanks...

 

What do you mean by 'seeing' the channel change? Is your Tivo sending digits? How do you know?

The CM-7000 uses Pioneer box codes. However, the 'ENTER' key is different. However, if the channels are sent, the CM-7000 will time-out after three seconds, and just change to the entered channel.

You need to explain in detail what is going on. You trying to change to channel ___. The Tivo is sending ____. And the CM-7000 displays ____.

Cheers!
-Doug

 

When doing the guided setup, I can see on the screen that the IR Blaster is entering the digits for the channel.

I am trying to change to channel 10-1. The Tivo is sending "10-1". And the CM-7000 displayes "10-1".

Actually, in typing this up, I think I figured it out. I don't think I receive a channel "10-1". The guided setup used 10-1 and 13-1 to test channel changing, and I don't think I have either of those, so I was concluding that it was not working. Changing channels to ones that I'm sure I have works as you describe. Probably what I need to do is review what channels I'm actually receiving, and then deselect the ones I don't.

This OTA digital stuff is still new for me, so bear with me a bit . Honestly, I haven't used an antenna for television since the 1970s LOL.

 

Has anyone tried the Magnavox TB110MW9 with a Tivo? The list only shows compatibility with the TB100MW9, but the TB110MW9 seems much more prevalent. Does anyone know if it works?

I'm looking for a cheap option (and have exhausted my coupons on non-compatible tuners).

Thanks,
Tim

 

That would do it. Make sure your Tivo is not trying to tune stations that your STB cannot tune.

In addition, you will want to disable the power-down feature of the CM-7000. If you don't, the CM-7000 will turn itself off if idle for 4 hours (likely in the overnight hours). There is an option to do this somewhere in the CM-7000 setup menu.

Cheers!
-Doug

 

Coupons? I thought they would have expired by now...

What boxes did you buy that are not compatible?

To answer your question, I am almost certain that the box would work. The real issue at hand is making sure the proper IR codes are being sent to the box. I cannot fathom why Magnavox would spend the engineering and effort to simply create a new IR codeset for this seemingly update box.

Cheers!
-Doug

 

Depends on the inputs you have to the TV, chances are it may be VGA if it is and can accept the HD protocols then...actually, there are too many if's here. Why don't you list the inputs to the Tv and how old it is, which is important too.

 

I just got whatever was free with coupon back when the coupons were available for the rooms that didn't have cable (or Tivo). They were a Sunkey and a Craig. Neither of them are on Tivo's list. Now we've decided to cut the cord and get rid of cable, so I need a converter for the series 2 Tivos in the house ...

 

Thanks so much for your help -- after deselecting the several channels that are unavailable to me, the TiVo is controlling the CM7000 like a champ! The acid test was last night when it successfully tuned and recorded American Idol -- if the TiVo had missed that one I would have been seriously beaten up by the wife & daughters.

And for me, TiVo picked up a Nova program about ancient Egyptian boats, which was also very cool.

This OTA stuff is pretty cool. And you can't beat the monthly price .

 

No problem.

Just make sure you disable the energy saving power down on the CM-7000. You wouldn't want your CM powering down and not able to record Idol now would you???

Cheers!
-Doug

 

For anyone else that needs this info, the TB110MW9 did indeed work correctly with a Series 2. You can get them for about $16 + $10 shipping on ebay for a refurbished unit, by far the cheapest I was able to find for a tuner that works with Tivo. So far works great and the picture seems pretty decent. Since it's a refurb, I can only hope the quality holds up (it says 90 day warranty on the materials)

 

Leave the power on for the full 90 days. If it's still working it will probably last a long time.