ViewTV ATSC Digital Converter Box for TV, HDMI Cable Recording PVR Function Output USB LED Timer Display AT-263

  The ViewTV AT-X is the subject of this review. The 263 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box is a device that converts analog television signals into digital television signals. br>br>I needed a digital converter box to finish my transition away from CableTV service; I have a great antenna in my attic that picks up all of the local TV signals in my area, and I send that signal to all of my rooms via my existing coax cable that had previously been used for CableTV. My problem was figuring out how to get the signal from my local TV stations into my Epson LED Projector, so I could watch local broadcast TV in addition to my streaming Amazon Fire TV and SlingTV services. The number 263 was a low-cost alternative. It's a tuner/DVR that converts the signal from the TV antenna into a digital signal that can be sent to my projector. It also has a USB input on the front panel, which allows me to connect a USB Flash Drive and record broadcast TV to it, which is fantastic and works perfectly. The result of a 30-minute program is a 3. I can also load JPGs and MP3s onto the Flash Drive and play them through the ViewTV to my Projector (which is connected to a soundbar). br>br>I can also load JPGs and MP3s onto the Flash Drive and play them through the ViewTV to my Projector (which is connected to a soundbar). ) As a result, this little device is quite versatile. br>br>My only criticism is that the build quality is a little shoddy, and the remote in particular isn't very good. The buttons are squishy, and I often have to press them several times to get a response. And I'm having to press harder on them than I think I should be. This gives me the creeps, and I'm afraid the buttons will eventually stop working. The remote has a cheesy vibe to it. br>br>I'm also disappointed that the remote uses infrared technology, which requires a direct line of sight to the converter box. The box cannot be placed inside a cabinet or enclosure that prevents the IR beam from reaching it directly. As a result, that's a significant inconvenience. Although the box has its own set of controls, the remote makes accessing functions much easier, despite the fact that it is a crappy remote. br>br>I'm going to keep looking for a better digital converter box because this one doesn't inspire confidence in me. In the meantime, this allows me to do what I needed to do in terms of getting the local broadcast TV signal into my LCD Projector as well as serving as a DVR. Finally, although it isn't mentioned in the user guide that I could find, you will be asked for a password at some point in the menu system, and the default password is 000000 (six zeros).

Ellis Ferguson

| Dec 31, 2020

For the past week, I've been using it. I'm really happy with it. I now have a fully functional digital video recorder for $35, plus a cheap USB drive. This device's tuner, as an added bonus, pulls in more channels than my TV. br>br>In contrast to all other look-alikes, I purchased this one. similars on Amazon because it can be configured to feed the antenna signal through the device, eliminating the need for an antenna splitter and an extra run of coax cable to watch TV on one channel while recording on another. br>br>Setting it up and starting recording took me about 10 minutes. The device had been set to a higher level of performance. less than fully configured to work with my television right out of the box The antenna coax was connected to the input port. The HDMI output has been connected to the television. I connected a USB drive, ran coax from the tuner's output to the TV's input, and then used the setup menu to pass the antenna signal to the TV. br>br>I discovered the following flaws, which I believe are all minor. Others have mentioned that you must point the remote at the box in order for it to work. Some of the key presses aren't intuitive, and if I accidentally press the wrong key, I can't seem to recover, so the quickest solution is to turn it off and on again. In addition, the remote for this device and the remote for our sound bar have some crosstalk, which is unique to my setup. Furthermore, commercials must be manually fast-forwarded. (On the plus side, the FF function can go up to 32x normal speed, which is extremely fast. )br>br>All of which I was able to resolve by a) pointing the remote at the box and b) learning to hit the right keys at the right time. br>br> I wanted to tape a show that airs on a daily basis. What could be so difficult, I reasoned? br>br>When I looked into Tivo, I discovered that a) you have to pay a hefty subscription fee and b) it's a Big Brother device that reports your TV viewing habits to Tivo central. Put that out of your mind. After that, I took a look at a few different types of purpose-built vehicles. There were still some built-in DVRs available, but they all seemed to cost around $400. That seemed like a lot of money for something so simple. Then there were a slew of other devices similar to this - Digital tuners with just enough features to allow for the recording of a show. Prices range from $20 to $40, but you'll need to supply your own hard drive, and reviews are mixed. I reasoned that it was worth a shot. And it appears that my efforts have been fruitful. Mine performs admirably in the role for which I purchased it. br>br>If you want to record something at a specific time, the menu for doing so is about as simple as they come. Give it a channel, a start time, and a stop time, and it will record that for you every day. It will turn itself on to record as long as there is power to the device, and it will save a file to the USB drive that shows the channel, date, and time. Click on the file name to play it back. After that, it functions similarly to any other recording device.

Miranda Valdez

| Jun 10, 2021