Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One missing feature..., February 13, 2009
For those of us who adopted an HDTV-ready set and were dismayed that the component inputs were replaced by DVI, and later by HDMI - this is a reasonable solution for any "early-adopter" set that can do 1080i has analog and/or DVI inputs and lacks an ATSC tuner.
For those with sets that max out at 720P, there is another lesser-expensive model that looks like this one but is silver.
Let's get the one negative point out of the way:
One thing the box does not make clear, and is a huge disappointment - is that it has a DVI input. This is not a problem in itself, but unlike what the back of the box and the diagrams on it imply - this does not in any way convert or play DVI input to component at all. In other words, this is ideal for a set or computer monitor with DVI inputs and you want to share such a monitor with a PC and also use it as an terrestrial HDTV receiver.
That aside, it is ideal to use this to add ATSC capability to an analog HDTV set (in my case a 480i/480p/1080i capable 36" Sony XBR CRT). But if you have an analog-only set, you are out of luck using this box for hooking up a computer - like for HTPC use - it's a tuner only.
The tuner itself is quite capable and I have no complaints about it. I've seen worse on some TV's with built in tuners. It is reasonably sensitive - it gets good performance off the little antenna it comes with and puts out really good images. The remote, while capable, is a bit cheap feeling.
But as a tuner, this thing is great!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kworld product rocks !, February 3, 2009
First, some disclaimers. I am not a professional tester for gadgets. I can only relate my personal experience using this product. As such, I have not tried or tested all options or connections.
I have used the tuner for over one month just to be sure of its quality and reliability and it does not disappoint. In fact it delivers better performance than expected. The picture quality is awesome when connected to my 4:3 ratio 19" lcd monitor with 0.28 mm dotch pitch, DVI input and built in speakers. And this is not even the latest tech lcd but one when 12 ms response was state of the art. The necessary cables come with the package so it is a very simple hook up. The QAM reception is even better than my latest lcd tv, a 47" Vizio. This tuner will not receive analog signal which is still transmitted via cable. When changing channels either with the remote or the tuner buttons, an OSD will show the signal strength momentarily, something even my Vizio TV cannot do. The green bars from 1 to 10 appear on the lower right corner. The tuner is capable of more cable channel reception than my Vizio (full reception will come on when the bars are 5 or more). There is a choice of 1280 x 1080 or 1024 x 720 display selection using the remote so it works well with either the aforementioned 4:3 lcd or my other wide screen lcd. The volume control with the remote is very handy since adjusting volume on the lcd involves tedious operation of the lcd buttons otherwise. There is even a mute button on the remote in addition to the station number, menu, PC/tuner switches, etc.
Here is what I have not tested or used: the PC pass through, the over the air 'terrestial' input and the additional component output. This is because I have purchased this tuner solely for cable reception to be used with my left over lcd monitors, such that I don't have to turn on my PC or laptop just because I want to watch TV unlike those other USB tuners. I have looked around online and in stores for a while to find what I really want and what Kworld can and has delivered.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
4 stars, not 5, because the picture is slightly off center, March 29, 2009
Last year I bought a Kworld usb HD tuner for my laptop computer. I really liked it, so I was eager to try Kworld's stand alone HD tuners.
The box is very good at picking up stations. I can get more than 40 digital channels just by putting the included pole antenna in an upstairs window that faces most of the tranmitters. Downstairs I receive 27 solid channels with an Philips amplified set top antenna aimed at a window that faces the hill that is my back yard. By the way, the included antenna has a magnetic base that is capable of defying gravity and it is really handy. For the upstairs unit, I placed the included antenna horizontally near the top of my window. My channels all lock in solid, and the picture is fabulous. The menu is easy to follow. For example, I easily made the picture brighter than the factory default setting. The instructions and the remote could be better. The remote has a couple buttons that reset the output; you can make your picture disappear if you hit them by accident. I am using the dvi output. The picture is slightly off center, which causes the first digit of the channel to be off screen. I could adjust that on a computer monitor, but I haven't found a fix for that on my television set. This unit is set up to allow you to share a dvi monitor with a computer. I also bought the vga version of this box. [I have to wonder why these units are not eligible for the $40 government coupons. I have 2 older hdtvs with no built in ATSC digital tuner. The eligible conversion boxes only put out 480i, which is not real high definition.] If you need an HDTV tuner for an older hdtv, try Kworld's units first.
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