Customer Reviews

Digital Stream DSP7700P Digital TV Converter Box (Black)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Having never applied for a coupon before it was too late, this was the most affordable over-the-air dtv converter option on Amazon after I moved, bought a used 32-inch WEGA for my new apartment, and then realized that between netflix and hulu, I probably didn't need cable.

I have it hooked up to an RCA ANT1450 that is sitting on top of my TV that I picked up at wal-mart. I had been planning to get both the box and antenna at wal-mart so I could return them easily if I wasn't getting any channels, but they just simply didn't have any boxes left.

Pros:
1. Lowest priced box I could find anywhere. I have no idea when all the coupons would expire thus eliminating the artificial price floor on these, but I couldn't wait.
2. Great picture quality on my large-screen SD TV (when the signal quality is good)
3. Auto scan is reasonably quick. Takes about 1-2 minutes to do a complete re-scan detecting about 45 active channels/sub-channels in the process (this obviously depends on your area and antenna)
4. Seems to work fine based on the number of channels it detected for me and the smooth video & audio for nearly half of them most of the time (admittedly I have no other boxes to compare with)
5. Clear, large fonts and menus that are well categorized and very easy to use
6. Has all the standard features; auto-scan, CC options, language options, CC size, program info, signal meter, aspect ratio switching, local-time auto-update, etc. Even has favorites.
7. Compact, minimalist size and design
8. Has analog pass-through that I haven't tried (I believe this is to view analog broadcast tv; probably one or two tele-shopping channels still on the air that are broadcasting in analog in my area).
9. Has RCA ports that you can use if your TV's coax input doesn't work (or to pass through a VCR/DVR) - haven't tried this either. No RCA cable included though.
10. The box shows whatever video & audio it can with the available signal without trying to 'pause and wait'. This is good, especially with the lack of any artifact/static noise. Audio is just broken when the signal is poor without any annoying clicking noises.

Cons:
1. Not a speed demon. Time between switching channel and picture appearing varies from 1-3 seconds, with most taking 1-2 seconds. For channels that have no program or too poor signal to display, the 'Poor signal' or 'No program' message can take between 3 to 12 seconds to appear, which can get pretty annoying
2. Supports quick switching between 4 video aspect modes - anamorphic, 16:9, 14:9 and zoom. This makes quick switching very easy and that's good, but I would expect to not be too difficult to detect the incoming signal resolution and choose the mode accordingly, without the user having to choose the correct mode each time you reach a channel that uses a different native mode from the one you chose last. At the very least, the last mode setting should be remembered at the channel level, i.e. if I switch to 16:9 while viewing channel 4 and then switch to anamorphic when viewing channel 11, the mode should go back to 16:9 when I return to channel 4. This doesn't happen.
3. The program guide is very basic, and I mean VERY basic. You cannot see what programs are on other channels without switching channels, the guide itself takes about 1-2 seconds to update after switching a channel, it displays a very limited number of characters from the program title and there is no PIP browsing.
4. Has controls for TV power & volume adjustment, which do not work for my TV. The set-top box volume adjustment works fine though. This just means that I still need to use my TV remote to turn my TV ON/OFF. [SEE UPDATE BELOW]
5. Remote pointing angles aren't very wide.
6. Included coax cable is very short (probably 2ft) with slip-on connectors (instead of the standard screw-type). Picked up a 6ft coax cable at wal-mart.

Overall: Recommended for anyone on a budget who wouldn't mind the slight delays in switching channels and the really basic program guide. Excellent value given the picture quality - can't get much better than this.

Note: 2 of the current customer images show a DTX9950, which is NOT what I received. My box has the same number as the Amazon product title - DSP7700P - and the same curved-front appearance as the Amazon product image.

UPDATE 10/30/09: I discovered that the included remote can in fact control my TV and it was just my manualophobia that prevented me from doing so earlier. There is no code set button on the remote which had led me to assume it was one of those no-code universal remotes, which it isn't. You need to set the code by holding down the tv power button on the remote, entering the code and then releasing the tv power button. A correct code is confirmed by the tv turning off when you do so. The other option is to just hold down the tv power button on the remote and keep pressing the up button till the tv turns off. The latter was what I did and, 2 dozen up-button presses later, the remote was programmed for the tv. The tv functions are very minimal; power, AV source, Vol Up and Vol down. But I've since realized how entirely adequate just those 4 controls are.

I've had this for just over 3 months and am basically happy with it. With a pair of Radio Shack amplified rabbit ears, I pick up more stuff with this than directly with the analog TV. So that's good.

OTOH, it runs very hot, so I'm concerned about how long it's actually going to last. I avoid leaving it turned on for any longer than I need to, hoping to prolong its life.

I helped my next door neighbor set up her Zenith DTT901. All I did was remove the plastic off the battery. The channels downloaded automatically, it was that easy. She was flipping channels in no time. When I received my coupon two weeks later, I couldn't find the Zenith anywhere. So I settled for the Digital Stream. The channels did not download automatically, there were steps to do that. I couldn't get any signal on the second floor but got 12 channels on the first floor.

I give it a four star because of the set up. When I got it set up correctly, it works and the reception is good. The problem is I have satellite network for TVs on the first floor. The converter box is needed for the TV on the second floor. I'll have to move the TV around the room in search of a signal.

I bought four of these boxes from Amazon.com because I couldn't find any Zenith DTT901 boxes like the other four that I had bought previously.

Had lots of trouble ordering them with the gov't $40 coupon cards since Amazon.com had incorrectly listed it as NOT being coupon eligible when it actually is CECB eligible. It was an honest mistake on their part and Amazon.com's CSRs did a GREAT job helping me place the orders for a grand total of $0.00 for each.

After the very easy install and setup I am VERY pleased with the DigitalStream boxes. Even more so than the Zenith boxes. Like the Zeniths, the DigitalStreams have a universal remote that can turn the tv on and off. It has internal volume control. The picture quality is great. It actually gets more channels than the Zenith boxes (only 2 more, but still...).

I did receive one remote that was DOA out of the box. I called DigitalStream and they promised to send me a replacement remote right away. Haven't received it yet, but it's only been a couple of days. They'll send it, I'm sure.

I would recommend this box to anyone!!! And if you have a CECB coupon and choose the super saver free shipping option then you too can receive this great box for free!!!

Well, I installed it today. Analog through anolog. Basically you set it to channel 3, remember the good old super nes days. Same setup. Except you got to attach the rf cable to antenna, dtv box to tv with rf cable. After that go to channel 3, use the control that comes with press right, then right, then okay to download channels, and another right. After that your set to watch television.

Way better than tv a long time ago. The switch was simple. Took like 5minutes to install. Good luck everyone.

I first got the RCA Digital TV Converter Box, DTA800 from walmart. I lost half my channels. After getting this 9950 from radio shack, I got back all my channels and found several new ones. Now perhaps I still have an antenna issue but all i know right now is the digital stream (Radio Shack) works and the RCA doesnt.

This is the first time I've ordered something from Amazon that can't be returned, so I missed the fine print about it. Other competing models can be returned, but not this particular item for some reason. I always try to go through Amazon direct or fulfilled by Amazon (if they're at all price competitive) and not the outside Amazon vendors in case I need to return something - was stunned that returns are just flat out not accepted on this item. WHY NOT?!?!?

The unit didn't work for our application, but I guess that's just our tough luck. Bye bye $40!!!

Lesson learned, sure, but it came as a big surprise after not having this come up in 10 years of shopping on Amazon.

I bought this DTV converter here through Amazon. It arrived defective... not due to shipping damage or broken on the outside, but defective in its functionality. It keeps on resetting itself every few seconds, going through its turn-on sequence and resetting to the lowest channel number, regardless of what channel you were trying to watch.

Amazon will not take a return on this item, as Amazon clearly states. However, it is SUPPOSED to have a six-month warranty from the manufacturer. But don't try emailing them through their website, as the manual suggests, because they totally ignore such emails. So I finally called them after they had ignored my repeated emails, and had to spend WAY too much time on the phone with their representative, just to get a return authorization number. So after obtaining authorization from them I finally mailed it back to them, at my own expense, following the instructions the rep. had told me, to the letter. Yes, I wrote the RMA number on the package and everything, and addressed it as instructed. And I had the Post Office track it too. It cost about 10 bucks to do all that; the company does not pay for return postage.

The Post Office first reported via tracking that the package had been FORWARDED (after I had addressed it exactly according to instructions from the rep. on the phone.) Finally, after a couple more weeks of waiting and wondering, a postman showed up here with the package in hand, and the package had "REFUSED" written all over it, several times. And the postman wanted another ten bucks for return postage, to give the defective item back to me. Of course I refused to pay it. After all, what do I need with a broken converter box, that obviously will never be fixed by the rotten company that sold it to me?

The upshot is, the company ignores emails, gives false instructions on how to return an item, does not pay for shipping to return an item, and then when an item is returned to them anyway for repair or replacement, they write "REFUSE" all over it and send it back to you (again, at your expense.)

Do NOT buy this item or any other from that company, unless you like throwing your money away. Their customer "service" is non-existent, or fraudulent at best. This is also a strike against Amazon for continuing to list this wretched company's products. Amazon needs to check out its retailers a LOT better than they do.

Physically, the box was easy to connect and it worked well with my powered antenna (for those who have complained about not getting channels--that's your antenna, not the box. The box converts the signal it receives from your antenna and is useless without one, unless you have cable or something). However, the printed instructions were not very clear--it took me a few tries to scan for channels properly--and it took me months to figure out that there was a sort of power-save setting--I was wondering why it would suddenly turn off (meaning, I couldn't trust it to work with a programmed VCR...)! But that's all moot, because not long after an ordinary power outage, it simply stopped working--of course out of warranty. And it was plugged into a strip with a surge protector. I can't really recommend this product, but it did its job well when it actually worked. Unfortunately the replacement I ended up getting from Best Buy--now there's only Radio Shack and Best Buy and each only carry one brand--was horrible, so here I am looking on Amazon...

It's working as advertised for about 2 weeks now. That's all I can say so far. Easy set up. It seems to get the stations. I made a humongous double DB8 Antenna

[...]

My furthest station is 62 miles away. I'm in a river valley with lots of trees. The device gets this station well.