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There are many in America like me who've purchased an "HD-Ready" television a few years ago but the television did not come with a digital tuner (, unlike all new televisions sold in the past couple of years). And so my television is neither fish nor fowl: it's not old style analog but it is not an HD television either because it lacks an ATSC digital tuner. With analog broadcasts going the way of the dodo my conventional choices would be: subscribe to cable or satellite, or buy a new television. Unfortunately getting a cheap digital-analog converter box is not an attractive option since it would essentially water down all the HD broadcasts. Thankfully the best solution was to buy a fully HD digital set top box from Samsung. Digital broadcasts in HD look marvelous. And I am going to cancel my satellite subscription, which will recoup the cost of box in only three months. Such a deal! :-)
Okay, so what is not to like? As other have reported:
- no analog tuner is included. This is non-issue after mid-February.
- the remote is a bit dinky and slow
- the front of the unit only has a faint blue light to show that is on; it is easy to miss
- turning on the unit takes several seconds, and changing the channels has perhaps a 1 second delay. However one can adapt to these nuances.
- my biggest complaint: the audio is very weak. Max volume delivers only barely adequate audio to my television. Thankfully I have a stereo receiver available which solves the problem (..the audio delivered to the stereo is fine). I am using standard audio cables, .. perhaps audio is improved when using HDMI?
So for those who cannot afford a new television and wish to dump their cable/satellite provider I suggest giving this Samsung device serious consideration. However be prepared to have some sort of a/v receiver to take care of the weak audio problem.
Lastly, search around for a decent antenna but there isn't really a need to spend much money. Placement of the antenna is very important (read the instructions that come with it). Expect a good 30 minutes of adjusting the antenna to gain maximum reception, especially if you need to pull in digital broadcasts sent over VHF (UHF broadcasts come in more cleanly for me).
| Brand Name | SAMSUNG |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 3.3 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 13 x 4.5 x 10 inches |
| Item model number | DTB-H260F |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
