The AM21 ATSC Tuner review

[rad]

DBSTalk has posted their first look review of the AM21 at DBSTalk.com First Look: AM21; OTA Add-On for the HR21 - DBSTalk.Com.

While the AM21 hasn't been released to the public yet it was part of a early release test and we've been given the OK for the field testers to answer questions about it. PLEASE don't call DirecTV and ask CSR's to order one for you or ask for more details since they don't know anything about them at this time, you'll just be wasting their time and yours.

So if you have any questions you can ask here or at DBSTalk.Com and we'll try to answer them for you.

 

[jcrandall]

Nice looking box, no suprise how small the mainboard is, the certainely didn't save much room ripping it out in the first place.

I say live on HR20.

 

[goaliebob99]

I remember interviewing and bringing details to you guys about this at CES

 

[rad]

I can understand why D* did this, they needed to reduce their costs and one way was to get rid of the OTA function for people that don't need/want it. IMHO where they messed up was not having the AM21 available at the HR21's launch or a way to guarentee HR20's for orders.

It would have been nice if D* did what E* did with the 6000 and it's 8VSB addon module, just remove the cover for the slot and insert the card. But then that would probably cost them more since they'd have to build the connection for it to the motherboard and the physical structure for the card vs. a USB connection which probably cost them pennies.

Anyway, the AM21 works as advertisied, connect to your OTA antenna, connect the USB ports, move the power cord and plug it in and do the OTA setup and you're done. Once that was all done couldn't tell any difference with the operation then with my HR20's.

 

[rad]

I remember interviewing and bringing details to you guys about this at CES

Yes you did, thank you.

But now we have end users having a chance to play with it in real life and give our thoughts about it vs. reading the discription card about it at the CES booth.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Now we need to get one of these and write PC drivers for it. It will make a nice dual tuner ATSC PC tuner.

 

[yourbeliefs]

All this just makes me feel better about the fact that I got the HR20.

 

[stogie5150]

Now we need to get one of these and write PC drivers for it. It will make a nice dual tuner ATSC PC tuner.

First person that makes that work Scott will be a HERO. :up


Wonder how much they will cost?

 

[Bob Nielsen]

The rumored price is $59. Solid Signal has them on their site for pre-orders at $99, but that appears to be just a place holder until Directv announces the real price. The only other dual-tuner device I know of is the HDHomeRun, which is $169 (ethernet, not USB).

I have been using mine with a temporary indoor antenna, until I get a chance to run some new cable in my crawlspace, but it works pretty well. Operationally, it is identical to OTA on the HR20.

 

[Phoenix1]

I wish they have pulled the RF shield off of the tuner section of the PC board, so we could see what's underneath.