HDTV Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Signal Strength’

4 PORT CABLE TV HDTV DIGITAL AMPLIFIER INTERNET MODEM SIGNAL BOOSTER INTERNET AMP

This is a brand new, four (4) port cable television drop amplifier, just like the ones that your local cable company uses to correct their system’s shortcomings. This new model packs a powerful punch in a compact, easy-to-install package! By connecting these fantastic signal boosters to the drop cable coming in from the street, you can increase the signal strength entering your home by up a whopping +7 db per port! If you have multiple televisions or run a cable modem for your internet, this product is recommended. By having four ports come directly off of the amplifier, there is no need for additional splitters, which reduce signal strength. If you are tired of tv pictures that don’t seem as clear as they should be, dropped internet connections, or just desire a reliable amplifier to give continuous, steady signal to your home or business, this is for you!

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Works great
It was easy to setup. You need a spare coaxial cable. I’m using 3 of the 4 outputs. One of my TVs used to have many channels that would go in and out and now everything works great.

5 Stars Did exactly what I wanted it to do plus more!
After the digital transition, I wasn’t getting any reception at all with my rabbit ears. I decided to buy a new outdoor antenna, the Antennas Direct DB4, which is an excellent product that I also got from Amazon. Once I got it installed, however, I had about 50 ft of RG6 running from the antenna to the passive 4-way splitter and about 75 to 100 ft running to each of the two HDTVs. In a valley outside of Deliverance, WV, I was getting one channel, 5.1 + 5.2. I expected this and that’s all I could get before with analog. But every once and a while one of the TVs would start pixelating and losing audio. I knew it wasn’t the TV because both of them had done it. I decided that it must have been the splitter straining too much to get that signal through. To make a long story short, I installed this Amplifier where the splitter was and I not only do I have no problems with that channel, but I also receive signal from 2 additional channels, 10.1 + 10.2 and 12.1 + 12.2. I highly recommend this product.

5 Stars Works Great!
There are many signal amplifiers out there that do absolutely nothing. This one works very well, and I highly recommend it!! Don’t fall for the cheapies at Walmart!

In the area where I live, FOX came in pretty weak over the air, and I often experienced pixelation, especially on HD Broadcasts. Long cable runs inside the house, and the use of a 4 Way Splitter didn’t help the situation. I replaced the 4 Way Splitter with this unit, and my reception went from 69% to 80%. I have not had any problems with pixelation since then.

If you have any doubts, just try it, you won’t be disappointed.

5 Stars Great amplifier, and splitter! worth every penny!
I use this amp / splitter to split my cable connection in my bedroom (i only pay for internet service, and tv comes through when i connect to my tv ) without the amp i couldn’t split the lines because the signal would loose strength. I have it running to my cable modem, and two tv’s. It basically boosted the signal so good that i have crystal clear hd cable.

YOu must have a digital converter on your tv for this to work. Please test your line on your tv before you make any asumptions that you have cable tv off the line.

This item also doesn’t come with a coaxial cable to connect to the power adaptor, so you will need to purchase one. I would recommend you get the good quality r6 cable with 18awg wire. I got a few 3ft cables off ebay, for a great deal.

5 Stars New to drop amps
We have three cable boxes from Comcast. Strangely, the one closest to the cable inlet to the house could not get our NBC affiliate (and no tivo either) along with a crappy picture. Our HD channels would not show a menu. We replaced the box twice, no change. We tried several passive splitters, none worked. We ordered this drop amp splitter, installed very easily, now the signal strength is excellent. Labels on the device made it very clear how to hook it up. One thing not mentioned, you need an extra coax cable to attach the power supply (AC adapter). I recommend this amp if you have one or two locations that have bad reception.

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Elgato EyeTV 250 Plus Digital Analog TV Receiver and Video Converter

EyeTV 250 Plus is a hybrid TV Tuner for the Mac with a powerful hardware encoder for higher quality recordings and smaller sized video files. EyeTV 250 Plus receives both free over-the-air HDTV as well as analog TV, and offers a complete solution for moving your video collection from VHS tape to DVD-Video. EyeTV 250 Plus is future-proof for the upcoming digital TV switch-over in 2009, and is ideal for those who want the flexibility of a digital and analog TV tuner together with a hardware encoder in one device. EyeTV 250 Plus delivers free over-the-air digital TV to your Mac in stunning 720p or 1080i HDTV (MPEG-2) and other digital television standards, as well as conventional analog TV via standard cable or antenna. EyeTV 250 Plus also comes with a break-out cable for composite video and S-Video, enabling you to connect a set-top box directly to your Mac. EyeTV 250 Plus’ powerful hardware encoder also records high quality video from analog sources, compressing audio and video signals to small size MPEG-2 files and freeing up your processor for other activities. MPEG-2 is a premium-quality video compression standard which is the basis for DVD and digital television. Use EyeTV 250 Plus to capture video and convert VHS tapes into high-quality digital files. EyeTV 250 Plus’ easy-to-use VHS Assistant will walk you through each step, from connecting your VCR or camcorder right through to burning a DVD or sending the recording to iTunes. Export clips and entire episodes to your video-capable iPod, Apple TV, and iPhone Store your collection on an external drive, or burn it to disc using Roxio Toast 8 Basic (included) Convert old videotapes to digital files using the VHS Assistant

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Signal Strength is horrible
I have a Hauppauge 950Q and just got this one for the hardware encryption. The 950Q worked a heck of a lot better at live video playing than this thing. The 950Q I have 50% quality and 75% strength. This one has 100% quality but 10% strength. What gives?

Don’t buy this device. There are stronger signal strengths than this one has. Granted I have poorer quality but I rather have both at a marginal or better than one being the worst.

5 Stars Making the iMac a DVR, and TV
Outstanding product that has turned our new 24″ iMac into a cool TV and DVR. Have only scratched the surface so far, but program recording and basic edits are easy.

2 Stars Good product, AWEFUL customer support
This product was working well for me and I WAS very happy. The software that is included performs well, makes it easy to record shows, and has an easy-to-use editing component with which to cut out commercials.

Having said this, the customer support is terrible. First, there is NO telephone support. The only way to contact anyone, even for tech support, is by email. In my experience it often took up to 2 days to get a reply. Second, when my unit went dead and was no longer able to connect to my computer at all, I received very delayed and generic responses. I had to send 4 or 5 emails requesting a replacement before I was finally offered one. At first, they tried to tell me that my warranty was up. I don’t know where they got that information, but it was incorrect. Now, they are offering to send me a replacement, but they are making me pay for the shipping costs!! What a bunch of BUNK! I have a feeling that it will be several weeks before I get my replacement.

It is a real shame that their customer service is so poor. I would love to give this product a great review, but this element of my experience has really tainted my perception of Elgato as a company. Next time I am in need of a TV tuner for my Mac I will be looking elsewhere.

5 Stars Great product, beware service provider limitations
The EyeTV works exactly as advertised. The setup was easy and I could receive cable from my Comcast line with no problems. The only issue (and what led to me returning it) is that Comcast encrypts most of its digital channels so I could only view a handful of analog stations (mediocre picture quality at best) and very few digital ones. The digital stations that did come through looked good but my service restrictions made this product not worth it for me.

5 Stars Great product
This is a great product for the Mac. I had a major concern with the installing of all the cables, but most of them come included in the package. The placement of the included cables was self explanatory and fairly easy. What they did not tell you is that you need TV cables to connect input (TV) wire to the converter and also a TV wire to go from the cable box router, if needed then also a splitter for these cables. They also included Toast Version 9 to help with the transfer of the downloaded video to DVD, the problem with that is the instruction manual that you downloaded says that

you should get Toast 10 Titanium, an upgrade. When you download the enclosed software,you get an online screen controller and you are able to choose between the type of channels you want (TV, Digital or HD) > You aslo get a subscription to TV Guise on line for 1 year. I have it hooked up to a cable outlet and the video is quite clear Also the downloaded manual to me is more suitable for a teckie that someone with average computer ability. The instructions seem to be scattered in different areas. Instead they should be in sections IE: 1. Viewing Videos 2.Editing videos 3.Downloading videos. ect. Otherwise the other major problem is that there is no, I repeat no Tech Support via phone. Their phone number is a classified secret and not available, you do get some semblence of tech support via a web based forum. I am happy with this product and will put it to good use if I can get thru the instruction manual

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15FT 1 3 HDMI TO HDMI CABLE HDTV LCD PS3 XBOX 360 DVD 1080P GOLD AV 15 FT 19 PIN CABLES

Optimized HDMI to HDMI cables are specially designed for hi-def HDTV video/audio signals for home theater applications and professional home theater installations. All of our cables are made for home theater in mind using the highest quality cabling, jacket materials and gold plating for better connectivity, longevity and signal strength. Every Optimized Cable is compatible with all HDTV formats including 720p, 1080p, 1080i.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Works great
I bought 2 of the 15 footers to use on my bluray dvd player and Direct TV receiver to connect to my Panasonic HDTV with great results.

5 Stars works great
Bought the 10 ft one first then bought the fifteen after both work great one for xbox360 and one for my laptop. CRYSTAL CLEAR PICTURE on my 47″ LG.

5 Stars Awesome cables- Great quality
I had purchased this cable months ago to hook up my laptop to my Samsung 40′ 1080p. I read all the reviews, did my research and was not surprised when I got these cables, PERFECT picture and sound. Never even considered wasting 100 $ or more on monster cables and this cable just re-ensured my thoughts on how those cables are truly a ripoff. All my friends were so surprised with how great it looked they asked me to order some for them. They too are just as happy as I am and I’m SURE you will be too.

5 Stars Great Length and Quality, but at the fraction of the cost!
I have been looking for an HDMI cable that would give me the performance I needed, and the length I needed without breaking the bank. This cable is thick, high quality, and meets all the same specs as any expensive 1.3 Certified HDMI has, and it will give you the same performance.

My father paid 60 dollars for a shorter Monster Cable, I paid 1/12 of the price and still got the same high quality image and noise protection that he did. The only difference was that my cable didn’t have the monster sticker on the connectors.

I have used and tested this cable on my PS3, and Laptop leading out to various LCD and Plasma HDTV displays, and I have seen no difference in quality from my father’s monster cable.

If you are looking for quality and performance without the brand name and price, then this cable is the answer to your problems.

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Antennas Direct DB4 Multi Directional HDTV Antenna

The DB4 has become our most popular model because it is simply the best Mid Range HDTV antenna on the market. With an approximate 13.7 dB gain, it is one of the strongest multi-directional antennas available and performs consistently across the entire UHF spectrum. It even works well in areas where HD transmitters are in multiple directions.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Used indoors
My analog television needed some help after the digital conversion. I use this antenna indoors with a drop amp and a converter box. It pulls in more over-the-air channels now than my old rabbit ears did before the conversion. I was so happy with the results, I bought another one for my son.

5 Stars Best Money Every Spent on TV
Product is easy to assemble. It works great. I’m getting 24 channels FREE & they look great for the most part. 6 are above 90% signal strength & the lowest – 34% strength still is very acceptable. Just take the time to go through TVfool or Antenaweb for aiming, mount if needed, ground, connect & scan with your TV. I didn’t even need to adjust the aim. I’m about 40 miles from the 2 major antenna farms & their about 25 degrees apart. Its mounted on a 10′ piece of conduit attached on the corner of my deck about 15′ feet in the air. Total of right around $100 for everything! The day after I put it up my next door neighbor was very interested in getting one!

4 Stars WARNING: It’s UHF only
MAKE NOTE: This is a UHF television antenna.

The description on Amazon didn’t state so; nor did it state frequency/channel coverage. Remember, it isn’t the antenna that determines if you have an HD picture on your TV, it’s your TV receiver. The antenna’s job is to pull in enough RF signal over a certain range of frequencies to enable the TV to do its job. So, before you buy an antenna, check what broadcast stations are in your area that you wish to receive and pay attention to their station number: stations 2-13 are in the VHF range, above that are in the UHF range.

Received this antenna and put it together in five minutes. Hooked it up to my Samsung HD LCD TV and it did great with all the UHF stations in our area (up to 45 miles away.) It even pulled in a strong local VHF station, too. However VHF performance was nothing on the same order (distance from station) as it was for UHF; couldn’t pick up a VHF station 30 miles away (understandably so.)

Bottom line, make sure you double check the broadcast bands (VHF, UHF or both) which the antenna is designed for against the stations you desire to watch.

1 Star Very poor quality, spent half the day trying to set it up
I spent half the day trying to set this up, only to find the coax connector was poorly made or poorly soldered to the antenna. Would finally get a halfway decent signal, and then the slightest motion of the cable, or seemingly no motion at all would cause the signal to disappear. Back up the ladder to see what was wrong, and finally figured out that just touching the cable made the signal go in and out. Had several brand new cables, all tested well, and the problem occurred with no matter which of three cables I used. Total piece of garbage, which is where it is now.

5 Stars Another happy customer
As you can see by the pictures I posted, my install was non-standard. I don’t recommend it.

Why did I install it on the side of my house? Well, out of about 45 stations, 40 are within 5 degrees of each other on the compass. And, lucky me, the back of my house happens to face in that direction. So, I don’t have to worry about the rest of my house blocking the other stations which are mostly repeats (a second CBS affiliate, and Spanish speaking channels).

I’m very happy with the size of the unit. I live in an area with an HOA, which doesn’t allow external antennas. however, placed where it is it doesn’t bother anybody.

The reception is perfect, every channel is excellent. It works well even though I live in a wooded area.

My advice to you:

1) Check antennaweb.org to see where your channels are. if you don’t own a compass, buy one, and use it to get the antenna aimed precisely where you want. Even though this is a multi-directional antenna, it will help.

2) Test the antenna inside your house. Inside my house, without any great care, I received almost 40 signals with excellent quality. Putting the antenna outside at the same altitude increased the signal, however, if you don’t get a good signal inside, even holding it up to an open window, then you probably don’t need to go through the trouble of a proper install.

I am VERY happy with the Over The Air HD I am receiving. The antenna is a bargain and much better than the old “fishbone” style designs.

A definite buy!

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