Re: Humax HFA100 or Samsung SIR-451????

U-571@xxxxxxxx wrote: 
I need a OTA Receiver and I think I want the Humax HFA100 or Samsung
SIR-451.

Does anyone have either of these, and if so, do you recommend either?

Any other recommendations are appreciated.

BG
I have a Humax STB ATSC Tuner and generally I am satisfied with it despite th e problems I list below. I selected it based on comparisons with the Samsung TIR I read on the Internet. It was also inexpensive.

Although I have no other OTA tuner experience to compare it with I have heard that it is very fast at switching channels and so on. I can atest to this performance compared to my analog tuner.

I have the Humax feeding the front panel line input to my VCR. The DVD player feeds the rear line input. The VCR feeds the composite video input to my Panasonic non-HD TV. So I am not using the full HD output capabilities of the tuner. Someday I will get an HDTV. Meanwhile I get access to many digital channels. I tell you this because some of the problems which I enumerate below may be a result of the way I am using the STB. I really do not know, as Humax technical support is nearly non-existent. They do not answer their email as their web site suggests.

Problems I have:

- The box goes into a unresponsive state when powering up: black screen, power light on, no response to front panel buttons or remote control. Happens overnight in the power off state. Seems to correlate more with the VCR being left overnight with the DVD input active. Seems to happen infrequently when the STB VCR input is active. To reset recycle power by pulling power cord for 15 seconds

- On some occasions the STB locks up when quickly changing channels. Basically the STB lock onto the last channel with the "Info" banner superimposed on the active channel. No response to front panel buttons or remote control. Seems to happen on one specific channel.To reset recycle power by pulling power cord for 15 seconds

- The STB continuously updates the "guide" in the background. Stations that broadcast only periodically during the day get dropped from the channel list.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Humax HFA100 or Samsung SIR-451????
    ... >Although I have no other OTA tuner experience to compare it with I have ... >heard that it is very fast at switching channels and so on. ... >the STB. ... >power light on, no response to front panel buttons or remote control. ...
    (alt.tv.tech.hdtv)
  • Re: Need assistants for Connecting a VCR
    ... You have cable and an antenna, be it indoor or out, and no STB. ... How do you switch the VCR between these two sources? ... This will still allow you to record analog from both sources and it ... passing through all other channels to the TV tuner to watch something ...
    (alt.tv.tech.hdtv)
  • Re: I just figured it out!
    ... NTSC tuners that receive analog ... channels with direct cable input into the ... tv, vcr, etc. without the need for an STB ...
    (alt.fan.letterman)
  • Re: unable to obtain 16x9 on digital channels
    ... STB to the TV tuner card in the PC via S-video. ... The STB uses this setting to decide if 16:9 HD channels are ... The other settings effecting your output are of course you display card ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter)
  • Re: Phase/skew sensitivity
    ... gain controls and delays on both channels. ... because power supplies are really the largest and most expensive part ... of the system in the pro audio world. ... What you describe sounds like a lot like Cobranet. ...
    (rec.audio.pro)