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(More customer reviews)I'll preface this review with the disclosure that I own the Echostar version of this product, the DTVPal-DVR (actually, I own three of them). While these are the same physical units as the Channel Master CM-7000PAL offered here (Echostar is the OEM for the Channel Master) the firmware is slightly different and Channel Master provides its own independent warranty and customer service program.
This DVR is an excellent value in comparison with similar offerings. In fact, it is one of the few DVRs which has been designed for Over-The-Air (OTA) recording of digital TV, rather than tied to a cable or satellite service. There are no subscription or licensing fees required for operation, nor any feature limitations imposed. The DVR includes two independent High Definition (HD) tuners, which permits the simultaneous recording of two HD broadcasts and playback of a third previously recorded show. Input from an external antenna is via a standard coax RF connector, and the tuners have better than average ability to lock onto distant stations. HD video output is provided via HDMI and/or analog component outputs, and standard definition video is available via analog composite and/or RF coax (including pass through of antenna signal to TV). Audio is transmitted via HDMI, optical digital, and analog outputs. The digital audio ports support Dolby Digital output for both live and recorded shows.
There is no compression or re-encoding of the recorded material, so playback is exactly the same quality of the original broadcast. It should be noted, however, that output resolution (480p, 720p, 1080i, etc) is set via menu selection and does not automatically switch dependent on broadcast resolution. This just means that by default any scaling required (if any) will be done by the DVR rather than your TV - a function which will be unnoticed by most viewers.
A complete channel guide is provided. This is noteworthy, as many OTA units provide guide information for only the currently tuned channel. Eight (8) days of full channel guide info is obtained from the TVGuide service supported by many major stations, otherwise the more limited PSIP data is downloaded from the individual stations themselves. The DVR does a good job of combining the two in cases where TVGuide information is available for some, but not all, of the tuned channels.
Recordings can be started manually, and if the tuner has been on the current channel prior it is possible to record from the beginning of a show even if it is already in progress. Scheduled recordings are set via the channel guide, and are time-based. This means that a recording will commence at the time/date initially set even in cases that the show's timeslot has been moved. This is an important point and one area where the DVR falls a bit short compared to other (more expensive) units which feature name-based recordings, auto-skip of reruns, etc. This DVR's scheduling capabilities are more akin to a traditional VCR with the addition of a channel guide for reference.
All display material, both live and recorded, can be paused, rewound, fast-forwarded, and put into slow motion. A convenient button on the remote provides an automatic skip forward of 30 seconds, which when pressed multiple times corresponds almost exactly with a commercial break.
An Ethernet port is provided for automated firmware updates, or updates can be manually transferred via a "thumb drive" to the included USB port. The built-in hard drive is capable of storing up to 30 hours of HD material, or 150 hours of standard definition recordings (though this is determined solely by the station - you cannot choose to record HD material in SD format). Other than a somewhat tricky opening procedure for the case, replacing the hard drive for higher capacity is fairly easy and reliable (though not supported by the manufacturer).
In closing, it should be noted that the original DTVPal-DVR units (such as mine) on which the Channel Master is built have had a somewhat rocky history. Early versions of the firmware had a range of issues, some which were simply annoyances and others which were a serious impairment to usability. However, the most recent firmware, released several months ago and initiated prior to the OEM agreement with Channel Master, has proven to be quite stable and reliable. Having three units used on a daily basis in my home, the oldest of which has been in use since product introduction well over a year ago, leaves me confident in recommendation of the DVR for anyone interested in a great value, fairly well-featured OTA DVR.
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Channel Master CM-7000PAL Digital Video Recorder, Black
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