Channel Master 7000PAL, CM TV, CM7400 DVR's

[Jase88]

Was pleasantly surprised that the 7000Pal reports on-screen when the remote batteries are low. Very cool.

[Huskylord]

Will there every be a reliable WAF friendly OTA HD PVR with Netflix integration?
I still have trouble believing with the wave of people adopting OTA, there isn't a bigger market offering for these devices.

[Jase88]

The Channel Master DVR's--effectively being a computing and storage device--have the capability to offer Netflix from a technical perspective. Though, based on my observations, should CM launch Netflix support, it won't likely be for devices outside of the US.

[Huskylord]

I am a bit leery of the CM brand based on the multitude of negative reviews I've read about their OTA DVR's. I'm still hoping more players will enter this consumer space.

[Wayne]

Originally Posted by Huskylord

Will there every be a reliable WAF friendly OTA HD PVR with Netflix integration?
I still have trouble believing with the wave of people adopting OTA, there isn't a bigger market offering for these devices.

Yes - Windows Media Center set up with a US zip code and (ideally) using unblockus or a VPN. This gives you full OTA with an attractive UI with good guide data and access to lots of online content from US TV networks plus good Netflix integration. You can also supplement this with your own video files in your video library.

[Jase88]

i have finally received my cm7000pal and it keeps saying channel has been lost and is trying to requisition the chgannel when it does finally find it though it is way over 80 % 88 even why am i getting this result ? kinda frustrated about it moving my antenna around lots for no reason ?

Which channel specifically are you experiencing this issue with?

For myself, I sometimes notice this problem with channel 6 Paris (Global, RF6). Tuning to another channel, then back to 6, appears to resolve the issue. There must be something about the channel 6 PSIP data the box doesn't like.

[Jase88]

My question is why is the cm 7000 pal saying signal has been lost and acquisitioning channel. When the channel always reads 88 % it is channel 20 omni 2 from london ? it has been doing the same with 51 chch which i understand since it is usually 64-66 %...

Again, the issue may have something to do with a compatibility problem between the PSIP data that the channel is sending out and the DVR. Does the DVR, after about 30 seconds of attempting to acquire the signal, show a signal meter with a black screen indicating signal? If so, this is a decode issue and confirms problems with decoding PSIP for this station.

And note that "64-66%" signal on this DVR is actually borderline signal. It could be that CHCH is falling below the receivable threshold.

[jft436]

Home theatre magazine June issue has an in dept review of the CM 7400. I have had a keen interest in this unit for sometime. I was thinking of getting rid of my Tivo due to the monthly charges. However based on the review I will be keeping my Tivo which in my opinion is quite superior dvr/tuner.

The downsides to the CM 7400
Runs hot 119.3 F
Expensive $450 American
Have to subscribe to a premium program guide $50.00 a year and have to be connected to the internet.
Has quirks and reliability issues
No netflix or hulu plus widget.

Overall it was rated with three stars.

On reviewing the article it appears that channel master is still in need of significant improvement to this unit

[Jase88]

A Channel Master TV™ subscription is a requirement? My understanding was that the service is optional. If the review is correct, this is likely a major deal breaker for many who are looking to go subscription-free with OTA.

The hot running temp concerns me as well. This says to me that: (a) the unit consumes excessive power, and (b) premature component failure is likely.

[Schmerpy]

"Quirks and reliability issues" doesn't surprise those of us who own the CM7000PAL.

The 7000PAL has had bugs in its software for the entire 18 months that I've owned it, and we haven't seen a software update in well over a year.

[Steve Smart]

I'm not the biggest fan of this product, but...

Runs Hot: Hotter than the CM7000 to be sure, but ensuring adequate airflow around the device mitigates the heat issue greatly. Another cheap option is to add a laptop cooler - I've done it and it lowers the temperature to a much more reasonable level.

Expensive: Don't know where he's shopping, but I paid more like $375 Canadian, which is on a par with what I've paid for similar products over the years.

Subscription: This is plain wrong. The device happily uses PSIP for guide data. Manual recording is available for shows not yet listed in the guide.

Internet Access: Also untrue, unless you subscribe to the Premium Service. The 7400 offers you the option of setting the time via the TV, the Internet, or manually. Firmware upgrades can be downloaded from the net and installed via USB.

Netflix/Hulu: None of the widgets work in Canada, so specific inclusions/exclusions are irrelevant. They would be nice to have, I suppose.

Quirks and Quarks: Most definitely, but about to the same degree as the 7000PAL (a completely different product from the ground up) - as well as every other stand-alone DVR or HTPC I've ever used or built. And most of them have never been addressed with a firmware upgrade, so the 7400 is hardly the worst offender in this area.


We all know bullet-proof reliability is a fantasy in today's home electronics market, so do your homework, compare apples to apples, and make your choice. For me, even with the bugs, the 7400 has been a valuable addition to my television viewing experience.

ss

[Wayne]

Originally Posted by jft436

The downsides to the CM 7400
Runs hot 119.3 F
Expensive $450 American
Have to subscribe to a premium program guide $50.00 a year and have to be connected to the internet.
Has quirks and reliability issues
No netflix or hulu plus widget.

Sounds like a lot of incentives to build an HTPC that is a lot more flexible, although higher maintenance.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Jase88

The hot running temp concerns me as well. This says to me that: (a) the unit consumes excessive power, and (b) premature component failure is likely.

Any HD PVR is going to generate significant heat so it's power consumption may not be worse than others. The key is what you do with that heat. Fans are noisy so you have to balance heat dissipation with noise. The best way to save power is to turn off sub systems when they aren't being used. Many keep everything on for simplicity.

[Jase88]

^^^ Even if it's energy consumption is on par with other devices, excessive heat is a problem. It will definitely lead to premature component failure. And it would definitely lead to processing errors that will contribute to the quirky performance issues noted in the review.

[jft436]

On reading some of the posts I went back and read the review again.

I just synopsised what was in the article. The unit comes with a basic guide populated by the data imbedded in the digital transmission signal.
It will show you programming for two days, unfortunalty not every broadcaster sends that info and what the do send is sparse.
Understand that you can use a program that is generated by the tv station with encoded program information. According to the reviewer this was a hit and miss situation and to work better you needed the premium guide at an added yearly cost.

The unit temperature when operating was 123.4 degrees but the temp dropped when the unit was raised up from its normal position to 107.2 This was one of his solutions regarding the heat issue, was to raise the unit so that more air could flow underneath it

Also Channel Master in February 2012 increased the warranty to 1 year parts and labour because of the heat issue.
There is a post on the channel master website search under support temperature related .

The reviewer had many postive things to comment regarding the unit.

I only posted the negative concerns so that members on this site
could make an informed judgment.