ZapperBox M1 Review - ATSC 3 TV Tuner & Soon-to-Be DVR For Cord Cutters

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ZapperBox M1 Review - ATSC 3 TV Tuner & Soon-to-Be DVR For Cord Cutters

Рет қаралды 26,469

Күн бұрын

Find one at Amazon - lon.tv/8ul9v (compensated affiliate link) - The Zapperbox M1 is a great example of the "minimally viable product." It's an ATSC 3 tuner box that right now just tunes live TV but with future firmware updates should be able to do a lot more. See more ATSC 3 - lon.tv/atsc3 and subscribe! lon.tv/s
VIDEO INDEX:
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Pricing & Models
01:23 - Use Case
02:25 - KZfaq App
02:41 - Ports
05:16 - Setup Process
05:38 - Channel Guide & Remote Control
06:29 - Channel Flipping Demo
06:58 - Channel Filters and Tuner Status Display
07:43 - Tuner Sensitivity vs. HDhomerun
09:14 - AC4 Audio
09:55 - DRM
10:31 - Upcoming DVR Features
12:00 - Conclusion
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Пікірлер: 67

@salmack8842 Жыл бұрын

Sounds like the HD home run box is the best option. We all want more channels.

@test-ic1zk 4 ай бұрын

Nah. The ZapperBox is far ahead of the HD Home Run.

@jackspencer8290 5 ай бұрын

Simplicity is a virtue. Everyone already has a streaming device. You don’t need that in every device. It does what it does well. I have one and I recommend it.

@HowRay 11 ай бұрын

Hey Lon... Have to give props where due. This review is on point. It highlights the capabilities of the box and the mechanics of the various connections. It's a perfect "quick look" for those of us who were wondering.... Just a quick note (in case you haven't seen it yet..), we all know how busy you are.!! The Zapperbox is now advertised as shipping with DVR enabled. I noticed it a couple of weeks back. Don't know if the firmware updates have dropped yet.... ¿Quien Sabe?

@senorfredo1015 Жыл бұрын

Very thorough review. Wish he had explained what this box is actually used for for those of us who have no clue.

@JuanNunez2023 Жыл бұрын

I have a Zapperbox. The two tuner version. Previously, I had a $30 iView TV Tuner and the Zapperbox is a much better experience than that. The interface is smooth and straight forward to use. I'm in Brooklyn which means I don't have any real ATSC 3 channels yet but I get about 90 channels on a channel scan, most of which look great. The reception for me is better than the iView. Overall, the Zapperbox is a good simple product. It's biggest weakness is the relatively very expensive price tag for a product that really only does one thing, watch over the air TV. For the price, I wish it had a few more features like Bluetooth 5.0 or higher. It actually doesn't have Bluetooth enabled at all at the moment although I think Bluetooth 4.0 is coming at some point in the future.

@jaredhuang2225 Жыл бұрын

I just looked up the iView and that thing has a ton of features for the price.

@JuanNunez2023 Жыл бұрын

@@jaredhuang2225 Yeah, the iView is a very good value. The draw back is that it's a very cheaply built device with a slow and somewhat odd interface but for the price that's not a big deal. If you only need to pick up ATSC 1.0 broadcasts and don't mind the limitation of only having one tuner, the iView is probably the best option.

@markstephens743 Жыл бұрын

I appreciate the heads-up in regards to the DRM encryption issue. I will be looking forward to the month of July 2023 update.

@robertbobino802 Жыл бұрын

U have to wait four more years, in 2027 but I support free over the air tv for life!

@ronkeyes659 Жыл бұрын

Excellent review! Informative, easy to understand, and very professional!!

@derekvallem Жыл бұрын

Very thorough review. You answered all of my questions. Thank you.

@TELEVISIONARCHIVES Жыл бұрын

Love this channel. Keep up the good work sir.

@jessragan6714 Жыл бұрын

Digital converter boxes? Did I stumble into a time rift and end up in 2009? You know what would be neat? A device designed to do for television what Pandora's Box does for video games. You put in your DVDs, it records them to SSD, and then it creates virtual networks with a schedule of shows, that you can surf like real networks.

@KA9DSL Жыл бұрын

My jaw dropped when you mentioned the price, not in my lifetime.

@zrrifle. 11 ай бұрын

But you're willing to pay hundreds a month for cable/sateliite TV? OK....

@thomasfox4513 4 ай бұрын

Subscribing to your channel now. Very good, comprehensive review of what seems to be excellent tech. I've been shopping for a new DVR, and ZB has been a brilliant star in the reviews. I'm wondering if my hesitation to commit is paying off considering ATS 3.0 seems to be failing on the vine. I'm a cheap person, and was waiting for a measure of stability in the market before spending my $. Still a great interface and it would be my first choice if I only had 1 TV.

@penultimatename6677 Жыл бұрын

Interested in the zapperbox but refuse to purchase until encryption is enabled.

@green929392 Жыл бұрын

A new TV with atsc 3 seems like a better option at least until dvr is added

@AudiophileTommy Жыл бұрын

I can’t wait to get my hands on this : ADTH NEXTGEN TV BOX. ($84.79 (incl. tax) WORLD'S ONLY NEXTGEN TV CERTIFIED SET-TOP-BOX. ATSC 3.0 NEXTGEN TV brings more high-quality content, such as live sports events, movies, TV shows, news broadcasts, and more. It improves the TV viewing experience with higher audio and video quality, including 4K resolution, HDR, and 3D audio. It is a hybrid broadcast and IP-based delivery standard that uses OFDM modulation instead of 8VSB modulation. It supports more robust transmission for reception on both fixed and mobile devices, datacasting capabilities, and more accessibility, personalization, and interactivity.

@supriyasou3722 Жыл бұрын

I wish they didn’t shutdown Fire recast DVR and they came with an updated atsc3.0. It is literally the best implementation even today in seamlessly integrating over the air tv with streaming apps and content.

@johntierney3353 Жыл бұрын

I'm not in a hurry so I'll wait and see what happens with Tablo. I think Tablo will be more a more polished product because of their experience.

@Foxxie55 Жыл бұрын

A few months ago I bought the older version without the HDMI connector. It ran completely through the WiFi. I had a little problem with it so I sent it back for refund.. The problems I had were; 1) On the main TV in front room which is a new 75" Samsung couldn't connect 2) On the computer to a 65" TV the movie was not fluid to watch - it was slow and jerky. 3) In my area the 4 main networks does have the ATSC 3.0, but the device could not show the video on that part. The only thing that worked good was my Samsung S10 phone.. The movies played great on it, (NOT ATSC 3.0 ) This HDMI connector might have worked better if the ATSC 3.0 works.. I'd be very careful with purchasing one of these and test everything if you have a refund policy and I'd make sure I could return it in case it doesn't work, etc.

@hnnotyy Жыл бұрын

But users say its not decoding 3.0, also Antenna man says that too. I rather hold out for the Quad Tuner though. HomeRun is a weird set up didn't like it I returned it and just bought the Tablo for now.

@LonSeidman Жыл бұрын

It’s decoding unencrypted atsc3 just fine not the drm’d broadcasts

@dkaustin98 Жыл бұрын

I have had the Zapperbox for a few months now. It works as it should on my smart HDMI TV that doesn't support ATSC 3.0. I do get delays on ATSC 3.0 where the broadcast seems to pause and a spinning wheel appears. It will pickup where the pause took place and catch up. I am also in a small city with about 36 channels that can be picked up. I do not need the DVR function. Am I happy with the Zapperbox? Yes and No. I wish they would get the decryption released for the ATSC 3.0 channels. I had a number of ATSC 3.0 channels that I could view. However, our main source for news encrypted their channel. We can still watch it just by scrolling to the ATSC 1.0 channel they broadcast. Then LBP/PBS had four ATSC 3.0 channels. LPB shut it down and reduced the strength of their regular broadcast signal. I found a notice that now LPB is advising their viewers to stream their content. I can do that without the Zapperbox as the TV does support streaming and browsing. One thing to keep in mind. The Zapperbox remote will not support all TVs from the remote. I am using the TV remote to power on the TV and adjust the volume as well as using the built in internet channels like the Internet browser, KZfaq, Prime, etc. The Zapperbox remote I am using to change channels when watching broadcast TV. Sometimes it is a little annoying using two remotes, but it works. There is another quirk. For old movies like ME TV the smart TV would fit the broadcast to the screen. The Zapperbox displays it in the original format, so you get the wide black bars on both sides of the broadcast. Of course my wife hates that. So, it does work as advertised.

@XMguy 4 ай бұрын

How does this compare signal wise to the Zinwell? I’ve found the ADTH signal was poor in comparison.

@aaronhendrickson Жыл бұрын

How about the OTA EPG guide info. The broadcasters provide for channels? If you lookup the atsc EPG guide requirements, it say all channels must provide 12 or 24 hours of guide. Some channels provide none. Which is violating the EPG requirements.

@stephennichols5620 Жыл бұрын

The Zapperbox does display the OTA EPG guide data, and that of course does not use an Internet connection. Zapperbox says that with the 2 tuner model, the 2nd tuner is continually updating the OTA EPG guide data.

@artdoyle9599 Жыл бұрын

Why would you buy this when you can get the HDhomerun Flex 4k for less money have 4 channels, and can watch on just about anything and record for the same yearly cost. And you get more channels. I get 103 channels in SE Florida, although we still have the DRM problem from Miami.

@H.T.2forever Жыл бұрын

Yeah ... That's why I went with the hdhomerun 4K as well. ... Currently getting 184 channels including three ATSC 3.0 ones here in the LA market. Although since we have mostly Samsung TVs here, it is somewhat annoying having to buy Amazon Firesticks for all of them because, for some reason the HD homerun app is not available or compatible with Samsung TVs.

@tiagoj8020 Жыл бұрын

Why are broadcasters using DRM encryption? So they can charge you?

@LenLynch Жыл бұрын

Long story short... Broadcasters want to make it harder to build services like Locast. They make it hard to time shift content on a personally owned DVR when they do that.

@LonSeidman Жыл бұрын

I touched on that subject here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hLSElpiAvNiomZc.html

@tiagoj8020 Жыл бұрын

@@LonSeidman oh brother!

@waynedishman8389 Жыл бұрын

I have a hdhomerun device with two tuners can I set it up with a smartphone or do I need a tablet or computer to set it up to for my new channel list

@traviscunningham_1 Жыл бұрын

Great review Lon As usual

@alexsmith8021 Жыл бұрын

If they unlock the android portion, it would be a really exciting replacement for my shield tv!

@RWDtech Жыл бұрын

Why in God's name would you replace a shield with this cheap crummy device? Just buy a network TV tuner and use your Shield to stream ATSC broadcast.

@ryanragan8899 Жыл бұрын

So what would be a good option if I want antenna TV through my entire house? I only have 1 antenna hook up in my house and it's in the living room. I have 3 additional TV's that I want to receive channels on, but only 1 location for an antenna hook up. What is recommended?

@LonSeidman Жыл бұрын

I would look at the HDhomerun that I covered in a few videos here: kzfaq.info/sun/PLCZHp4d1HnIsuCQeXMcowwERYtTqrWfH7

@joanie5812 Жыл бұрын

The HD Homerun Flex is a whole house device. Like you I have one antenna but TVs in other rooms. The HD allows you to load its app on a smart TV or streaming device and as long as it is on the same WiFi as the HD you can watch broadcast TV. You can also use the DVR feature after loading an external hard drive. I have the app loaded on a Roku, Apple TV, Shield and Google TV. It’s a little harder to set up and sometimes navigate through channels but with practice it gets easier.

@MegaKegHead Жыл бұрын

Does it require an external antenna? Thx. Jim

@LonSeidman Жыл бұрын

yes

@bjs2022 Жыл бұрын

Good report/presentation, thanks. Please don't say "DVR". All video (and audio) recorders have been digital for about 20 years now. Just say recorder. (We don't say "color TV", "flat panel TV", or "HD TV". We just say TV.)

@LonSeidman Жыл бұрын

The industry standard term is "DVR" - the remote even has it :)

@jamesheartney9546 Жыл бұрын

You can see broadcasters are desperate to monetize ATSC 3.0 with the first BS fees for simple stuff like a channel guide. More of that to come with DRM etc.

@cessna89811 5 ай бұрын

Will HD Homerun add drm?

@foxpopuli6982 Жыл бұрын

My dad hated the HD Homerun that I got for him because he couldn't flip through the channels. Maybe this will work for his needs.

@CommodoreFan64 Жыл бұрын

I'd wait, and stick with an ATSC 1.0 setup till the whole ATSC 3.0 standard gets fully finalized, a few more firmware revisions come out, more stations come online, along with more choice in converter boxes.

@foxpopuli6982 Жыл бұрын

@@CommodoreFan64 In my area we don't even have ATSC 3.0 channels on the air yet. So I can wait a while, and see what else Lon reviews!

@CommodoreFan64 Жыл бұрын

@@foxpopuli6982 Same, my area does not have any ATSC 3.0 channels yet either. Personally from other videos I've watched on the topic of ATSC 3.0, I don't think the US will be fully switched over till the end of the decade, or longer, and even then I don't think a lot of people will even bother unless they buy a new TV with ATSC 3.0 built in with so many streaming options both paid, and free on platforms like Roku, and Google Chromecast.

@foxpopuli6982 Жыл бұрын

@@CommodoreFan64 You may be right, regarding your projected timeline. My family has gotten fed up with subscriptions on top of subscriptions on top of subscriptions, all climbing in price and falling in quality. (also the alternative of getting cable service and having to pay for tons of things none of us need or want, and having no recourse) I started working on this problem a couple of years ago, and even though I'm nowhere near close to having a full-fledged solution for my family, it's still pretty fun to test and learn.

@robertmason7013 Жыл бұрын

Have you ordered your atsc 3.0 box from adth if you pre order you can receive it in July for a discount of only 78$.

@timlist4173 Жыл бұрын

I need a one touch viveo zapper that destroys the questionable videos on fb and yt.

@MY-IT-hacks Жыл бұрын

Will it now or ever work with plex?

@LonSeidman Жыл бұрын

Unlikely

@russc788 Жыл бұрын

That’s quite expensive for TV plus KZfaq

@jchoneandonly Жыл бұрын

Drm encryption... On a TV channel? Wtf

@you166mhz Жыл бұрын

hey I got a new item that everyone needs -- cost $499.98 ...

@TimNobody-es5bi 10 ай бұрын

250 bucks, why not just buy a 250 TV that tunes the same content. When these box drop to 25/30 bucks like they should be, then maybe I will get one.

@LonSeidman 10 ай бұрын

$250 TV's don't have ATSC 3 tuners on board

@TimNobody-es5bi 10 ай бұрын

@@LonSeidman I see that, about the cheapest I found was 800 bucks. Guess I will be waiting. I don't think it's going to be a big deal. Could be wrong.