reviewoffirsteiacea-909smartantenna.docVIP

REVIEW OF FIRST EIA/CEA-909 SMART ANTENNA IMPLEMENTATION: SYLVANIA 6900DTE OTA STB WITH DX ANTENNA DTA-5000 holl_ands 8/3/05 SYLVANIA 6900DTE OTA STB (AKA FUNAI STB400E): ATSC reception with the Sylvania 6900DTE provided a 1080i HD picture with roughly the same exceptional HD picture quality as on TWC-SD cable using PACE DC-550P and SA8300HD PVR. (It also has a switch to select 720p and 480p, but apparently not 480i). The rear panel (see picture) has a 6-pin RJ-12 type connector for Smart Antenna Control, DVI-D HDCP, Component Video, S-Video, Composite Video, Dolby Digital Audio (Optical and Coax) and two pairs of L/R Stereo outputs. I watched both HD outputs (switch selectable) DVI/HDCP or Component Video but would not declare a preference without extensive watching and comparing. The 4:3 sidebars are always black…the worst possible setting for a plasma panel…which needs greybar settings for top and sides to prevent burn-in. Display driver is ATI’s Xilleon 226 (same as several Samsung DLPs and numerous other HDTV manufacturers). Inside the Sylvania 6900DTE I found the TUHU2-551A ATSC Tuner Module. The Alps Electric (Japan) spec sheet says it contains an ATI NXT2004. Although both the NXT24004 and the TUHU tuner module support NTSC and QAM, Funai/Sylvania elected not to turn them on in the STB. [Fortunately, I do not need them.] The Alps TUHU spec sheet also lists the TDEU Tuner Only Module, which claims a typical Noise Figure of 7 dB. Since they are on the same spec sheet, the same Noise Figure probably applies to the TUHU ATSC Tuner Module tuner. The TUHU is also reportedly used in the Ricavision AverMedia ATSC A180 Tuner PCI Card. ATI’s NXT200x series of ATSC Decoder chips are capable of handling difficult multipath conditions including when the various multipath components are roughly the same strength (i.e. 0 dB echo case), as is sometimes found in indoor locations. Fol. is description of NXT2004 (ditto NXT2002, NXT2003, NXT2005) fro