Dish Network TR-40 CRA
Manufacturer: Dish Network Part number: TR40CRA
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Dish Network TR-40 CRA is a great DTV converter box with a best-in-class electronic program guide and should be your top choice, unless you value the simplicity and superior remote of the RCA DTA800.
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CNET editors' review
Dish Network TR-40 CRA price range: $50.00
- Reviewed by: Matthew Moskovciak
- Edited by: John P. Falcone
- Reviewed on: 09/02/2008
- Released on: 08/21/2008
The good: Excellent electronic program guide, with several days worth of data; can search for programs by title; solid video quality and reception; good aspect ratio controls for handling wide-screen programs on standard TVs; analog pass-through; can work with TV Guide On Screen devices.
The bad: Overcomplicated remote can't control TV volume and power; no front panel buttons means you're out of luck if the remote goes missing; composite audiovisual cable not included.
The bottom line: The Dish Network TR-40 CRA is a great DTV converter box with a best-in-class electronic program guide and should be your top choice, unless you value the simplicity and superior remote of the RCA DTA800.
Editors' note: This review is nearly identical to our review of the Dish Network DTVPal, as both products offer exactly the same functionality. However, since the TR-40 CRA costs less, CNET advises all buyers to go with the cheaper TR-40 CRA.
Back at CES 2008, Dish Network promised to deliver a DTV converter box--the TR-40-- that cost exactly $40, making it free to consumers who signed up for the government's DTV converter-box coupon. Since then a lot has happened. First, Dish changed the name to DTVPal and said the price would be $60, then the company claimed the DTVPal and the TR-40 were separate products, and then the TR-40 CRA was announced as exactly the same as the DTVPal--but with a $40 price tag. And now both the TR-40 CRA and the DTVPal--which are exactly the same product--are available on Dish Network's site, priced at $40 and $60, respectively. It's been a nightmare for consumers and journalists alike, and more than a few buyers of the DTVPal feel like they paid $20 too much.
All that aside, the bottom line is that Dish's $40 DTV converter box is finally on the market, and it's a good one. To us, the main draw is that the TR-40 CRA's EPG is much better than any other boxes we've reviewed. It gives several days of data in a familiar grid layout, with responsive controls and even the ability to search for a program. The other features of the TR-40 CRA are basically average; its reception and video quality are solid, but not standout. Our biggest concern is that the somewhat overcomplicated (and underfeatured) remote control just can't compete with the RCA DTA800's excellent clicker, and if you're picking a box for a senior citizen or certified nontechie, we'd lean heavily toward the DTA800. However, for everyone else, the TR-40 CRA's excellent EPG make it our go-to pick for DTV converter boxes.
Design
DTV converter boxes are fairly drab by nature, but the TR-40 CRA is one of the better-looking boxes we've seen. Its main attraction is its small footprint, measuring 1.3 inches high by 5.9 inches wide by 4.2 inches deep. It has a rectangular shape with rounded corners, and the case sinks a bit in the middle, giving it a subtle wavelike appearance. There are no buttons on the front, which means you can only control the box using a remote. On the center of the unit is a single green light indicating that it's on, and the light turns off when the unit is off. The light is actually pretty bright, and unfortunately you can't disable it in the setup menu.
The included remote is one of the weak points of the TR-40 CRA. Right off the bat, we were disappointed that it lacks the ability to control a TV, which is an important feature since these boxes will often be used in scenarios where an expensive universal remote doesn't make economic sense. We also weren't fans of the remote layout. There's no dedicated button-rocker for changing channels; channel changing is instead handled by the centrally located directional pad. There is a dedicated volume control, but it has an unorthodox horizontal alignment. Beyond that, the buttons aren't well differentiated (especially the buttons that surround the directional pad), and the fact that the page up/down buttons do double-duty controlling aspect ratio and closed-captioning can be confusing. Tech enthusiasts will certainly enjoy being able to access many functions directly from the remote, but overall, we much preferred the simple remote design of the RCA DTA800.
User interface
The real gem of the TR-40 CRA is its full electronic programming guide. Its layout and the amount of data it can display are superior to the other boxes we've reviewed. You can see four channels at a time, and it displays an hour and a half at a time, which we found reasonable given the limitations of a standard-definition display. How much guide data you actually get, and how good that guide data actually is, depends on the program data provided by the stations. Some stations provide only about a day's worth of data, while other go out several days. There's also a big disparity with the descriptions of the programs, with many programs showing only "No information available" and others giving a brief summary. We're expecting broadcasters to continually improve guide data as the digital transition gets closer, but don't expect complete information like what's available on a TiVo or cable DVR.
The other great thing about the guide is how responsive it is. Flipping through hours of data is a breeze, and we never felt like the box had to load a new screen. Sure, it's nothing like the silky-smooth response of the PS3, but it's a big step over the other boxes we've reviewed. The only addition that would have been nice is a picture-in-picture view of what's playing on the channel it's currently tuned to, but we can understand why Dish decided to conserve screen space.
The TR-40 CRA also includes a program-search function, which Dish Network calls Event Search. It's accessible via the main menu, and it lets you search for programs using an onscreen keyboard. For example, if you're interested in knowing when all of the permutations of the CSI franchise are airing, you can simply search for "CSI" and it will tell you all the channel, date, and time information for programs with CSI in the title. You can choose to search title data, description data, or both. It's not flawless, as we noticed that the TR-40 CRA tended not to update program guide data unless we actually accessed that channel, but it's still a useful feature once you know its limitations.
Features
Aspect ratio is handled well on the TR-40 CRA. This is an important feature because the TR-40 CRA will most commonly be used with older, analog TVs with a standard 4:3 aspect ratio, but an increasing amount of digital TV is presented in wide screen (16:9). The DTT900 has three options, which you can cycle through with the "Picture Format" button on the remote.
Full: Fills the screen on wide-screen programs, but distorts the aspect ratio on analog 4:3 TVs. However, this mode keeps wide-screen programs in the correct aspect ratio and fills the screen on wide-screen TVs.
Normal: Keeps wide-screen programs in their original aspect ratio, but adds black bars on both the top and bottom of the picture.
Zoom: Maintains the proper aspect ratio on 4:3 analog TVs, but crops out of the extreme right and left sides of the picture.
Connectivity is standard on the TR-40 CRA. There are two RF-style F connectors, which are the connectors that have the screw threads on the outside and the small hole inside. One connector is an antenna input and is connected to the antenna using a coaxial cable. The other F connector says "TV Set out" and is a video output. This means you can send analog video and audio from the TR-40 CRA to your TV by connecting a coaxial cable. In addition to the F connectors, the TR-40 CRA has a composite-video output along with stereo-RCA analog outputs--the standard yellow, red, and white outputs. If your TV has the proper inputs, you should use this output as it offers superior audio and video quality compared with the RF connection.
Analog pass-through is another feature of the TR-40 CRA, which means that you can set the box to pass the analog signal from the antenna through its RF output, to be tuned by a separate NTSC tuner. For most people, the usefulness of this feature is fairly limited, as after February 19, 2009, almost all analog transmitters will be turned off. Sure, there will be still be a few low-power location stations, or if you live close to the border with Mexico, you might be able to get some analog Mexican stations, but for the vast majority of people this feature just isn't that important. Still, it's a nice convenience for people who'd like to continue using analog stations until February 2009.
The TR-40 CRA can also work in conjunction with a TV or DVD recorder that has TV Guide On Screen, or Guide Plus (also known as Gemstar). The instructions are in the manual, but basically you need to connect a G-Link cable from your TV Guide On Screen-compatible device, set up the IR blaster in front of the DTV Pal, and set the TR-40 CRA to TV Guide On Screen mode. We didn't have any TV Guide On Screen-abled devices on hand to test this, but it's a nice extra for those who use the service.
Besides the remote and the actual unit, there's not much else included in the box. There's the manual, a single RF cable, and a couple of AA batteries for the remote--that's it. That's pretty stingy, as we expect at least composite-video cable with stereo audio cables (the standard yellow, red, and white cables) to be included with these boxes. Overall, it's not a huge issue--you can pick up a cheap composite-video cable or better quality RF cable for a few bucks--but it really should be included in the box.
While the TR-40 CRA has a pretty solid feature set, tech enthusiasts will notice a few features missing. There's no S-Video output, which can provide slightly better quality than composite. There's also no port to connect a Smart Antenna--which is an antenna that is able to automatically adjust itself to improve reception. Considering the high price of Smart Antennas we've seen so far, this isn't a big omission.
Performance
Reception was overall comparable to other boxes we've tested. From our Manhattan office, we were able to tune into all the major networks and rarely saw any breakups associated with a poor signal. We were also able to receive a whole host of additional channels, such as PBS (from multiple cities), The CW, My 9, plus some religious and Spanish channels. Remember, you'll only be able to tune into the free stations broadcast over the air--that means no Comedy Central, CNN, and so on. When we compared it directly with the Zenith DTT900, it came up a bit short on total channel count, but only by a few. Also remember that our testing environment is urban, and performance will vary greatly depending on local terrain.
Video quality was fairly good overall, but a notch below the best converter boxes we've tested. We compared it head-to-head with the Zenith DTT900 using the composite-video input, and we found the TR-40 CRA to be a tad softer, with more jaggies and other image imperfections. It was nearly as bad as the GE 22730, and more comparable to the image quality of the RCA DTA800. We noticed these differences on an HDTV--where the quality differences are more pronounced--so users of standard analog TVs will notice fewer differences.
User reviews
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Good Overall Unit - Be Aware of Tech Support
by Mackman007 on November 7, 2008
Pros: Easy Setup, Pass Through option- On or Off, Two output options-Composite or Coaxial, menu options are intuitive, Event Timer programming capability
Cons: No buttons on the front panel, Tech Support, remote a little bulky
Summary: Tech Support Request your Social Security number to set up an account to talk to you.
Summary: Tech Support Request your Social Security number to set up an account to talk to you.
8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Defective product, terrible customer service.
by schmeckpeper on October 3, 2008
Pros: Low price and programming guide.
Cons: No energy star compliance
No TV control via remote
Abysmal customer service
Dish has no incentive to provide support. Their only reason for selling this box is to pitch you their sattelite service as an alternative to getting a converter box.Summary: I bought this converter for one reason, price. I used my other coupon to buy the Zenith DTT901. After several weeks of use I was very satisfied with it and ...
Summary: I bought this converter for one reason, price. I used my other coupon to buy the Zenith DTT901. After several weeks of use I was very satisfied with it and my intention was to buy a second one for my camper. Then I found out the TR-40 was selling for the coupon price of $40 and I thought what the heck, I can live with an inferior converter box just for the few times I use it while camping. Besides, the programming guide would be a bonus when in an area where I am unfamiliar with the local channels.... big mistake.
I turned the unit on and I attached it to my whole house antenna to test it. At first all was good but within an hour the video froze but the sound continued to work. I tried to turn the unit off and then on but it would not respond to the remote at all. I then unplugged it, plugged it back in and it worked fine again for about 20 minutes until it locked up once again. At that point I decided this was a defective unit and I would have to return it.
The first problem was trying to find a customer service number. (The Zenith by the way comes with a sticker on the top of the unit with a number for customer service, not that I have had to use it.). Once connected I was pitched Dish Network satellite services many times. Eventually I got to someone who told me that they would send me out a new box with a prepaid return shipping label and I should have it in about 3 days. A week went by with no unit received and I called back. I was told the unit had shipped 7 days prior. Since it can take 7-10 days to receive I was told to wait a little longer. 7 days after this I still had not received the replacement so I called back again. I was told they would investigate and that it should be resolved in 3-5 business days. 5 days later, no box so I call back. After 20 minutes on the phone I am told that I am required to ship my unit to them before they will ship me a replacement. Although I was not happy it took them a month to tell me this, I was happy to see some progress. Then came the killer, when I asked for a prepaid shipping label I was told I would have to pay the inbound shipping. I asked her why I was being penalized for their defective product and she said it was their policy. They said that they do normally provide return shipping labels for their Dish Network converter boxes; however that did not apply to the DTV converter boxes. I tried to explain that if they had not sent me a defective product there would be no need for me to have to ship it back and therefore it was their responsibility. She refused to budge on this and I asked if I could talk to a supervisor or someone about making an exception to the policy based on the circumstances. She refused and said there were no exceptions to the policy.
My recommendation is to buy from a manufacturer who cares about maintaining their reputation. If you are not a Dish network customer they could care less if the TR-40 they sent you works or if you are satisfied with it. Do't waste your coupon on this box!
BTW, There is also a similar story to this in the CNET reviews for the DTVPAL posted by someone else. Don?t think paying more for the DTVPAL is going to be any better. You will just pay more for the same poor quality equipment and customer service.7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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?Caveat Emptor? Bought two DTVPAL - Echostar-defective
by mffblf on December 4, 2008
Pros: nothing - they were defective
Cons: ?Caveat Emptor? Bought two DTVPAL ( Echostar) converter?s from Solid Signal ($112)- both went bad within 30 days- both retailer & manufacture are real PITA?s to deal with. Another government program sticking it to us - I should of learned by now.
Summary: both units quit working within 30 days - retailer advised it was the manufaccture's job- you can guess what they said. Refused to refund or exchange.
DO NOT DO ...Summary: both units quit working within 30 days - retailer advised it was the manufaccture's job- you can guess what they said. Refused to refund or exchange.
DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH DISHNET( ECHOSTAR) or SOLID SIGNAL!!
MFF3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Died shortly after warranty period ended.
by emburg46 on December 23, 2008
Pros: Loved the abilitiy to see programming and description of the program. Small and unobtrusive. While it worked, it was great.
Cons: Product did not hold up.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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One out of Two Defective in 3 Months
by J_Schwyhart on December 21, 2008
Pros: Price, 18 Dollars (tax & shipping) for 2 units straight from Dish network, Easy hook-up, Great Picture, Simple Remote, On Screen Guide, Event Timer, Tech Support
Cons: No T.V. power control, No S-Video. A universal remote would have been nice
Summary: I had one unit that had to be constantly be reset by unplugging after about 10 weeks of use. I contacted Dish Network tech support directly with the problem and ...
Summary: I had one unit that had to be constantly be reset by unplugging after about 10 weeks of use. I contacted Dish Network tech support directly with the problem and serial number of unit and they shipped me a new one in 2 days UPS with return labels for the defective unit.
In my opinion the TR-40CRA is a good unit for the price. It will provide the digital conversion to be viewed on analog sets and it does it well.
Bottom line is, if a company like Dish Network or any other company has their name on a product like this it would be to their benefit to provide superior customer service and or tech support for the prospect of a future consumer of their other services.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The Best and Cheapest I found
by LinuxRules on February 19, 2009
Pros: Awesome interface, fantastic 7 day epg, only $40 free with coupon, can run on 12 volt battery, timer to switch to your favorite show on time.
Cons: It is true, do not deal with the customer service if you can, I give cs a Fat Zero, but I could not find this in any known store.
No universal remote, no digital or surround sound,Summary: Buy the unit from a store if you can, dealing with dish and they will try to charge bogus fees, pay only for box, taxes, and shipping. I viewed five ...
Summary: Buy the unit from a store if you can, dealing with dish and they will try to charge bogus fees, pay only for box, taxes, and shipping. I viewed five other boxes and not impressed with any of them. The only issue I had with the clock is that it will read what the stations are broadcasting. If the station has the wrong time the unit will display and use that time and screw up your timer and epg. It is not the unit's fault.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Died after 3 mos, CUSTOMER SERVICE DREADFUL!
by josecitos_girl on November 14, 2008
Pros: Nice download of schedule, crystal clear on monitor
Cons: Started acting weird after one month (would spontaneously go on and off). Fixed at first by unplugging, replugging, kept changing the batteries on the remote.
Summary: Well, if this is rated "the best," then Lord help us! Died after 3 months. THREE HOURS to Customer Service -- kept putting me on hold for as long as ...
Summary: Well, if this is rated "the best," then Lord help us! Died after 3 months. THREE HOURS to Customer Service -- kept putting me on hold for as long as 30 min, then would DISCONNECT and you'd have to call and start all over again! I get the feeling they are being swamped with calls from dissatisfied customers at this point. "It's new and we're still getting the kinks out." Finally, after 3 hours, got a supervisor who promised to send a replacement OVERNIGHT. One week later I called to inquire where it was. (With more waiting, and more disconnects.) IT HAD NEVER BEEN MAILED, it was listed as "pending" on their computer. Now they tell me in 7-10 working days FROM THE DAY IT'S MAILED, which could be never. So I have to call back every day to see when they will assign a tracking #. That means more time on the phone, more 30-min holds, then getting disconnected, then having to call back and start all over... I smell a class-action lawsuit coming... It's junk.
PS It appears ALL of the other converter boxes are junk, too. So keep that in mind. Maybe this one is the best of all the awful alternatives!
Updated on Nov 14, 20081 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Works great for me
by pendragn32 on November 10, 2008
Pros: Very small footprint, nice Program Guide, remote is easy to use, excellent reception, easy setup, easy aspect ratio selection, cheap (before shipping, but at least shipping was very fast), composite video outputs.
Cons: I would prefer it if the remote at least controlled the power on my TV, so I wouldn't have to power-cycle the TV and converter box separately. The coaxial cables that come with these units are very short and very thin.
Summary: With the excellent reception, low price and small footprint, I am very happy that I purchased two of these digital converter boxes.
Summary: With the excellent reception, low price and small footprint, I am very happy that I purchased two of these digital converter boxes.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good all around converter box with a funky remote.
by eghuff on September 15, 2008
Pros: Good program guide, aspect ratio handling, and tuner sensitivity. Video and sound quality OK. Easy to install and works fine off the old analog rabbit ears in the DFW area. Able to control basic functions with Phillips univ remote as Dish Sat box.
Cons: The remote is clunky. The analog signal does not pass thru when the unit is powered off. Dish's order process leaves a lot to be desired.
Summary: Bottom line, the unit has great function and is priced so the net cost is less than $10 each with the coupons. So far I've been pleased. i was ...
Summary: Bottom line, the unit has great function and is priced so the net cost is less than $10 each with the coupons. So far I've been pleased. i was able to control the basic functions with inexpensive Phillips remotes by using codes for Dish Network satellite receiver boxes, which ameliorates the remote issue to some degree. So far I haven't found any key that handles the aspect ratio zoom on these remotes, unfortunately.
I wasn't able to order the cheaper version on the Dish site even though it was listed, so I had to use the toll free number. It took forever to complete the call. They billed me for shipping and handling even though they charged my credit card, but a call to their toll free number confirmed that I didn't need to pay the bill. The units arrived in three days, so delivery was fine.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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it works better
by dredgerie on October 31, 2008
Pros: nice accessability
Cons: having to pay $20 a piece for shipping kinda negates the cheap price.
1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Dish Network
- Part number: TR40CRA
- Description: The TR-40 CRA adds to DISH Network's lineup of digital-to-analog converter boxes, and features a unique analog pass-through feature; an easy-to-follow setup wizard; an electronic program guide with up to seven days of program listings; parental controls; program search; auto tune timers for program recording on a connected VCR; closed caption support; a remote control; and signal strength screen pop-ups that can troubleshoot lost signals.
General
- Product Type Digital TV tuner
- Enclosure Color Black
System
- A/V System Recommended Use Home
- Parental Lock Yes
Digital TV Tuner
- Digital TV Tuner Type ATSC DTV
- Tuner Qty 1
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Antenna ( F connector ) - Rear,
1 x RF output ( F connector ) - Rear,
1 x Composite video/audio output ( RCA phono x 3 ) - Rear Power
- Type External
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Dish Network products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Dish Network
- Address:
5701 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton, CO 80120 - Phone: 800-333-3474
