---
product_id: 1143305
title: "AT-163 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box and Media Player w/ Recording PVR Function / HDMI Out / Coaxial Out / Composite Out / USB Input"
brand: "viewtv"
price: "R533"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 11
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/1143305-at-163-atsc-digital-tv-converter-box-and-media-player
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# 16 free-to-air channels HDMI, USB, Coaxial inputs PVR recording & live pause AT-163 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box and Media Player w/ Recording PVR Function / HDMI Out / Coaxial Out / Composite Out / USB Input

**Brand:** viewtv
**Price:** R533
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Summary

> 📡 Unlock your TV’s full potential—cut cable, keep control, and never miss a show!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** AT-163 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box and Media Player w/ Recording PVR Function / HDMI Out / Coaxial Out / Composite Out / USB Input by viewtv
- **How much does it cost?** R533 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/1143305-at-163-atsc-digital-tv-converter-box-and-media-player)

## Best For

- viewtv enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted viewtv brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Stay In Control:** Manage your viewing with parental controls, favorite channel lists, and an electronic programming guide.
- • **Plug & Play Simplicity:** Effortless setup with included HDMI and composite cables plus an intuitive remote control.
- • **Maximize Your Screen Time:** Access 16+ free-to-air channels and enjoy local news, sports, and entertainment without monthly fees.
- • **Cut the Cord, Not the Quality:** Seamlessly convert digital broadcasts to your analog TV with crystal-clear HDMI output.
- • **Record, Pause, Rewind Live TV:** Never miss a moment—store your favorite shows directly on USB drives with built-in PVR functionality.

## Overview

The AT-163 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box transforms your analog TV into a modern entertainment hub by delivering 16+ free-to-air digital channels with HDMI, USB, and coaxial connectivity. Featuring a built-in PVR for recording, pausing, and rewinding live TV, it includes parental controls, an electronic programming guide, and easy plug-and-play setup with all necessary cables and remote control. Perfect for professionals seeking cost-effective, high-quality local TV streaming without cable subscriptions.

## Description

Viewtv Setup Instructions1. Plug Viewtv device into the wall outlet.2. Plug your Antenna (RF compatible only) into the Viewtv RF IN port3. Plug the provided AV cable into the matching Viewtv converter box AV OUT port.a.For HD support please use the provided HDMI Cable and plug into HDMI OUT port.4.Plug the other end of the AV/HDMI cable into the TV’s AV/HDMI IN portRF/Coaxial cable is also compatible, please set your TV output to channel 3Please NOTE IMPORTANT: While this device DOES have limited QAM/Cable capability, it is NOT officially supported due to incompatibility issues with some cable providers. a. Please do NOT purchase this device soley for QAM/Cable use. Please be advised that it will work ONLY with DECRYPTED channels. It may NOT work with all Cable providers. b. Old TV's with analog tuners will NOT allow you to watch one channel and record another with this device. c. To delete channels go to Select Menu, Program, enter password 000000 d. New HDTVs WILL allow you to watch one channel using TV's digital tuner and record another, but you MUST enable "Loop Through" Under MENU/ Channel Search/ Modulation.(Credit to Andy) IMPORTANT: European DVB-T RF signal is NOT supported and will NOT work! Please REMOVE Clear Plastic Covering from the top of Viewtv Box before use! It cause's box to overheat!ATS/Broadcast television is 100% guaranteed to work & is fully supportedIf you have any issues with your device please contact customer support provided on your warranty card.What's in the box1 Viewtv AT-163 converter box1 wireless remote control1 HDMI Cable1 Composite cable

Review: Surprising! Outperformed my expectations- Great to go subscription free - Update 10 July 2024. I used the box all the way to June 2022, but after we moved to the Louisville Ky area I didnt set it up again. Ive been using the Gen2 and Gen4 Tablo devices. (Tablo boxes require internet connection to function, but if you arent familiar I strongly recomend looking at the Gen4) A few days ago I decided to plug the tuner box in and see if it still works, unsurprisingly it still works just as good today as it did over 10 years ago. Update- April 2020. I'm so glad I have so much OTA recorded content on my HDD. Update- November 2019. Ive relocated to the Pittsburgh Area, and once the TV Antenna was up the box is up and running. Set up my recording schedules and everything is working as it should. Update- 25 August, 2015 I've relocated to Northern Illinois, the box just keeps working, and it has proven to still have a better tuner than my TV. Update- 13 May, 2015 Still working without issue. Update- 23 May, 2014 I am still satisfied with the box. It is still running without significant issue. I give it a double-plus-good rating. Update- 29 January 2014 The box has been running everyday, recording about 6 shows a week, and a fair amount of time-shifting too. It is sitting on top of a Satellite receiver which is warm on its own. The box is still working without issue. If you decided to buy this- read my review first anyway, I promise I have covered many details that are not in the manual. Details that will drive you nuts until you figure them out on your own. For the price this is a remarkable little box. Overall everything is simple enough that you can unbox it, hook it up, and have it running in a few minutes without the manual- which is actually good because the manual does not have any set-up instructions. On page 8 there is a wire connection diagram- some people may find this useful but most will probably find it more confusing than helpful. The remote is basic, and barely meets the requirements. Some keys are marked with icons we are familiar with, others lack those icons, namely the PLAY, PAUSE, and STOP keys. The keys are labeled clearly, they are just missing the familiar icons. The remote is a fairly narrow beam IR, so you can't expect the same performance as some of the high-power broad angle IR remotes (like DirecTV) or the be-anywhere performance of an RF remote. Just have a clear line of site within 25 feet and 30 degrees. The box has independent hardware keys for Power, Menu, OK, VOL -/+ and Channel -/+. The box also has a display that shows channel numbers- however these are the numbers of the memory positions that the box has stored the scanned channels into- these are not the actual broadcast station numbers. (Added 29 January 14) I have replaced the remote with a "learning" universal remote. By "learning" I mean the kind that you use the source remote to teach the universal remote what to do when you push the keys. You can program any key function into any key- which makes using this box a lot better. The universal works so much better, I can't emphasize it strongly enough. The original remote really started to annoy me. (Added 23 May 14) Some people have asked about "Universal" remotes. Most "Universals" get programmed by telling the remote a code that allows the remote to "emulate" the original manufacturer remote. Unfortunately I haven't found any "Universals" with a Viewtv code. I've heard that a certain high dollar brand might work- but I'm not trying to spend twice as much (or more)on the remote than I did on the box! Over-The-Air broadcast viewing works as expected. The digital OTA(Over-The-Air) tuner is slightly more sensitive than the tuner in my TV. (Added 23 May 14) That means that at my house with an amplified rooftop antenna pointed directly to the broadcast antenna location I get a few more channels on the box than I do with the antenna connected directly to the TV. OTA reception has a lot of variables. I live less than 10 miles from the broadcast site, but I am in a terrain shadow (I am behind some big hills.) The key point I can make is that this box tunes all of the broadcast stations available in the area- my expensive TV's tuner doesn't do that. The video quality is every bit as good as I could expect. Using HDMI connection looks as good as expected, using composite cables also delivers a good picture. Using the built-in RF modulator to output over channel 3 or 4 doesn't work with modern digital tuners- I no longer own an old TV with an analog tuner so I can't test how this works. Under MENU/ Channel Search/ Modulation you can enable "Loop through" which will allow you to watch one channel using your TV's digital tuner and record another using the box's tuner- you won't need to use a splitter inline before the box. The menus are responsive enough- they are not instant fast, but I have seen slower on big-name boxes. Pressing the OK key during regular viewing will show you the channel list. You can edit your channel names under MENU/ Program/ Program Edit. If you get bored there are games like Tetris, Snakes, and Reversi- also found in MENU/ Program/ Game The EPG (Electronic-Program-Guide) is decent. Since EPG is embedded in the ATSC broadcast signal (along with time data) I find it amusing that the box displays EPG info even though none of my TVs do. That being said- if you are familiar with cable and satellite on-screen program guide be prepared to be disappointed- so manage your expectations- there is a reason that Tivo has a subscription fee. This is not Tivo, but it does provide an onscreen guide of upcoming programming and the ability to set scheduled recordings with just a few clicks. The scheduling functions are basic, but you can set daily or weekly repeating schedules. It will warn you and prevent you from setting overlapping recordings. I feel the most obvious function missing is EPG full grid guide, the program list is displayed by channel. You can't see what is on multiple channels in the same time slot. Be aware also that viewing the guide for a channel actually changes to that channel, so there is a limitation here. If the box is in time-shift, playback, or currently recording it will not allow you to go to the EPG. So make sure you have scheduled your recordings before the box starts a scheduled recording. (Added 23 May 14) SO far my single greatest complaint, and honestly it is a minor annoyance, I wish it allowed setting a label for a recording when setting up a scheduled recording. Scheduled recordings are labeled by channel name and timed/date. It is possible to re-label the recording AFTER. So I keep a 3x5 card handy to remind me what shows I record by channel, time, and day. (Added 29 January 14) I've had recordings fail with scheduled recording if I didn't set at least one minute difference between the end of one recording and the beginning of the next. I've found that the least amount of key strokes to do this is change the start time to 1 minute after. It seems that every show starts with a review of previous episodes anyway... Once I started using the 1 minute after method it hasn't failed a recording. I plugged a 128GB USB flash drive in and tested the time-shift capability, it works as expected. To start time-shifting you press the PAUSE key- you will get the message "entering time shift, waiting"- then press the PLAY key. The manual does not describe this correctly. While time-shifting the OSD shows on the bottom of the display, press the EXIT key to hide the OSD, press the INFO key to recall it. (Added 29 January 14) Use the biggest USB Flash Drive you can afford. The video format at full HD runs nearly 7Gb per hour. If you had one of these in the living room and the bedroom, you can easily pull the USB storage out of one and stick it in the other to watch shows you've recorded. Call it the low-tech-hopper. One detail I find unusual is that while fast-forwarding during playback of a recording there is no OSD showing relative position in the playback. While the box is recording you will have a recording OSD in the top left corner of the display- press the EXIT key to hide the OSD, press the INFO key to recall it. On many laptops I have to use 2 usb ports to power an external harddrive (spinning disk type), but this box provides enough power through just the single USB port. The drive had multiple partitions both FAT and NTFS- all partitions show up. You can adjust the time-shift buffer from the default 1GB by increments of .5 GB up to 4 GB, you will find this setting under USB/ PVR Configure/ Record Device/ Timeshift Size. (Added 29 January 14) Use a flash drive. The box will time-shift to a external hard disk drive, it will play back your movie collection too, but I have had it fail scheduled recordings with the hard disk drive- even when I observed the 1 minute after rule mentioned above. After a little experimentation, and time staring at the box, and listening to it in operation I believe it is due to the time it takes for the hard-drive to spin up. When the scheduled recording kicks in the box spins up the hard-drive, but if the hard-drive speed is a little slow the box detects that the drive is not ready so it aborts the recording. You might have a different experience with a better external hard-drive. My recommendation is to stick to flash media- with no moving parts or spinning disks it gives better assured performance. Pressing the USB button on the remote will take you to the USB menu, then select the PVR icon and look for a folder called HBPVR to find your recordings. The recordings are named according to station call-sign/ date/ time. A menu appears across the bottom of the display that indicates which keys on the remote do what function. You can delete /rename files from this menu. To play a recording you have a few options. You can press the OK key to select the file and it will start playing the recording, or you can press the PLAY key, you will be presented with a choice to "StartResume", press the OK key to resume a previous playback or press the EXIT key to play from the beginning.fast-forward in the preview and see the relative position as it fast forwards, then press the HOLD key to go full screen. The video files played without issue on my Windows 8 laptop using VLC. I've been building my own HTPCs since TV capture cards have been available. I've been using DVR/ PVR appliances and applications since the first Tivo and since DirecTVs original UltimateTV. I've used MyHTPC, MythTV, BeyondTV, just to name a few. I currently subscribe to a satellite provider and use their whole home DVR, It is a good product- but for a subscription free system this device has me impressed. It performs as well as most mentioned above, and better than many. It has a few shortcomings- but nothing that I would consider a deal breaker. The only detail unknown (and only time will tell) is how well the box holds up. Overall this box performs solidly, far far better than I expected for such an inexpensive purchase. This box doesn't have some features that I would like to have: grid EPG, more than 1 USB port, ethernet or wifi, dual tuner recording, capability for an internal hard-drive. These are nice-to-haves, and most of these features are available on other units that cost 3 to 5 times as much. At this price point- the only reason you will be disappointed is if you have unrealistic expectations. I would highly recommend this product for anyone who has OTA television available.
Review: Basic Operating Instructions - This is an excellent unit when connected to an external self-powered USB 2.0 hard disk drive. All operations (although not intuitive) work smooth and so far have been trouble free. A USB flash drive (tested several) is not large enough nor have sufficient data transfer speed ability for smooth operation. A USB powered hard drive stresses the units power supply and many have experienced premature failure using these drives. Also, the unit will not benefit from USB 3.0. This is the single biggest issue with these type of PVR units. My elderly mother is using this, so I composed basic user instructions that others could also benefit from. Please like this to keep it at the top of the list for others to benefit from too. Basic things to remember: EXIT takes you backwards 1 step and will be used often. The VOLUME controls on the remote are dependent on the volume set with the TV. If the TV volume is set to 0, the PVR remote will not change the sound. If the PVR remote is at full volume and the sound is too quiet, the TV remote must be used to increase the volume more. All times are based on 24 hour clock, so 8:00pm is really 20:00 Aim remote at PVR box and press button firmly. If the button did not seem to do anything, wait a few more seconds before pressing it again or the next button. DO NOT press a button a bunch of times. If the PVR freezes on a screen for a few minutes, try pressing the power button on the front. If still nothing happens, switch the power off with the power strip, wait a minute then turn the power strip back on. (Don't have the hard drive plugged into this power strip) Any timed recording supersedes a program you are watching live or from the DVR. The recording mode will begin whether the unit is on, in standby, watching a time shifted live program or watching a recorded event. How to record a show in the future (like an old VCR) 1. Turn on TV and set input to PVR 2. Turn on PVR 3. Press TIMER button 4. Press 1 to add a new timed program a. If you want to EDIT an existing program, use the direction keys to highlight the program and press 2. b. If you want to DELETE an existing program, use the direction keys to highlight the program and press 3. 5. Using the arrow direction keys and select the item to edit it. 6. When changing the date or time, use the arrow keys to get to the number you want to change, then use the number keypad to enter the new number. After pressing the first number, the underline automatically moves to the next one. 7. Once all data is entered and correct, press the OK button to confirm, then press EXIT to return back to the previous screen. If you are not going to use the PVR to watch TV, press the POWER button to put the unit into standby. How to record a show TONIGHT (program guide) This is useful if you want to record something at 11pm but do not want to stay up for it. It is also useful if 2 shows you want to watch are at the same time. Record one with the PVR and watch the other with the TV set to TV input. 1. Turn on TV and set input to PVR 2. Turn on PVR 3. Press EPG (Electronic Program Guide) button 4. Use the arrow keys to select the correct channel shown at the top of the screen 5. The guide will populate more items as they are received from the airwaves. 6. Use the arrow keys to select the program you want to record 7. Press OK to confirm selection, the OK to confirm recording. Press EXIT then POWER to put unit into standby. Change the TV input back to TV if you want to watch a live broadcast while the PVR records another channel. How to Pause live Television (skip commercials!) This is useful if you want to fix a bite to eat, use the bathroom or so something else while and later return to the program and skip over the commercials. Remember that you can’t fast-forward past live TV. 1. Turn on TV and set input to PVR 2. Turn on PVR 3. Set the channel with the channel keys 4. At any given point you want to pause the program, press PAUSE key. A slight delay will occur while this puts the PVR into time-shift mode and the picture pauses with the time bar shown below. To remove the time bar from the screen, press INFO. a. While in time-shift mode, you can fast-forward FWD or rewind REV from the point you first paused the TV up to live TV. Press PLAY to resume playing at the selection point. b. Each subsequent time you press fast-forward FWD or rewind REV the speed goes faster, from 2x to 4x to 8x etc as displayed on the top of the screen. Press PLAY to resume playing at any point. c. If you change channel, the PVR will cancel the time-shifted recording in memory. 5. Press the STOP key to cancel the time-shift and stay on the channel. How to watch a recorded program The recorded files will have a name that shows the channel, date and time. Since your show may not be obvious you can play it on this same screen including fast forwarding. 1. Turn on TV and set input to PVR 2. Turn on PVR 3. Press the PVR LIST button 4. Use the arrow keys to select the a program and press OK to start the playback 5. If this is not the correct show, use the arrow keys to select a different one and press OK 6. If the show on the mini screen is the one you want, press the HOLD key to display it as full screen. 7. Use the PAUSE, PLAY, fast-forward FWD or rewind REV to skip around commercials. 8. To delete a program, return to the PVR LIST view, select the program you want to delete and press EPG. Confirm selection with OK, and then confirm the deletion by pressing OK again.

## Features

- Convert Digital Broadcasts to Analog TV - Ready to cut out the cable? ViewTV digital converter box allows you to record and stream local TV shows and news to a laptop, projector, HD TV, or home theatre
- Our Modern TV Tuner Has it All - We updated our TV tuner box with hdmi output, auto tuning, electronic programming guide, recording PVR, closed caption, favorite channel list and parental control function
- Record Your Favorite Shows - With our DVR recorder for TV, you can pre-record and record, pause, and rewind live TV. When recording on the TV tuner, use a USB flash drive or hard drive for memory
- Tons of Free to Air Channels to Choose From - Unlike outdated DVR recorders for TV, ViewTV AT-163 DTV box is easy to set up and use, has great picture quality and delivers lots of on air TV channels
- Includes What You Need to Enjoy Live TV - Our digital converter box for TV comes with an upgraded remote control, 1 HDMI cable, and 1 composite cable. Antenna for DTV converter box sold separately

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B00GGVPKKC |
| Best Sellers Rank | #755,850 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #65 in Analog-to-Digital (DTV) Converters |
| Brand | ViewTV |
| Brand Name | ViewTV |
| Customer Reviews | 3.8 out of 5 stars 2,801 Reviews |
| Interface | Coaxial, HDMI, USB |
| Interface Type | Coaxial, HDMI, USB |
| Manufacturer | ViewTV |
| Model | AT-163 |
| Mounting Type | Coaxial,Surface Mount,Plug Mount |
| Number of Channels | 16 |
| Number of Pins | 25 |
| Part Number | AT-163 |
| UPC | 848441023727 |

## Product Details

- **Brand:** ViewTV
- **Interface Type:** Coaxial, HDMI, USB
- **Mounting Type:** Coaxial,Surface Mount,Plug Mount
- **Number of Channels:** 16
- **Number of Pins:** 25

## Images

![AT-163 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box and Media Player w/ Recording PVR Function / HDMI Out / Coaxial Out / Composite Out / USB Input - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61iBvg7vt6L.jpg)
![AT-163 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box and Media Player w/ Recording PVR Function / HDMI Out / Coaxial Out / Composite Out / USB Input - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71etI09AXwL.jpg)
![AT-163 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box and Media Player w/ Recording PVR Function / HDMI Out / Coaxial Out / Composite Out / USB Input - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61E8TaoFWsL.jpg)
![AT-163 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box and Media Player w/ Recording PVR Function / HDMI Out / Coaxial Out / Composite Out / USB Input - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/715e-Cn3UBL.jpg)
![AT-163 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box and Media Player w/ Recording PVR Function / HDMI Out / Coaxial Out / Composite Out / USB Input - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71GA3uumtAL.jpg)

## Questions & Answers

**Q: I'm looking for an external HDTV tuner to output live over-the-air TV to a projector. Would this device work for that scenario?**
A: Absolutely!  8 years late, but hopefully it answers someone else who has the same question.  I installed mine this past Sunday and after a quick scan I was watching Football over the air on my VERY cheap projector.

**Q: how much memory does it come with to record? and is the HD good like with cable?**
A: It doesnt come with any onboard memory for recording. You have to supply the memory with a a USB drive. The HD quality is excellent as long as it receives a good signal.For the best results you will want a thumb drive that has fast write speeds for smooth & seamless recording qaulity.Also, you need roughly 6 to 8 gigabytes of storage space per hour of recording, it varies greatly depending on the quality.It is recommended that you use a at the least a 16 gigabyte thumb drive for your own convenience.

**Q: Apologies if this has already been asked:  can I watch one channel while recording another with this product?  Could I watch "Scandal" on ch 4-1 while recording "Elementary" on ch. 7-1, for example? Otherwise, sounds like a good option for "cord-cutting" with my LCD HDTV.**
A: Yes, you can watch one channel and record another as long as you connect this product to an HDTV and set the modulation mode under the channel search menu to Loop Through.Although, you cannot watch a PREVIOUSLY recorded show while recording another channel.

**Q: I'm curious how you set-up recordings on this device.  Does it have its own program guide?**
A: Electronic Program Guide data is transmitted OTA embedded in the ATSC signal- whereas it seems that most new TVs dont decode this data- this box does decode this data.  You can click OK on a broadcast and it will "book" it for recording  It uses this data to set the recording scheduleYou can also program recordings the old fashioned "manual" way, so look up you broadcast schedule on the internet and go in and program the channels and times you want it to record.  It is not a grid style guide- the EPG shows you the upcoming broadcasts on the current channel.  To see the guide for another channel- the box actually changes to that channel to show you that channels data.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Surprising! Outperformed my expectations- Great to go subscription free
*by A***E on December 17, 2013*

Update 10 July 2024. I used the box all the way to June 2022, but after we moved to the Louisville Ky area I didnt set it up again. Ive been using the Gen2 and Gen4 Tablo devices. (Tablo boxes require internet connection to function, but if you arent familiar I strongly recomend looking at the Gen4) A few days ago I decided to plug the tuner box in and see if it still works, unsurprisingly it still works just as good today as it did over 10 years ago. Update- April 2020. I'm so glad I have so much OTA recorded content on my HDD. Update- November 2019. Ive relocated to the Pittsburgh Area, and once the TV Antenna was up the box is up and running. Set up my recording schedules and everything is working as it should. Update- 25 August, 2015 I've relocated to Northern Illinois, the box just keeps working, and it has proven to still have a better tuner than my TV. Update- 13 May, 2015 Still working without issue. Update- 23 May, 2014 I am still satisfied with the box. It is still running without significant issue. I give it a double-plus-good rating. Update- 29 January 2014 The box has been running everyday, recording about 6 shows a week, and a fair amount of time-shifting too. It is sitting on top of a Satellite receiver which is warm on its own. The box is still working without issue. If you decided to buy this- read my review first anyway, I promise I have covered many details that are not in the manual. Details that will drive you nuts until you figure them out on your own. For the price this is a remarkable little box. Overall everything is simple enough that you can unbox it, hook it up, and have it running in a few minutes without the manual- which is actually good because the manual does not have any set-up instructions. On page 8 there is a wire connection diagram- some people may find this useful but most will probably find it more confusing than helpful. The remote is basic, and barely meets the requirements. Some keys are marked with icons we are familiar with, others lack those icons, namely the PLAY, PAUSE, and STOP keys. The keys are labeled clearly, they are just missing the familiar icons. The remote is a fairly narrow beam IR, so you can't expect the same performance as some of the high-power broad angle IR remotes (like DirecTV) or the be-anywhere performance of an RF remote. Just have a clear line of site within 25 feet and 30 degrees. The box has independent hardware keys for Power, Menu, OK, VOL -/+ and Channel -/+. The box also has a display that shows channel numbers- however these are the numbers of the memory positions that the box has stored the scanned channels into- these are not the actual broadcast station numbers. (Added 29 January 14) I have replaced the remote with a "learning" universal remote. By "learning" I mean the kind that you use the source remote to teach the universal remote what to do when you push the keys. You can program any key function into any key- which makes using this box a lot better. The universal works so much better, I can't emphasize it strongly enough. The original remote really started to annoy me. (Added 23 May 14) Some people have asked about "Universal" remotes. Most "Universals" get programmed by telling the remote a code that allows the remote to "emulate" the original manufacturer remote. Unfortunately I haven't found any "Universals" with a Viewtv code. I've heard that a certain high dollar brand might work- but I'm not trying to spend twice as much (or more)on the remote than I did on the box! Over-The-Air broadcast viewing works as expected. The digital OTA(Over-The-Air) tuner is slightly more sensitive than the tuner in my TV. (Added 23 May 14) That means that at my house with an amplified rooftop antenna pointed directly to the broadcast antenna location I get a few more channels on the box than I do with the antenna connected directly to the TV. OTA reception has a lot of variables. I live less than 10 miles from the broadcast site, but I am in a terrain shadow (I am behind some big hills.) The key point I can make is that this box tunes all of the broadcast stations available in the area- my expensive TV's tuner doesn't do that. The video quality is every bit as good as I could expect. Using HDMI connection looks as good as expected, using composite cables also delivers a good picture. Using the built-in RF modulator to output over channel 3 or 4 doesn't work with modern digital tuners- I no longer own an old TV with an analog tuner so I can't test how this works. Under MENU/ Channel Search/ Modulation you can enable "Loop through" which will allow you to watch one channel using your TV's digital tuner and record another using the box's tuner- you won't need to use a splitter inline before the box. The menus are responsive enough- they are not instant fast, but I have seen slower on big-name boxes. Pressing the OK key during regular viewing will show you the channel list. You can edit your channel names under MENU/ Program/ Program Edit. If you get bored there are games like Tetris, Snakes, and Reversi- also found in MENU/ Program/ Game The EPG (Electronic-Program-Guide) is decent. Since EPG is embedded in the ATSC broadcast signal (along with time data) I find it amusing that the box displays EPG info even though none of my TVs do. That being said- if you are familiar with cable and satellite on-screen program guide be prepared to be disappointed- so manage your expectations- there is a reason that Tivo has a subscription fee. This is not Tivo, but it does provide an onscreen guide of upcoming programming and the ability to set scheduled recordings with just a few clicks. The scheduling functions are basic, but you can set daily or weekly repeating schedules. It will warn you and prevent you from setting overlapping recordings. I feel the most obvious function missing is EPG full grid guide, the program list is displayed by channel. You can't see what is on multiple channels in the same time slot. Be aware also that viewing the guide for a channel actually changes to that channel, so there is a limitation here. If the box is in time-shift, playback, or currently recording it will not allow you to go to the EPG. So make sure you have scheduled your recordings before the box starts a scheduled recording. (Added 23 May 14) SO far my single greatest complaint, and honestly it is a minor annoyance, I wish it allowed setting a label for a recording when setting up a scheduled recording. Scheduled recordings are labeled by channel name and timed/date. It is possible to re-label the recording AFTER. So I keep a 3x5 card handy to remind me what shows I record by channel, time, and day. (Added 29 January 14) I've had recordings fail with scheduled recording if I didn't set at least one minute difference between the end of one recording and the beginning of the next. I've found that the least amount of key strokes to do this is change the start time to 1 minute after. It seems that every show starts with a review of previous episodes anyway... Once I started using the 1 minute after method it hasn't failed a recording. I plugged a 128GB USB flash drive in and tested the time-shift capability, it works as expected. To start time-shifting you press the PAUSE key- you will get the message "entering time shift, waiting"- then press the PLAY key. The manual does not describe this correctly. While time-shifting the OSD shows on the bottom of the display, press the EXIT key to hide the OSD, press the INFO key to recall it. (Added 29 January 14) Use the biggest USB Flash Drive you can afford. The video format at full HD runs nearly 7Gb per hour. If you had one of these in the living room and the bedroom, you can easily pull the USB storage out of one and stick it in the other to watch shows you've recorded. Call it the low-tech-hopper. One detail I find unusual is that while fast-forwarding during playback of a recording there is no OSD showing relative position in the playback. While the box is recording you will have a recording OSD in the top left corner of the display- press the EXIT key to hide the OSD, press the INFO key to recall it. On many laptops I have to use 2 usb ports to power an external harddrive (spinning disk type), but this box provides enough power through just the single USB port. The drive had multiple partitions both FAT and NTFS- all partitions show up. You can adjust the time-shift buffer from the default 1GB by increments of .5 GB up to 4 GB, you will find this setting under USB/ PVR Configure/ Record Device/ Timeshift Size. (Added 29 January 14) Use a flash drive. The box will time-shift to a external hard disk drive, it will play back your movie collection too, but I have had it fail scheduled recordings with the hard disk drive- even when I observed the 1 minute after rule mentioned above. After a little experimentation, and time staring at the box, and listening to it in operation I believe it is due to the time it takes for the hard-drive to spin up. When the scheduled recording kicks in the box spins up the hard-drive, but if the hard-drive speed is a little slow the box detects that the drive is not ready so it aborts the recording. You might have a different experience with a better external hard-drive. My recommendation is to stick to flash media- with no moving parts or spinning disks it gives better assured performance. Pressing the USB button on the remote will take you to the USB menu, then select the PVR icon and look for a folder called HBPVR to find your recordings. The recordings are named according to station call-sign/ date/ time. A menu appears across the bottom of the display that indicates which keys on the remote do what function. You can delete /rename files from this menu. To play a recording you have a few options. You can press the OK key to select the file and it will start playing the recording, or you can press the PLAY key, you will be presented with a choice to "StartResume", press the OK key to resume a previous playback or press the EXIT key to play from the beginning.fast-forward in the preview and see the relative position as it fast forwards, then press the HOLD key to go full screen. The video files played without issue on my Windows 8 laptop using VLC. I've been building my own HTPCs since TV capture cards have been available. I've been using DVR/ PVR appliances and applications since the first Tivo and since DirecTVs original UltimateTV. I've used MyHTPC, MythTV, BeyondTV, just to name a few. I currently subscribe to a satellite provider and use their whole home DVR, It is a good product- but for a subscription free system this device has me impressed. It performs as well as most mentioned above, and better than many. It has a few shortcomings- but nothing that I would consider a deal breaker. The only detail unknown (and only time will tell) is how well the box holds up. Overall this box performs solidly, far far better than I expected for such an inexpensive purchase. This box doesn't have some features that I would like to have: grid EPG, more than 1 USB port, ethernet or wifi, dual tuner recording, capability for an internal hard-drive. These are nice-to-haves, and most of these features are available on other units that cost 3 to 5 times as much. At this price point- the only reason you will be disappointed is if you have unrealistic expectations. I would highly recommend this product for anyone who has OTA television available.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Basic Operating Instructions
*by R***B on February 24, 2016*

This is an excellent unit when connected to an external self-powered USB 2.0 hard disk drive. All operations (although not intuitive) work smooth and so far have been trouble free. A USB flash drive (tested several) is not large enough nor have sufficient data transfer speed ability for smooth operation. A USB powered hard drive stresses the units power supply and many have experienced premature failure using these drives. Also, the unit will not benefit from USB 3.0. This is the single biggest issue with these type of PVR units. My elderly mother is using this, so I composed basic user instructions that others could also benefit from. Please like this to keep it at the top of the list for others to benefit from too. Basic things to remember: EXIT takes you backwards 1 step and will be used often. The VOLUME controls on the remote are dependent on the volume set with the TV. If the TV volume is set to 0, the PVR remote will not change the sound. If the PVR remote is at full volume and the sound is too quiet, the TV remote must be used to increase the volume more. All times are based on 24 hour clock, so 8:00pm is really 20:00 Aim remote at PVR box and press button firmly. If the button did not seem to do anything, wait a few more seconds before pressing it again or the next button. DO NOT press a button a bunch of times. If the PVR freezes on a screen for a few minutes, try pressing the power button on the front. If still nothing happens, switch the power off with the power strip, wait a minute then turn the power strip back on. (Don't have the hard drive plugged into this power strip) Any timed recording supersedes a program you are watching live or from the DVR. The recording mode will begin whether the unit is on, in standby, watching a time shifted live program or watching a recorded event. How to record a show in the future (like an old VCR) 1. Turn on TV and set input to PVR 2. Turn on PVR 3. Press TIMER button 4. Press 1 to add a new timed program a. If you want to EDIT an existing program, use the direction keys to highlight the program and press 2. b. If you want to DELETE an existing program, use the direction keys to highlight the program and press 3. 5. Using the arrow direction keys and select the item to edit it. 6. When changing the date or time, use the arrow keys to get to the number you want to change, then use the number keypad to enter the new number. After pressing the first number, the underline automatically moves to the next one. 7. Once all data is entered and correct, press the OK button to confirm, then press EXIT to return back to the previous screen. If you are not going to use the PVR to watch TV, press the POWER button to put the unit into standby. How to record a show TONIGHT (program guide) This is useful if you want to record something at 11pm but do not want to stay up for it. It is also useful if 2 shows you want to watch are at the same time. Record one with the PVR and watch the other with the TV set to TV input. 1. Turn on TV and set input to PVR 2. Turn on PVR 3. Press EPG (Electronic Program Guide) button 4. Use the arrow keys to select the correct channel shown at the top of the screen 5. The guide will populate more items as they are received from the airwaves. 6. Use the arrow keys to select the program you want to record 7. Press OK to confirm selection, the OK to confirm recording. Press EXIT then POWER to put unit into standby. Change the TV input back to TV if you want to watch a live broadcast while the PVR records another channel. How to Pause live Television (skip commercials!) This is useful if you want to fix a bite to eat, use the bathroom or so something else while and later return to the program and skip over the commercials. Remember that you can’t fast-forward past live TV. 1. Turn on TV and set input to PVR 2. Turn on PVR 3. Set the channel with the channel keys 4. At any given point you want to pause the program, press PAUSE key. A slight delay will occur while this puts the PVR into time-shift mode and the picture pauses with the time bar shown below. To remove the time bar from the screen, press INFO. a. While in time-shift mode, you can fast-forward FWD or rewind REV from the point you first paused the TV up to live TV. Press PLAY to resume playing at the selection point. b. Each subsequent time you press fast-forward FWD or rewind REV the speed goes faster, from 2x to 4x to 8x etc as displayed on the top of the screen. Press PLAY to resume playing at any point. c. If you change channel, the PVR will cancel the time-shifted recording in memory. 5. Press the STOP key to cancel the time-shift and stay on the channel. How to watch a recorded program The recorded files will have a name that shows the channel, date and time. Since your show may not be obvious you can play it on this same screen including fast forwarding. 1. Turn on TV and set input to PVR 2. Turn on PVR 3. Press the PVR LIST button 4. Use the arrow keys to select the a program and press OK to start the playback 5. If this is not the correct show, use the arrow keys to select a different one and press OK 6. If the show on the mini screen is the one you want, press the HOLD key to display it as full screen. 7. Use the PAUSE, PLAY, fast-forward FWD or rewind REV to skip around commercials. 8. To delete a program, return to the PVR LIST view, select the program you want to delete and press EPG. Confirm selection with OK, and then confirm the deletion by pressing OK again.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent low cost Tuner and DVR recorder
*by R***H on March 25, 2016*

The tuner works great with an antenna, with clear reception on high def channels. The digital recorder, which the manufacturer refers to as "PVR", is what really is satisfying. You can pull up upcoming shows by channel, select the show you want to record, and specify f you want to record it once, daily or weekly -- it is that easy. If you want to see what you recorded, you can display the PVR list. I have had the box running for days, and it is only slightly warm to the touch. I'm recording onto USB 2 flash memory, which works well with high def. A one hour high def show can take 4 GBs, where 1 hour at low def takes approximately 1 GB. Another nice feature is that I can download my recordings to my computer (MAC) and review, rename or review each there, then copy these back out to flash card fir viewing on the Viewtv box. This is an excellent functioning and low cost ATSC Tuner, DVR and full function remote; how do they do it for only $39.99? I was so impressed with this unit that I purchased a second one. Update: What the instructions don't tell you: 1. The box only has a USB 2.0. It does not support USB 3.0 2. Press the "info" button once on your remote, and it displays the channel/station info, but you have to press The info button a second time to display the station strength meter. 3. Recorded output is in the form of a .mts file. After approximately 4.29 GB of recording, the ViewTV cuts a new output file under the same name, but with an extension of .mts1, and then .mts2. If needed. 4. On the Mac, the QuickTime player will play a .mts file, albeit occasionally it will hang up. Even though it may hang up on the Mac, it is still usable on the ViewTV. My QuickTime player can't handle a .mts2 file, but again, for large, multi-file videos, I use the ViewTV. Incidentally, you can rename your files on your computer and then download to your USB thumb drive. 5. Finally, I use high speed flash memory cards in a USB 2.0 flash reader. If you use a USB 2.0 Thumb Drive, make sure it is at least 40 Mbps speed in order to record in high definition. I have absolutely no issues at 40 Mbps. 11/03/17 update: it is still worker great for recording OTA content. I’m using SanDisk USB 3.0, 32 and 64 MB thumb drives purchased inexpensively at Amazon. Note: plug the thumb drive into a Samsung TV USB port, and the recorded video contents can be displayed directly and easily on the TV, obviating the need for the ViewTV box for playback.

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*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-09-04*