---
product_id: 27993767
title: "Mediasonic ATSC Digital Converter Box with Recording / Media Player / TV Tuner Function (HW130STB)"
brand: "mediasonic"
price: "R1115"
currency: ZAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
category: "Mediasonic"
url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/27993767-mediasonic-atsc-digital-converter-box-with-recording-media-player-tv
store_origin: ZA
region: South Africa
---

# 2TB USB HDD recording 1080p HDMI output Auto tuning & scheduling Mediasonic ATSC Digital Converter Box with Recording / Media Player / TV Tuner Function (HW130STB)

**Brand:** mediasonic
**Price:** R1115
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 📡 Cut the cord, not the quality — your ultimate OTA DVR hub!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Mediasonic ATSC Digital Converter Box with Recording / Media Player / TV Tuner Function (HW130STB) by mediasonic
- **How much does it cost?** R1115 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/27993767-mediasonic-atsc-digital-converter-box-with-recording-media-player-tv)

## Best For

- mediasonic enthusiasts

## Why This Product

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

## Key Features

- • **Universal Compatibility:** Connect easily via HDMI, coaxial, or composite outputs to TVs, projectors, and monitors.
- • **Seamless USB DVR Recording:** Record live TV directly to your external USB hard drive (up to 2TB) and never miss your favorite shows.
- • **Crystal-Clear 1080p HD Output:** Experience stunning digital broadcasts on any analog or digital screen with full HD clarity.
- • **Parental Controls & Favorites:** Customize your viewing with channel favorites and secure content with built-in parental controls.
- • **Smart Auto Tuning & Scheduling:** Effortlessly find channels and schedule recordings with intuitive timing start/shutdown features.

## Overview

The Mediasonic HW130STB is a versatile ATSC digital converter box that transforms over-the-air broadcasts into crisp 1080p HD on analog and digital displays. It supports real-time and scheduled recording to external USB hard drives up to 2TB, features auto channel tuning, parental controls, and multiple output options including HDMI and coaxial. Ideal for cord-cutters seeking affordable, reliable access to free digital TV with DVR functionality.

## Description

Buy Mediasonic ATSC Digital Converter Box with Recording / Media Player / TV Tuner Function (HW130STB): Analog-to-Digital (DTV) Converters - desertcart.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

Review: Replaced old model ATSC box with Mediasonic - My new Mediasonic Homeworx replaced an older version of ATSC box that I bought directly from Shenzen on eBay several years ago. I really liked the old box until the flash memory stopped working. When new, the old box would let me create up to about nine DVR schedules. Then after about three years it went to zero. All the functions of the old box are still good, except for the DVR schedule. I am still using a second old version ATSC box where the DVR schedule capacity has gone from about 14 entries to four. I replaced the ATSC box with zero DVR schedule with a new Shenzen model. I expected it to be like the one it replaced. Instead the DVR schedule has an eleven day week and zero working flash memory to hold schedules. I am really hoping that the new Mediasonic will have better quality flash memory. Ask me in three years how the flash memory is holding up. Right now it looks very good. I have been using old model USB 1 Western Digital disk drives for DVR storage. They worked great on the old model ATSC box and work just as well on the new Mediasonic box. I assume that the new box will support USB 2, but have not tried it. The old boxes do not support USB 2. The old model Western Digital units arrived formatted as fat32. To use them for DVR storage I had to reformat them to NTFS. I suspect the reason thumb drives do not work is that they are formatted as fat32. I bet that after reformatting to NTFS, they would work. I noticed that the Mediasonic has a disk format feature in the menu. I did not need to use this, the USB 1 Western Digital drives transferred to the new box without a hitch. I had two boxes because I had two outdoor antenna. I’ve been experimenting. The first antenna has stopped working. I suspect it is because it is now pointing to the sky rather toward the horizon. I have it clamped to a plumbing vent that is now bent over after the last wind storm. I wanted two working ATSC boxes, one to watch while the other records or record different channels at the same time. I tried using the RF output on one box to the second box. That works, but there is significant signal attenuation especially when the first box in the series is working. I installed a Channel Master signal-splitter amplifier. Now both boxes get the same signal strength. I have two antenna on the roof on the same mount with a Wineguard signal combiner feeding a Channel Master antenna preamp. That feeds into the signal-splitter amplifier inside the house. All this gets me about 40-60 over the air channels depending on atmospheric conditions. The antenna mount once held a Direct TV satellite antenna. I’m thinking of another type of antenna to try. I might replace the antenna on the bent plumbing vent with something on a tower next to the house. We will see how much ambition I have. Some things to note. The Mediasonic menus are identical to the old ATSC box. The remote controllers have the same functions, but they are arranged very differently. With the two old model ATSC boxes, when I clicked the controller on/off button, one box would turn on and the other would turn off. That, I found, was a useful feature. I now have two separate controllers. I suspect, if I get another Mediasonic that this feature would return. I set my Mediasonic to the 24 hour clock. Please remember that it does not automatically switch between standard and day light time. I seem to get caught twice each year. The DVR scheduler assumes that a digit placed in one of the two hour slots means that a zero should be in the other. Why? The old model didn’t do this. I like that the Mediasonic DVR scheduler starts with the working channel. The old model did not do this. The old ATSC box DVR scheduler has an annoying bug. When more than two shows are scheduled to record where each starts on the same hour that the previous show ended, there is about a 20-30 second additional delay that adds up. This delay pushes the start time and end time forward by that amount. This means that after several iterations the start and stop times are out of sync with the shows being recorded. This is a real issue when recording one of those marathons where 10+ episodes are broadcast back to back. Making the stop time a minute earlier than the next start time seems to help. Except when the scheduler is turning on the unit before starting to record, then it turns off on the ending minute and back on at the starting minute. Fortunately there tends to be a lot of advertising between each iteration to absorb the slop in the time. I haven’t used the Mediasonic enough yet to check this on the new model. I noticed that the Mediasonic initial boot goes a lot faster than the old ATSC boxes. Otherwise there is no difference. -- It is now official: The bug described above is present in the Mediasonic. Here is instructions to reformat a thumb or disk drive to NTFS: Put the following in a Windows Shortcut Target: %windir%\system32\cmd.exe Start in: %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH% Use the following commands in the Microsoft Command Prompt Type "DiskPart" in the command prompt. Type "List Disk” (make note of the disk number of the target USB drive). Type "Select Disk X”, where X is the target USB drive noted above. Type "Clean”. Type "Create Partition Primary”. Type "format FS=NTFS”. Type "Active”. Type "Assign". Type "list volume". Type "Exit" Be real careful with this. As soon as you type “clean” the target disk is wiped clean. If you want to get rid of a disk drive and hide your data, use the above procedure. I suspect a well-equipped forensic lab can still get at your data, but not easily. The format can take a long time. A 1TB disk drive can take 8+ hours to format. Like those Western Digital disks noted above.
Review: Works ok for a low cost unit. - These things function ok, basically works like an old VCR but digital, if you view it that way you'll probably like it. I have bought several of these over the years. I bought one about 15 years ago that lasted a really long time, I don't think they're being made as well now though. There seems to be a fairly high fail rate on them, they seem buggy too. The programming doesn't always work as I think it should. The on screen menus and the remote are not super user-friendly. But hey, it's really inexpensive, you can buy several of these for the cost of one expensive name brand that might not work any better. Good choice for cord cutters, I record lots of ota shows with it. I have had best results using an external mini usb hard drive with it rather than a thumb drive, just my experience.

## Features

- Receive Over-The-Air Digital Broadcast to your Analog and Digital TV, Projector, and Computer Monitor. Antenna Out Analog Pass Through, Favorite Channel List, Parental Control Function
- HDMI 1080P Output / Composite Out / Coaxial Output, Closed Caption, Auto Tuning, Timing Start Up & Shut Down.
- Real-Time Recording & Programmed Time Recording, recording require user to connect a USB 2.0 or 3.0 2.5" / 3.5" External Hard Drive via USB (Up to 2TB, MBR format) (USB Flash Drive Not recommended)
- USB Multimedia function play back Video, Music, Photo from USB Drive
- The latest Firmware is V4.1
- **PLEASE NOTE**:This converter box is designed to receive Over-The-Air signal, and it is not a replacement of cable box. External Antenna is required to connect to this converter box in order to receive signal. This product does NOT Work with TIVO and cable company such as Comcast, DirecTV, DISH Network, Time Warner Cable, etc. In general, this product does NOT work with encrypted cable signal

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B01EW098XS |
| Best Sellers Rank | #16,822 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #7 in Analog-to-Digital (DTV) Converters |
| Brand | Mediasonic |
| Brand Name | Mediasonic |
| Color Name | Black |
| Customer Reviews | 3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars (9,495) |
| Date First Available | April 27, 2016 |
| Interface Type | Coaxial, HDMI, RCA, USB |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 4.6 ounces |
| Item model number | HW130STB |
| Manufacturer | Mediasonic |
| Material | ABS |
| Maximum Supply Voltage | 5 Volts |
| Mounting Type | Coaxial,Surface Mount |
| Number of Channels | 1 |
| Number of Pins | 25 |
| Product Dimensions | 5"L x 4"W |
| UPC | 629329006762 |

## Product Details

- **Brand:** Mediasonic
- **Interface Type:** Coaxial, HDMI, RCA, USB
- **Maximum Supply Voltage:** 5 Volts
- **Mounting Type:** Coaxial,Surface Mount
- **Number of Pins:** 25

## Images

![Mediasonic ATSC Digital Converter Box with Recording / Media Player / TV Tuner Function (HW130STB) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71HuZ4Fi5VL.jpg)

## Questions & Answers

**Q: What is the latest Firmware Version?**
A: V4.2 Contact Mediasonic Store if you need to update firmware

**Q: Where can I download th User Manual and Quick Installation Guide?**
A: You can download from Mediasonic Store official website or Contact Mediasonic Store via Amazon message to Seller. (Please Search Online. Cannot display here due to Restriction)

**Q: Can I watch one Channel and Record another channel at the same time?**
A: This Box can ONLY do ONE task at a time

**Q: How do I determin if the Power Adapter is working or not?**
A: You can use Multi Meter to check if the power adapter is working or not. If not, pelase contact Medisonic for replacement

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Replaced old model ATSC box with Mediasonic
*by S***D on July 28, 2021*

My new Mediasonic Homeworx replaced an older version of ATSC box that I bought directly from Shenzen on eBay several years ago. I really liked the old box until the flash memory stopped working. When new, the old box would let me create up to about nine DVR schedules. Then after about three years it went to zero. All the functions of the old box are still good, except for the DVR schedule. I am still using a second old version ATSC box where the DVR schedule capacity has gone from about 14 entries to four. I replaced the ATSC box with zero DVR schedule with a new Shenzen model. I expected it to be like the one it replaced. Instead the DVR schedule has an eleven day week and zero working flash memory to hold schedules. I am really hoping that the new Mediasonic will have better quality flash memory. Ask me in three years how the flash memory is holding up. Right now it looks very good. I have been using old model USB 1 Western Digital disk drives for DVR storage. They worked great on the old model ATSC box and work just as well on the new Mediasonic box. I assume that the new box will support USB 2, but have not tried it. The old boxes do not support USB 2. The old model Western Digital units arrived formatted as fat32. To use them for DVR storage I had to reformat them to NTFS. I suspect the reason thumb drives do not work is that they are formatted as fat32. I bet that after reformatting to NTFS, they would work. I noticed that the Mediasonic has a disk format feature in the menu. I did not need to use this, the USB 1 Western Digital drives transferred to the new box without a hitch. I had two boxes because I had two outdoor antenna. I’ve been experimenting. The first antenna has stopped working. I suspect it is because it is now pointing to the sky rather toward the horizon. I have it clamped to a plumbing vent that is now bent over after the last wind storm. I wanted two working ATSC boxes, one to watch while the other records or record different channels at the same time. I tried using the RF output on one box to the second box. That works, but there is significant signal attenuation especially when the first box in the series is working. I installed a Channel Master signal-splitter amplifier. Now both boxes get the same signal strength. I have two antenna on the roof on the same mount with a Wineguard signal combiner feeding a Channel Master antenna preamp. That feeds into the signal-splitter amplifier inside the house. All this gets me about 40-60 over the air channels depending on atmospheric conditions. The antenna mount once held a Direct TV satellite antenna. I’m thinking of another type of antenna to try. I might replace the antenna on the bent plumbing vent with something on a tower next to the house. We will see how much ambition I have. Some things to note. The Mediasonic menus are identical to the old ATSC box. The remote controllers have the same functions, but they are arranged very differently. With the two old model ATSC boxes, when I clicked the controller on/off button, one box would turn on and the other would turn off. That, I found, was a useful feature. I now have two separate controllers. I suspect, if I get another Mediasonic that this feature would return. I set my Mediasonic to the 24 hour clock. Please remember that it does not automatically switch between standard and day light time. I seem to get caught twice each year. The DVR scheduler assumes that a digit placed in one of the two hour slots means that a zero should be in the other. Why? The old model didn’t do this. I like that the Mediasonic DVR scheduler starts with the working channel. The old model did not do this. The old ATSC box DVR scheduler has an annoying bug. When more than two shows are scheduled to record where each starts on the same hour that the previous show ended, there is about a 20-30 second additional delay that adds up. This delay pushes the start time and end time forward by that amount. This means that after several iterations the start and stop times are out of sync with the shows being recorded. This is a real issue when recording one of those marathons where 10+ episodes are broadcast back to back. Making the stop time a minute earlier than the next start time seems to help. Except when the scheduler is turning on the unit before starting to record, then it turns off on the ending minute and back on at the starting minute. Fortunately there tends to be a lot of advertising between each iteration to absorb the slop in the time. I haven’t used the Mediasonic enough yet to check this on the new model. I noticed that the Mediasonic initial boot goes a lot faster than the old ATSC boxes. Otherwise there is no difference. -- It is now official: The bug described above is present in the Mediasonic. Here is instructions to reformat a thumb or disk drive to NTFS: Put the following in a Windows Shortcut Target: %windir%\system32\cmd.exe Start in: %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH% Use the following commands in the Microsoft Command Prompt Type "DiskPart" in the command prompt. Type "List Disk” (make note of the disk number of the target USB drive). Type "Select Disk X”, where X is the target USB drive noted above. Type "Clean”. Type "Create Partition Primary”. Type "format FS=NTFS”. Type "Active”. Type "Assign". Type "list volume". Type "Exit" Be real careful with this. As soon as you type “clean” the target disk is wiped clean. If you want to get rid of a disk drive and hide your data, use the above procedure. I suspect a well-equipped forensic lab can still get at your data, but not easily. The format can take a long time. A 1TB disk drive can take 8+ hours to format. Like those Western Digital disks noted above.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Works ok for a low cost unit.
*by R***E on January 24, 2026*

These things function ok, basically works like an old VCR but digital, if you view it that way you'll probably like it. I have bought several of these over the years. I bought one about 15 years ago that lasted a really long time, I don't think they're being made as well now though. There seems to be a fairly high fail rate on them, they seem buggy too. The programming doesn't always work as I think it should. The on screen menus and the remote are not super user-friendly. But hey, it's really inexpensive, you can buy several of these for the cost of one expensive name brand that might not work any better. Good choice for cord cutters, I record lots of ota shows with it. I have had best results using an external mini usb hard drive with it rather than a thumb drive, just my experience.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This works great as an OTA DVR. There are some drawbacks, but for the price it is well worth it.
*by B***L on January 25, 2024*

This works great as an OTA DVR. There are some drawbacks, but for the price it is well worth the minor inconveniences. As a long-time cable cutter, the thing I missed most was the ability to time shift. The Mediasonic HW130STB takes care of that. If you expect this to do the same things your $200/ month cable box did, you'll be disappointed. If you think of it as a 2020's version of your old VCR, you'll be quite pleased The UI is pretty clunky and takes some getting used to. The remote has way too many buttons and would be much better if it was simplified. That being said, it gets 5 stars because it's about 1/3 of the price of one month's worth of cable and less than 1/2 of what the streaming services charge per month and yet provides robust recording options. You can record real time by pressing the record button. You can choose to schedule a recording from the channel guide, or you can record by time and channel like an old fashioned VCR. You can set it up to record a program or time slot one time or every day, week, month, etc. The HW130STB is a single tuner device, so your recording has to end before you can watch what you recorded. You also can't watch one channel while recording another. The picture and sound quality are both spot-on 1080 if you use an HDMI cable. It records in a standard format on a USB stick or USB drive that can be read by other devices. For the price, I am quite pleased. And if it stops working in a year, so what? It's cheap enough to just buy another.

## Frequently Bought Together

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*Product available on Desertcart South Africa*
*Store origin: ZA*
*Last updated: 2026-02-21*