Samsung DTBH260F HDTV Terrestrial Receiver

Samsung DTBH260F HDTV Terrestrial Receiver Perhaps the unit I received was defective or broken in transit, but I could not get it to work. I tried 3 different antennas and could get no further than the initial screen that simply gave a "no signal" message. The unit never tried to do anything else, like run through a set-up routine or scan for channels. The user manual was useless and had absolutely nothing about initialization or start-up. I tried to use the remote to get to some sort of set-up routine, but the only set-up option in the on-screen menu was to set things like HDMI or PCM for audio. No initial start-up or set-up routine was available. Each of the three antennas I tried with this unit work absolutely fine with a basic HDTV to analog converter box that sells for 1/3 the price, so the tuner in this Samsung was either broken or not very good. Even the "no signal" message box that I received was very grainy. If that is any indication of the picture quality this Samsung unit produces, it would not be acceptable. I cannot recommend this to anyone.

And scanning for channels without an antenna is a little frustrating. My Sony 32" LCD picks up all available over the air signals while this Samsung managed less than 30 stations. Very disappointing.

One other thing I dislike about this unit is the assignment of channel numbers into zones like 06/42-48 or 08/80-86. That makes me nuts. Anyway, its not compatible with a cable box and you will need an external antenna in your setup and this unit is not as intuitive or flexible as it should be for the money. I also couldn't make the guide work, and after 3 days of reading the manual, consulting the Samsung website, and reading all the AV forums I gave up. BTW, I live in Jacksonville (not Monvolia) and we have excellent reception of digital OTA signals here....close to 180 channels on my Sony.

And BEWARE this slight of hand..... LOOK at the specs on this unit, the description is "Product Dimensions: 16 x 20 x 12 inches ; 9 pounds" but on the next line it reads "Shipping weight: 5 lbs". Hmmmmn, how could that be??? Well this tuner is not component width, and it doesn't weigh 9 lbs, it is VERY small and the tuner itself weighs around 2 lbs. It may look as if it is a full component width tuner in the pics, it is NOT. Its about the size of a small hardcover novel. After being in the electronics biz for over 25 years I'd estimate the manufacturing cost of this thing to be around $15 or less. Samsung should have at least put a weight inside the enclosure so as to provide the illusion that the consumer was actually buying something in exchange for the cost of this thing!

If you are at war with your cable company or just have issues with installing a satellite dish then this may be a good option for you, maybe your only option in today's market. But prepare to be frustrated, and remember....nothing is free. 2 Advil

Worked well receiving lots of channels. The channel guide is a bit slow. However, the unit just stopped working for unknown reasons after 1.5 years after purchase date.

The product that i receved was damaged,
I had to return it,
Was very pleased in the way it was taken care of. and refunding back into my account,

Robert Potter,

Having an earlier HDVT with no receiver this is a must have for me. It gets great reception and supports the 1080 resolution well. The menus are easy to use and it works flawlessly. I would recommend this unit.