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andyrossPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-04
Schaumburg, IL | [DTA] DTA lifetime? I wonder just what the lifetime of the DTA's is. I just had my DCI101 (used in the bedroom) die. It was dead last night. I double-checked connections and power-cycled it, and it came back to life. This morning, it was dead again, and I couldn't get it to work. A voltmeter did show the correct +5V on the adapter. Unfortunately, I didn't have any other adapter at 5V with a similar connector. I got this DTA when they first became available, but didn't start regularly using it until they dropped the analog expanded.
I ended up making a run to a service center and got a replacement (a tiny DCI105). A few minutes for it to do a firmware update, then less than a minute after I hit activate on-line.
The DTA's are basically 'floating'. The cables out the back fit below the bottom of the TV and it's base, holding it up. It couldn't get any more airflow without going to a fan!
I hope this swap doesn't screw up the grandfathering and I end up being charged the new $1.99 fee. | |
 telcodad
join:2011-09-16
Lincroft, NJ
kudos:2
1 edit | In this area, I obtained my 2 free (Comcast-branded) Pace DC50Xu DTAs when they first became available in Spring 2011.
Then later on, in October 2011, I picked up an Xfinity-branded Thomson (Technicolor) DCI105 DTA.
So far, all of them are still working OK.
The DCI105 unit is stuffed behind some equipment in my entertainment center, so it probably doesn't get the best air circulation around it!
EDIT: Found this post by rody_44  from 2010 that mentions something about a high rate of failures of early Pace DTAs: »Re: Pace selected for Comcast's Next Gen Hardware with Intel CPU | |
andyrossPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-04
Schaumburg, IL | reply to andyross
After using the 'new' DCI105 (it's obviously repackaged and has some scratches) for awhile, I have found a few minor differences:
The tuner is noticeably faster. It usually starts audio almost immediately, and video within a second (just waiting for a keyframe.) The 101 was a bit slower, and could take 1-2 full seconds, and sometimes several seconds.
The diagnostics show different values. On one channel I often check, SNR went from 36 to 39 (there are many ways to measure and report it.) Also, the signal strength updates every second or so. The 101 tended to update every 10 seconds or more. Even more odd on the 101, the tenths seemed to be fixed per channel. The frequency used for Cartoon network was ALWAYS -x.5 for example. Others had different tenths.
The black level seems to be a hair higher than the 101. Blacks are more dark gray.
On the one HD channel improperly mapped, I get nothing. The 101 used to work until the latest firmware, then it would only give a second of audio before muting and staying blank. | |
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