Sales Rank: 11902


Features:

Receives over-air digital broadcasts (ATSC), analog broadcasts (NTSC), and digital satellite programming from DIRECTV

The first consumer set-top box to employ industry-standard DVI jacks with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection)

7-day Advanced Program Guide integrates analog and digital signals for seamless switching between formats

Samsung's speed-enhancement technology offers the fastest guide-surfing available in any HDTV satellite receiver to date

Selectable outputs--including 1080i, 720p, 480p, and 480i--let you match the output to your DTV's native resolution

Average Rating:
Rating: - Best choice when you have to record the tradional way
Note: I've been using SIR-T160 for almost 4 months now. Early in 2003, new firmware was released, which has solved many critical issues with this receiver. My review reflects this firmware. Another firmware is in the works, to be released sometime later this year.

Pros:
- High Definition (HD) video outputs (component, DVI, VGA) and low resolution analog (S-video, composite) are active simultaneously
- Fast processor -- fast channel change, responsive menu system
- Has both optical and coax digital audio output
- Clean, polished, and easy to use user interface with Advanced Program Guide (AGP)
- Includes value-added features, such as Caller ID, games, and calendar
- Wide range of video outputs: DVI, VGA, component, S-video, composite video
- Excellent support policies

Cons:
- Prone to occasional crash/freeze (perhaps once or twice a month)
- Raw Dolby Digital audio stream sometimes not selected automatically (requires re-tuning into the channel... press the channel up, then down)
- Slightly inferior picture quality than Sony/Zenith receiver
- Over-The-Air (OTA) reception signal retention is average
- Problems adding OTA channels (once DirecTV is setup, cannot add an OTA channel manually)
- Always convert the native signals to one of user specified formats (1080i, 720p, 480p, or 480i)

The first thing to know is that there's no such thing as a perfect High Definition (HD) DirecTV receiver. All receivers have one problem or another. It's a matter of finding one that has the feature you must have and problems you can live with. For me, this is that receiver.

The main selling point for me was dual active output capability. That is, both high definition video output (DVI, VGA, component video) and analog low resolution output (S-video, composite video) are active at the same point. In other words, you can hookup the analog VCR or standalone PVR/DVR (e.g., TiVo) to the unit and SIR-T160 will do all the work. When you are watching the program live, turn your HDTV on and watch it in full 1080i or 720p splendor (alas, the receiver does not output "native" signal, should your HDTV support both 1080i and 720p). But when you are not home, or if you want to record the program as you watch, your VCR/PVR/DVR will get the low resolution (480i) signals, too.

With almost all other HD receivers, you must remember to manually set output to 480i and/or toggle S-video/composite video. Otherwise, your VCR/PVR/DVR will record nothing.

Aside from this feature, the Samsung SIR-T160 is about on par with all the latest and greatest receivers. It looks and sounds great (although a notch below Sony and Zenith's latest boxes) and I was able to receive all the key local channels over the indoor antenna -- ABC (720p), CBS (1080i), Fox (480p), NBC (1080i), PBS (1080i), UPN (480p), and WB (1080i). Keep in mind that Samsung does not hold onto signals as strongly as some of the other boxes, so you may have problem receiving signals on bad weather or channels with weak signal strength.

DirecTV channels look and sound good too, although on my 56" HDTV, the compression artifacts were pretty noticeable. HD DirecTV channels look and sound amazing (198 PPV-HD, 199 HDNet, 509 HBO-HD, and 543 SHO-HD -- all in 1080i), however.

So while I do have few complaints, I love this receiver.

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Rating: - Easy set up, reliable, good value
Positives:

I'm replacing a RCA DirectTV receiver and samsung's UI is much better and much FASTER. Set up was a snap. It even worked off my old non-HD dish until the installer arrived to install its dish. It found all my local OTA stations on the first try. Having the OTA stations mixed in with the satelite channels is nice. (I had assumed that OTA would be some separate, hard to get to, guide). The DVI connection is amazing! I've suddenly become critical of my progressive scan DVD player. Another excellent feature is that the DVI and S-Video are live at the same time. This works nice for recording through S-Video while watching DVI. Using it with a Hitachi 51" G500 set.

Not so positive:
Actually, the only thing that bugs me about the unit are the stupid games that come built in. What a waste of engineering. Let see, I've bought an HD monitor, I'm a satelite customer, I have a home theater system--that's right samsung I'm going to cheap out on a gaming system if I want to play games--please give me some crappy games.

An actual problem I had was that my older PVR doesn't have a code to control the 160. Replay wasn't much help and it's really a limitation of the PVR. I mention it only as a unforeseen gotcha you might have.

Finally, I've seen a lot of remote complaints, which I too experienced with the samsung remote. It's might be the weakest IR signal ever. My advice, get a good universal remote to replace the samsung. I personally have been using a Home Theater Master MX500 for some time and once I programed it to the samsung the problem disappeared, I can even close the door over the IR sensor. The MX500 actually has 2 IR beams just in case your aim sucks. Go to www.remotecentral.com to get reviews. The MX500 is to remotes what HDTV is to TV. It will solve the samsung's remote problem and any other remote problem you might have.

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Rating: - Junk with a Capital J
What a piece of junk this receiver is! The picture quality on non-HD programming is mediocre at best although the HD picture is amazing. The problem is that only a handful of shows are in HD on DirecTV. The first problem I had was when the analog receiver went out so I could no longer watch cable or traditional over the air broadcasts. The receiver soon began to shut itself off for no reason. After it would shut itself off, it would need to be fully reprogrammed. Now it has frozen on and you cannot shut it off, change channels or work the receiver with the remote or directly on the box. The manufacturer told me to unplug it and plug it back in after 15 minutes. Still frozen. If I had not had it for 5 months already, I would have tried to return it and get a Sony.