The Apex DT250 is sold out and is out of stock at all major retailers across the country. You can probably find a used on on eBay if you have decided on this one but don't count on finding a new one any time soon, if ever.
Product Details: When watching HD content with this little gadget you can get a picture rivals your DVD player. When watching SD content however is has some very obvious display flaws. If you only watch in HD then the picture quality for this is perfect but if you watch in SD I wouldn't suggest this it. As is the case with almost all others on the market, this one produces excellent sound that is a very clear and substantial upgrade over old television signals. This converter box sells for about $60. At a price of $60 it is simply not good enough to recommend, from our point of view. As is the case with many others on the market, it gets the job done, but why pay more when you can find a better product and save money at the same time.
It comes with a strength meter on the screen so that you can individually tune your desired channels with easy. Simply use the meter and adjust your antenna to find the right spot and then add the channel. Although you will have to remember the best way to point the antenna for each channel to get a solid signal. No signal with digital means no TV, it doesn't mean static filled. The channel guide displayed by it is quite nice. It shows you the standard stuff like titles, descriptions, length of time the show will be on. You also get previews of what will be shown next. Some final little tidbits on this box are that it comes with a smart antenna connection, A/V cables, and the ability to set the closed captioning to your desired font, color, etc. It does not come with analog pass-through.
Product Details: When watching HD content with this little gadget you can get a picture rivals your DVD player. When watching SD content however is has some very obvious display flaws. If you only watch in HD then the picture quality for this is perfect but if you watch in SD I wouldn't suggest this it. As is the case with almost all others on the market, this one produces excellent sound that is a very clear and substantial upgrade over old television signals. This converter box sells for about $60. At a price of $60 it is simply not good enough to recommend, from our point of view. As is the case with many others on the market, it gets the job done, but why pay more when you can find a better product and save money at the same time.
It comes with a strength meter on the screen so that you can individually tune your desired channels with easy. Simply use the meter and adjust your antenna to find the right spot and then add the channel. Although you will have to remember the best way to point the antenna for each channel to get a solid signal. No signal with digital means no TV, it doesn't mean static filled. The channel guide displayed by it is quite nice. It shows you the standard stuff like titles, descriptions, length of time the show will be on. You also get previews of what will be shown next. Some final little tidbits on this box are that it comes with a smart antenna connection, A/V cables, and the ability to set the closed captioning to your desired font, color, etc. It does not come with analog pass-through.
At a price of $60 the Apex DT250 is a pretty decent buy but we still wouldn't suggest it. If you only watch HDTV then this could be one of the very best out there for you, so there are some that could benefit from it. If you watch SD content though, this would be a bad purchase.. We recommend staying away from this one since it limits your ability to watch SD content.
Features & Specs
Analog Pass-Through
Parental Control Setting
Configurable Closed Captioning
Electronic Program Guide
Smart Antenna Port
English, French, and Spanish Language Support
What Is Included With Your Purchase?
Converter Box
Remote Control
User Manual
Attached Power Cable
Coaxial RF Cable
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI have a APEX DTV DT250 TV converter box. I have complaints about the box.
1. The box itself gets HOT, meaning the case itself.
2. After watching programs on TV for a couple of hours, the TV program shuts off and a moving fat horizontal lines show on the screen and makes a lot of noise.
Please help. Thanks.
Sincerely,
Fernando San Buenaventura
Email Address: fernandos14@gmail.com
Tel. No. (510) 487-3426
Hi
ReplyDeleteI have apex DT250A converter box ,bought in april'09 now in Oct '09 box is went down. its not working any more and its still under warranty but i need help before i take step to return it. please help me
Hi,I have apex DT250A converter box which i was bought it in april 2009 but after 5 months later it went down, not its not working any more. its still under warranty so please help me out thanks.
ReplyDeleteemail : rudeboy_ind@yahoo.com
phone : 201 407 2352
This machine is of minimally acceptable quality. I bought one because it was the only model being sold at any store in my area. I'd had a Digital Stream before, and it wasn't supremely wonderful, but compared to it the Apex (which cost more) is a low-grade piece of junk. The picture is fuzzy and wobbly, worse than a good analog picture. The machine doesn't store channels like the Digital Stream and sometimes loses those it's scanned so that you're always having to rescan, and when you do it always loses some channels it was getting before. It comes with two different sets of instructions, and one is erroneous. After a few weeks and a couple of falls, the Digital Stream would sometimes shut off for no reason; the Apex did it from the start. And this was all in the first three days of use. Buyer beware.
ReplyDeleteI bought 3 Apex boxes over the past year with the government coupons. Two of the three have stopped working. Given that I paid about $20 each with the coupons, it's not worth sending them back. But I would not replace them with another APEX. Poor reliability.
ReplyDeleteOurs, too, is a piece of junk. Lasted around 6 months then went down. We constantly had to reprogram. Picture went in & out. Basically these items should never have been sold, especially at the rate we were charged over & above the $40.00 that was provided. As usual Best Buy (where we purchased ours) & other corporations took advantage of the purchaser. STL, Mo unhappy purchaser
ReplyDeleteYup, went and bought one to watch playoffs, it was the only one left in the stores (brand) and yeah, def. shoulds just got cable . . .
ReplyDeletewhere is the government now? who is advocating for all of us that bought these as the only ones available? No help from the company or best buy as above. It worked fine for 8 months and the other one for 10 months. ewaste!!!!
ReplyDeletesame here, five months and the my box doesnt work no more, but i have another box that was magonomx or something, and it works like a charm and that one came from walmart, but this brand that i got from target, apex.....no good, works with no tv, and its a pain
ReplyDeletedt250a garbage with a 6 month life-span.
ReplyDeleteI have apex DT250A digital converter box ,bought in Jan'09 now in Mar'10. box is went down. please exchange to new one for me.
ReplyDeleteWe bought three Apex DT 250A boxes and two are down. Picture and sound quality is choppy, it shuts off, doesnt recognize some basic channels, and now two of the three dont work at all. I bought mine from Best Buy and it has been under 1 year but I cant find my receipt so Im stuck with this now?
ReplyDeleteI am VERY disappointed in this product!
S.M.
Purchase DT250 with government coupon at Best Buy. With the coupon still paid an additional $25. Now, I'm having problems like everyone else. We "assumed" the product would last more than 6 months! But, those of us who are in rural areas really didn't have much of a choice..
ReplyDeleteI have a Apex Box too the went down al these boxes no-one will help will Best-Buy? NO! Will Apex? No! Might as well go cable.....
ReplyDeleteI would NOT recommend this product. Only had it for a couple of months and I don't watch much television and BOTH of the units that I purchased do not work anymore. This is simply an inferior product. Avoid Apex products at ALL costs....
ReplyDeleteI have a Apex as well, it lasted 10 months and now will not turn on. Tried to get help from Best Buy - no luck. I totally agree with the statements above the reception was erractic andthe product is not reliable.
ReplyDeleteDayton, OH
I noticed that there are no good reviews.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Apex DT250I -should have looked here for a reality check 6 weeks ago when the THING started to fail. At fist it took 10-20 minutes to get a TV connection, then in about a week it took 30-40 minutes to work- then it actually took up to 4 hours to start up. I had a lot of patience. I think the THING is finally dead. This has to be the worst deal I ever had. I got mine in June 2009- at Best Buy in New York City.
GREAT another ploy by the government to take from the poor that cant afford digital tv! TV isnt free anymore,soon to be radio then air!!This box went down i dont have any tv now,Im just stuck because they took my disability away at xmas barely surviving thanx
ReplyDeleteI bought an apex 250 as well. The channels all worked well when I first auto scanned it, then some the channels disappeared the next day and after re-scanning it one channel WLIW TV (21) can't seem to be tuned in. This box is very unstable when watching a tv program for the reception seem to get interrupted for no reason. I will never buy another box of any kind from Apex again. NEVER!!
ReplyDeleteMy Apex 250 converter won't turn on, so probably junk, like the rest of the buyers have experienced. Is there a recall on these?
ReplyDeleteI have 5 of these converters. 3 are dead. 2 work with a few minor flaws. We have many people unemployed. Why are so many products made in China ? What good comes from items that must be thrown away no matter how cheap they are ?
ReplyDeleteI had the same experience with this so called high tech box too.I'd purchase two boxes,after several months of use the remotes died on me.I contacted Apex Digital and was routed to a call center in INDIA!!! WTF this is an american company and their customer service in another country?After talking to them ( twice ) I finally get some results.I mailed them to Apex and had to paid my own shipping charges. It took about 5-6 wks when it return.Meanwhile 1 converter box died and my warranty expired,and then just yesterday the second one also died on me.
ReplyDeleteI called Apex and couldn't get no satisfaction.Then today I called the FCC to lodge a complaint and I didn't get helped from them either since it was them who created this mess in the first with this big switch! Well the FCC put the blame on congress but I kept insisting to lodge a complaint well The FCC transfer me to a dead zone WTF my government agency did this to me!! So I called my congressman to complain about what happen to me.His assistant was very helpful and directd me to the FTC Finally I get what my goal was which is to lodged a complaint against Apex Digital.
I'd asked the person who helped me if there were any other complains against Apex told me that I was the only one.People Please contact the FTC and lets put an end to this fraud by Apex
Apex 250 converters suck!! The american company that distributes them suck. The company in china that made them suck too as do their employees and famlies! The people in India you talk to suck. The governments decision to go digital suck, the Obama admiistration sucks. All I can hope for is that their corporate plane crashes or that a very ,very,very lafge mererite hits china kill everyone......then we gotta but that kinda crap somewhere else.The FCC doesnt care about anyone .....just their lord and savior obama . Thats the same with the oil in the gulf. The obama adminstration had it done....it wasnt BP....but you can bet they will be getting richer for allowing the obama adm.to use them!
ReplyDeleteSURPRISE. I bought this box at Best Buy in 11/08 and it still works. I haven't had any problems with it. I had Zinwell ZAT 970A which only lasted a year. I also have AccessHD 1080U which lasted three weeks and is going back to Walmart over the weekend. BUT the low rated, disliked box is working for me after a year and a half.
ReplyDeleteI too would like to complain about the Apex DT250.I bought another brand and then shortly after bought an Apex (because that is all they had left at the store). I have have been pleased with the other box but the Apex OVERHEATS after 2-3 hours and the picture shuts off and it makes a startling, loud noise.
ReplyDeleteAlso,it's an effort to get it to turn on. It takes several minutes for the picture to come up after it's turned on. I usually try starting it 10 minutes ahead of any show I want to watch.
I am severely disappointed in this product.
i have gone thru 3 of these boxes i am on my 4th one all comments are correct i only paid for 2 of the boxes but have made two exchanges.one box was bought thru best buy and the others thru H.r.greggs so beware of this model.
ReplyDeleteI'm the only person who gave a positive review of this box (above on 6/11/10). My Apex box has now quit. It turns on and off but there is no picture. Occasionally it will make a siren-like noise (coming from TV not the box but TV is fine with different box). I tried unplugging it for a while but that didn't help. At least it worked for about a year and a half.
ReplyDeleteThank You for the great U.S.A Made Products (OOO thats Right there is nothing mad in the U.S with Pride and Quality) So much for watching TV what are they going to take next from us and make us PAY (have 2 Apex DT 250A all that was in store and bouth stoped working but my 28 year old Curtis Mathis tv is still going thank you publick librareys for free movies or i would be watching white Snow on my TV
ReplyDeleteI have two apex boxes as well, As of right now the second is not working. I am filing a complaint with the State Attorney General. Obviously, they are making a ton of money off the switch and the public supports coupons used during the switch over. REPORT TO YOUR STATE AGENCIES!
ReplyDeleteYes indeed.... My apex also quit working after only a few months! What b.s but that's our goverment. What a great world we live in. It's a shame that we can't even have the right to watch television without having to buy a worthless box. Pretty soon the American people will have no rights. Land of the free... What a joke!!!!
ReplyDeleteI bought 2 APEX boxes at Best Buy with my gov't coupons plus an additional 25 bucks per box (the coupons, of course, did not cover the whole price). The person at Best Buy told me that they were all the same, so I needn't shop around. Well, he was wrong. The APEX boxes do not work well, have very poor picture quality and awful reception. I borrowed an RCA box from a friend and it was wonderful. Too bad RCA doesn't make these anymore. I hate waste, but the APEX boxes are going to an e-waste recycler .. that's about all they are good for.
ReplyDeleteWith all the money the gov't wasted on promoting the DTV revolution, it would have been nice to see some quality control behind these products. If this is how they handle the conversion to a new TV format, imagine what will happen when we convert to a public health system.
If anyone has any ideas where to get RCA boxes, please leave a comment here.
How can I fix or replace the on/off switch for my APEX DIGITAL DT250A Digital TV Converter box? There is no response manually or with the remote control. Since I bought it a year ago, I phoned Best Buy to check on the warranty, but they told me their system crashed so I am waiting for them to call me back when they get some information for me. That was a few days ago, I smell a rat!
ReplyDeleteHow can I fix or replace the on/off switch for my APEX DIGITAL DT250A Digital TV Converter box? There is no response manually or with the remote control. Since I bought it a year ago, I phoned Best Buy to check on the warranty, but they told me their system crashed so I am waiting for them to call me back when they get some information for me. That was a few days ago!
ReplyDeleteI bought 2 Apex boxes over the past year with the government coupons. Both boxes squeel a high pitched sound and the red light blicnks at me. Given that I paid about $20 each with the government coupons, it's not worth sending them back. I would not replace them with another APEX!! Extremely Poor reliability and quality!!
ReplyDeleteWe have two Apex 250 boxes. The remote quit on one
ReplyDeletemonths ago, now one of the boxes quit. These are junk.
It seems Apex bilked the consumer (and the Government).
I have had to buy three of these Apex converters since this whole thing started and my last one just went down. They have us right where they want us because there's no other way to watch TV except to buy cable, which I refuse to do. This is BS.
ReplyDeleteI went on the FTC website this morning and typed a complaint about APEX. I still can't watch TV but it made me feel better.
ReplyDeleteI also have 3 Apex 250 and all 3 went down with in a month of each other. How do we get any information, if there is a recall? Is there anyone with this company that cares about the customers?
ReplyDeleteI ALSO HAVE GONE THROUGH 2 APEXS LASTING APPROX 6 MONTHS. THEY BREAK DOWN IF YOU HAVE YOUR TV OFF FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME (DAYS)
ReplyDeleteCURRENTLY MY APEX WILL NOT TURN ON, IT ONLY STAYS ON THE RED LIGHT NO MATTER WHAT I DO, PLUG UNPLUG, CHANGE BATTEIRES ETC,
GLAD THIS ONE IS DISCONTINUED, GOVERNMENT SHOULD FORCE MANDATORY REUNDS ON THIS COMPANY.
You might as well dump the APEX unit and buy another (not APEX) one. I have been dealing with APEX 3 days after I bought mine. Customer service since contacting them has given me nothing but a run around. I am now in my third month with them and just recently been told if it is out of the 90 days I will have to pay $10 and return the unit, but no mention to where to return it. More evasive actions by them. I am not contacting BBB and Gov't agency to let them know as well. Good luck to all of you since I didn't get mine. Oh buy the way! The unit DT502 is no longer (discontinued)available. Now I know why the run around!!
ReplyDeleteI also bought an ApexD250 converter box about a year ago because the store near my home didn't sell another brand. Consumers beware, THIS IS NOT A GOOD PRODUCT BUT A PIECE OF JUNK. My converter box went down yesterday...what a rip off.
ReplyDeleteMy Apex Dt250 just died after less than a year in service. I totally agree with all of the negative comments as this thing has been junk from the beginning.
ReplyDeleteEverytime my apex box goes out, i say a silent prayer that bill clinton will get herpes of the face and die a horribly slow and painful death for screwing us over like this
ReplyDeleteAfter having getting this Apex box for free and using it for about a year and half. It stopped working!! I like all the other comments have done the unplug, let sit for a few days trick and nothing!!! I ain't buying another one!!! Anyone know a person who can wire my house of cable; no U-verse Tv its so cheaper than cable!!!
ReplyDeleteit is working for only about a week the sound dosen't work and when the signal is high it takes a long time for a channel to start, dang it apex
ReplyDeleteapex pess of junk
ReplyDeleteI liked my Apex box because of the superior picture from the s-video output. It had a bit too much overscan, but until it failed that was my only complaint.
ReplyDeleteLooking around the net for a way to fix it I found that it's become well known that the Apex boxes suffer from "capacitor plague". Unplug and open the box and look for the small battery like cylinders on the power supply board (the one the power cord connects to). Both the 1000uf/10v and 470uf/25v ones have been reported to be the problem. If they are bulging then they have failed. Find a geek to replace them for you and the box should work again. Unfortunately, with the Apex box the failed capacitors are sometimes difficult to identify, so if you don't find any swollen capacitors you can either scrap the box or replace all the 1000uf/10v and 470uf/25v "caps" on the power supply board (should cost less than $5 total) and hope for the best.
I have had one of these for almost a year with no issues. It actually sits outside in a garage subjected to extreme heat and cold and humidity so bad it actually gets wet... great picture quality even with jury rigged telephone wire antennae strung across some duct work. The mice have left it alone too. They must like to watch TV.
ReplyDeleteThe Apex is garbage. I'm on my 3rd one and I get a gray screen every once in a while or the picture will freeze. I would love to get another brand but most stores don't sell them anymore and the two that are around me only sell Apex. I have two TV's but I only watch my little 15" in my bedroom because I refuse to spend another $60 on a peice of crap.
ReplyDeleteAaaahhhh. Of course, now I decide to check for comments. To nobody's surprise, the local Best Buyer claims my complaints are just an anomoly--that they've had a few rare complaints of Apex failures, but after purchasing a total of four of these things, only one still works and it was a replacement for another one that failed. Best Buy's suggestion? Buy another one, and just keep replacing them when they die--or just buy a new television(s). Awesome! Why didn't I just think of that myself--pull out a few Ben Franklins and run down to my nearest Best Buy. NOT! Now or ever, Mr. Best Buy manager. On the other hand, I will let everyone I talk to know that you can get hoses (read hosed) there.
ReplyDeleteAfter year and a half my APEX DT250A stop working. I was very surprised, because I thought our governement would not failed us. Old people that do not want or can not afford cable are stuck with no TV to watch. We live in USA. Nobody check the quality of those converter. The goverment spent so much money for the conversion.It is a pity. In the 1980es we watch TV for free. Now we have to pay for those boxes over and over again in order to watch few channels and some of them did not work. Now is Christmas time and no TV to watch. Reading all the complains I am not planning to buy a new poor quality box. I will go to FTC website and complain about that. Good luck to everybody who is in the same boat as me.
ReplyDeleteI bought an Apex digital box in July of 2010. After 4 mounths my remote went out. i called Apex and sent my remote off to be repaired, in October of 2010. Now ,three mounts later I am still waiting for my remote. Spoke to mangement, got nowhere.I am very angry with this company,and was looking for somewhere to send my complaint. Thanks to this web site I can atleast voice my coment and anger.... Fustration:( They should not be able to get away with selling a BAD product.I don't have idea of when I will even get it back, but I feel relieved that I am not alone. I will never purchase another Apex product.
ReplyDeleteThis brand of converter is junk. We have had it less than 3 months and it has already gone out. I am so fustrated!!!! We have had trouble with it the whole time we have had it, we thought it was the TV. This is a bad product!!! Apex needs to improve on their products!!!!! I will never purchase Apex products again!!!
ReplyDeleteApex boxes as well as their customer service sucks. Where is the Govt when you need them. They should be fined and pay back all the customers (as I) that got burned by them. By a Apex your just supporting thieves.
ReplyDeleteWhat good does it do venting on this website? Put all that effort into complaining to your attorney general, FCC, DPUC and BBB or any other agency that reports to the feds. Send complaints to your mayors , reps and senators also. Maybe that will make a difference.
ReplyDeletei replaced the 470 uf cap and it worked.
ReplyDeletethe top of the capacitor is raised thats how u know its the bad one.
This is just another ploy to make consumers have to buy overpriced, cheap quality, Chinese made junk. Many of our US treasury bonds are already held by the Chinese. Most of the computers are made in China or Japan. I had the misfortune of buying an ASUS laptop made in China. LOTUS PC makes computers in the USA. This converter box is made in China too. I had mine for less than a year and it quit working. The APEX is a scam financed by the government for the interest of the big corporations. Nothing more, nothing less.
ReplyDeleteYes Apex250 is junk. I bought 2 of them but only opened boxes and began using them 03/11. It is now 07/11. One of them has gone out. It will not turn on at all, only the constant "red off light".Based on the complaints, I'm sure the next one is to follow shortly. I agree with the above commentator...Where is the Government now? Cable comapnies are smiling.
ReplyDeleteI also have an APEX converter box, and it has stoped working. It would constantly get hot and bad antena reception. It states that it is under warranty. Does anyone know how to get a replacement? Please help. I DO NOT recomend this brand. I do have other converter boxes at home of a different brand and they work great.
ReplyDeleteMy APEX converter box just stopped working! the light turns green but nothing happens. No channels can be seen and its all static!!! who's going to replace it now? I've only had it for about 7 months!!!! This is FRAUD!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd here I am...another Pi**ed off consumer. My Apex converter lasted 5 months and now the red light just winks at me when I push the on/off button on the remote. Another fine mess our government has gotten us into.
ReplyDeleteI have had 2 of these boxes and both only lasted about a year. Very poor quality. Buy some other brand.
ReplyDeleteMy Apex converter box only lasted 5 months. I got it from Best Buy. They have a different brand now. Do not by Apex, it is a waste.
ReplyDelete3 months old and dead! Chinese Junk If you want to fix it check the power board "C8" Capacitor Bulging top tells you its bad, Most say its a 480uf 10v, Replace with a 480 36v or any higher v than the ten, Mine is a 1000uf 10v! WTF! I cant find a 1000uf but have tons of 480uf
ReplyDeleteBy the way some are reporting that it quits working after the fix anyway so? Up to you its a easy fix if you know a lil bit.
Good Luck! I love when the Government gets involved! Always costs me money.
After you replace the capacitor and get the box working again, you have to either leave off the cover, or cut a square hole in the cover directly above the yellow transformer. The intense heat given off by the transformer will damage other components.
ReplyDeleteI lost my remote control to my Apex DT250A. Where can I find a universal remote control that works? RCA does not work. Please help!
ReplyDelete