AM21N TV Tuner works great

I have one in the house and one in the RV. For the house, I use it to pick up the locals that Directv does not transmit on satellite, such as METV. In the RV, it is fantastic for having a TV guide. I sometimes don't bother setting it up for just a night but if staying a place for a few days, I use it. I bought mine on Amazon and when it broke, I complained to Directv and they replaced it for free.

wa8yxm wrote:
Sounds like the model he has is "Hacked" ... Though I can not assist you in hacking, I do know there are folks out there who can re-write the card that is inserted in a DirecTV receiver so that it gets all channels, in some cases this includes PPV, without paying.

They are called Pirates.

Others do the same thing with Dish Network..

There is a constant battle between the Sat Providers and the pirates with changing codes and changing software to prevent this type of thing, but alas,,,, The battle continues.

I recall several years ago (2006/7 forget which) there was a Pirate selling Coolsat 500 receivers with custom BINs (Binary File, or codecs) to enable one to receive Dish Network free.

First: about a month later those turned into bricks (Dish made major changes the CS 5000 no longer can decode, hasnt enough computer in it) and 2: the seller left Quartsite in handcuffs.

Be warned, if DirecTV discovers you are getting a paid service from them for free.. They Decide how much you owe them.

So my advice: Do not brag about it.

Did you bother to do an Internet search of the device the OP is talking about?

The AM21 is a specially designed by Direct add on to Direct TV sat receivers. It is nothing more than a purpose built Dual OTA (Over the Air) ATSC tuners.

The AM21 allows folks who may or may not be within a area which HAS sat spot beams of "local" OTA channels.

The AM21 integrates Sat and OTA channels together and even will populate the program guide with the channels that the AM21 is able to receive.

There is no "pirating" involved, no hocus pocus, no funny stuff and you are not going to jail or pay any fines if you own one.

AM21 INFO

From above website..

"Dual ATSC tuners

Simple USB connection

Small and lightweight design

We Do Not Ship to Canada

Works with the H25. (Will need to reset H25 after adding)

New black matte finish

For C31, C41, H21, H23, H24, H25, HR20, HR21, HR22, HR23, HR24, HR34, HR44, and THR22 (TiVo).

The AM21 will scan for off-air channels with the DIRECTV THR22 receiver. Other receivers will use a table generated for your area by DIRECTV



The DIRECTV Off-Air Tuner is the perfect solution for adding outstanding DVR functionality to terrestrial broadcast transmissions. Designed to work seamlessly with the DIRECTV Plus HD DVR, this specialized tuner will integrate ATSC broadcast high-definition channels directly into the DIRECTV on-screen Advanced Program Guide.


The DIRECTV Plus® HD DVR delivers you the ultimate in 100% digital-quality picture and sound.
Add DIRECTV® HD Access and DVR Service and you get the best choice and widest selection of high
definition programming and the convenience of digital video recording in one unit. Images are
sharper. Colors are brighter. Sound is crisper. And they can be recorded. The easy-to-use search
function enables you to locate exactly what you want to watch or record. Take a look at all the
features and benefits and get ready to enjoy maximum entertainment."

One however should note that it does not have a manual channel search. You have to enter your zipcode in order for the tuner to "find" the OTA channels. It may not include any "sub channels" (like 12.2, 12.3, only 12.1 which is the main channel) that may be available in your area (that was a compliant I noticed in one of the reviews from the above website)..

One advantage I see is you will be able to get broadcast OTA in HD... The rebroadcasts that Direct sends up to the satellites are often only in SD.. Food to think about.

When I set up my current coach, I considered the AM21 for off air, but decided that it had an issue that would not work for us. I was told by several sources that the AM21 would only work for off air signals if the satellite was locked on.

If it won't work if sat signals are not available, that's a major issue for me, so I went with a Magnavox (actually two) DVRs from Walmart for off air signals when I am out of my local spot beam. Think of them as VCRs that record to a DVD or internal hard drive.

They have digital QAM tuners which will also tune analog and digital cable signals.

wa8yxm wrote:
Sounds like the model he has is "Hacked" ... Though I can not assist you in hacking, I do know there are folks out there who can re-write the card that is inserted in a DirecTV receiver so that it gets all channels, in some cases this includes PPV, without paying.

They are called Pirates.

Others do the same thing with Dish Network..

There is a constant battle between the Sat Providers and the pirates with changing codes and changing software to prevent this type of thing, but alas,,,, The battle continues.

I recall several years ago (2006/7 forget which) there was a Pirate selling Coolsat 500 receivers with custom BINs (Binary File, or codecs) to enable one to receive Dish Network free.

First: about a month later those turned into bricks (Dish made major changes the CS 5000 no longer can decode, hasnt enough computer in it) and 2: the seller left Quartsite in handcuffs.

Be warned, if DirecTV discovers you are getting a paid service from them for free.. They Decide how much you owe them.

So my advice: Do not brag about it.

Do you really,really think that Amazon would sell some "hacked" hardware? Come on.

wa8yxm wrote:
Sounds like the model he has is "Hacked" ... Though I can not assist you in hacking, I do know there are folks out there who can re-write the card that is inserted in a DirecTV receiver so that it gets all channels, in some cases this includes PPV, without paying.

They are called Pirates.

Others do the same thing with Dish Network..

There is a constant battle between the Sat Providers and the pirates with changing codes and changing software to prevent this type of thing, but alas,,,, The battle continues.

I recall several years ago (2006/7 forget which) there was a Pirate selling Coolsat 500 receivers with custom BINs (Binary File, or codecs) to enable one to receive Dish Network free.

First: about a month later those turned into bricks (Dish made major changes the CS 5000 no longer can decode, hasnt enough computer in it) and 2: the seller left Quartsite in handcuffs.

Be warned, if DirecTV discovers you are getting a paid service from them for free.. They Decide how much you owe them.

So my advice: Do not brag about it.

Why do you say this is hacked? It sounds like he's using it the way it's designed. Do you have some evidence to the contrary?

I agree, works great.

Sounds like the model he has is "Hacked" ... Though I can not assist you in hacking, I do know there are folks out there who can re-write the card that is inserted in a DirecTV receiver so that it gets all channels, in some cases this includes PPV, without paying.

They are called Pirates.

Others do the same thing with Dish Network..

There is a constant battle between the Sat Providers and the pirates with changing codes and changing software to prevent this type of thing, but alas,,,, The battle continues.

I recall several years ago (2006/7 forget which) there was a Pirate selling Coolsat 500 receivers with custom BINs (Binary File, or codecs) to enable one to receive Dish Network free.

First: about a month later those turned into bricks (Dish made major changes the CS 5000 no longer can decode, hasnt enough computer in it) and 2: the seller left Quartsite in handcuffs.

Be warned, if DirecTV discovers you are getting a paid service from them for free.. They Decide how much you owe them.

So my advice: Do not brag about it.

that has the direct tv logo on it, why would they not want you to have it. other than getting more money out of you. I will have to check with my son, he works for Direct. in fact I am going to have him set me up with direct tv in our TT this year.