APEX DT250

August 8, 2008 by Digital

Product is very poor. After A

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 04/21/2009 - 13:49.

Product is very poor. After A while of using the unit it stops working. Always No Signal. Unit then freeze ups.

Is it the product or the

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 04/27/2009 - 21:04.

Is it the product or the antenna reception? I haven't had a problem since I purchased an amplified antenna the image no longer freezes and and I get a decent signal.

I had the same problems with

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 10/08/2009 - 12:38.

I had the same problems with my Apex DT250. Along with dropping channels and signal strength my remote is defective too. It changes the channel when you press the other non channel buttons. I contacted Apex customer support. They help when they troubleshoot the converter box. When you want something fixed or replaced they want you to pay for it even if the item is under warranty. There is a 90 day warranty on parts and labor stated in the owner’s manual. I got the converter box 07/17/09. About 32 days I contacted them about the coaxial and A/V cables (due to Apex wanting me to take them off and putting them back on during numerous troubleshooting sessions) and the remote being defective. Their claim is there is only a 30 day warranty on accessories which they believe all three items above are considered accessories. I see nothing in the manual about this so called warranty. I was told to go to Radio Shack and purchase the cables. Then I can send the remote in to Apex to see if they can repair it. If they can't I have to purchase another one. Either way I have to pay for the remote. I need a remote to use the converter box and this is unacceptable. I contacted the FCC. Someone called me back. They referred me to the Federal Trade Commission FTC at (877) 382-4357. I talked with them. They will take complaints against companies for defective equipment and other issues. You just need company information name address and phone number and what happened. With the federal government involved hopefully they will do something about this problem with the defective converter boxes since we were all forced into this digital disaster.

Everyone that has one of

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 12/18/2009 - 16:29.

Everyone that has one of these that poops out needs to call a complaint to the FTC 1-877-382-4357 it will not take much of your time, after enough people call in complaints the FTC will bring legal action against this company and make them make restitution or shut them down. you need to provide them with the company location it is walnut california 91789 This company thinks they are getting away with not honoring this warranty but if enough of us call the FTC with complaints they will have to pay up So please call the FTC and register your complaint it is the only way we are going to get justice out of these dirty underhanded idiots Best Buy sold their product and now they dont support them or help you I filed a complait against them as well I will never shop at Best Buy ever again you can check the progress of your complaints by doing a search for APEX on the FTC website at WWW.FTC.Gov

this must be one of the more

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 01/09/2010 - 13:43.

this must be one of the more frustrating technological 'improvements' to date. my apex 250DT only turns on by holding the power button down about 10 seconds manually on the box. not that it matters because nothing else comes in...no signal, no channel, oh, oops, not true, lots and lots of snow is what comes in. Have not had tv for month now, and before that, the reception was horrible (if only some of the newscasters could see how they look when their face freezes just like mom told us when we were kids). anyway, unless I want to spring for cable which I do not, am sick of repeats and ads, we just watch dvds.

I don't recommend this

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 06/25/2009 - 16:41.

I don't recommend this product. After using it for only 4 months, my Apex model DT250A just stopped working in the middle of a tv program that I was watching. The tv screen just started displaying "snow." It had been working o.k. up until then. I have tried all of the troubleshooting techniques that I can find in the manual and on the web, but am now convinced that some component within the box just failed.

My Apex, model DT250, also

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 08/23/2009 - 09:17.

My Apex, model DT250, also quit after a 7 months. At first it started screeching when it was turned on at about the 6th month. Then one day it just quit working. I am trying to find out what I should do with it.

My APEX DT250 converter box

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 09/18/2009 - 23:07.

My APEX DT250 converter box also failed, just a few moments ago. Lines of snow., then nothing - the unit will not even turn on, and red light flashes when button is depressed. Total fail.

I had the same thing happen

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 09/26/2009 - 19:29.

I had the same thing happen to me. I had my receipt and it has not even been 3 months since I purchased it, but there are too many people who answer their phone's that it is too frustrating to keep talking to their customer support. I took the time to do it though and at the end they were like, blah blah non english blah blah, sorry we werent able to solve your problem, blah blah, go buy a new box.($60) Which I dont have. If someone opens the box up and discovers what went wrong can you please post what to do and how to fix it? That would be great!

Mine Died in 4 month also. I

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 10/10/2009 - 14:47.

Mine Died in 4 month also.

I thing box runs too hot and dies because of heat problem.

Seems like permanent heat damage so it is very
unreliable design.

Apex apparently sold lots of unit so lots of people will
get screwed by them.

It was government program so I think government should enforce them to do a total recall program.

I bought TWO DT250 boxes with

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 10/20/2009 - 21:04.

I bought TWO DT250 boxes with my 2 coupons. BOTH have stopped working in exactly the same way. (The red power light will only blink now.) From what others have said, I may as well check one box out even though this will "temper" the sticker. ("Temper"? What idiots!)

I have another DT250 from a friend, still new in an unopened box. But, I am going to try to swap it for ANYTHING else! NEVER AGAIN!

I had the same problems with

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 10/08/2009 - 12:37.

these boxes are a rip off

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 10/24/2009 - 09:43.

these boxes are a rip off there is over a 70% falure rate some die as soon as you plug it in the first time. we need a lawyer to do a class action law suit against Apex. Look at any other reputable company the complaints against this defective product are overwhelming

these boxes are a rip off

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 10/24/2009 - 09:43.

My problem is a little

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 10/25/2009 - 19:07.

My problem is a little diffrent. I wonder if you guys might be able to help me. My power button on the converter won't turn green. It stay red, so I can't use the dang thing at all. It frustrating and I have tried turning it off, re-programming, holding it down.... nothing! Why won't the red light turn green! I only have the box I purchased it in, so would warranty cover me without a receipt??? uhhggg.... I know my rmote works because the red light will blink everytime I press it and same thing happen when I press the power buttin in the converter! PLEASE HELP!!

I just submitted my own

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 01/10/2010 - 22:57.

I just submitted my own horror story with the DT250, with the exception that According to Sony top echelon of tech help (given to me by my local repair co.who wanted Sony to confirm his opinion:) Apex DT250 apparently placed some software into my perfectly functioning Sony from a time when manufacturers took pride in their products.

In my case, an accidental touch of the CCD button on the remote, which is placed among the tuning buttons turned on the teletext, of which I had never heard previously, and it has been running 24/7 right across the screen for weeks now, with no way to remove it. Have tried Apex cust svc till running thru all of their misleading statements.

Apparently, this digital changeover had turned our tv sets into "read only" computers with no control over "pop-ups from hell" which continue unabated until the consumer gives up and replaces it, hopefully, purchasing a service such as cable or satellite. NOT! So sick of reruns running mid season anyway! Folks, Do you know that your public library has free DVDS in inventory sizes depending on the size of your locale POR NADA!

I heartily agree that what we need is a class action suit to compensate us. In my case for a tv set for the one they have destroyed. Also, let this be a warning to others about to purchase, or are just being annoyed by malfunction. THIS UNIT COULD DESTROY YOUR TV SET1

I'm also having trouble with

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 10/28/2009 - 22:59.

I'm also having trouble with my Apex box, but it seems slightly different than the rest of you. The box won't turn on - the power light isn't even red, just off. Anyone else in this boat? Or have ideas on how to fix it?

COUNT ME IN ON THE CLASS

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 14:52.

COUNT ME IN ON THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT THESE THINGS ARE A PIECE OF CRAP THE GOVERNMENT FORCED US INTO THIS THEY SHOULD STEP UP AND MAKE APEX DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE PIECES OF JUNK

I have never owned an Apex

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 18:14.

I have never owned an Apex product before buying this converter box. It is a piece of sh*t. They should be recalled. I have 2 days left on my waarranty and the remmote died. Did everything prescribed to remedy the problem. Nothing worked. Unplugged all cables, everything. The box is hot to the touch wheneber it is on. Now, I cannopt tell whether it is just the remote that is bad or the u nit itself.

Meanwhile, I bought an Insignia box from Best Buy at the same time that I bought the Apex DT250. I hooked up the Insignia box to the cables that were on the Apex box. Guess what? Without any reorienting of the antenna or reprogramming, I was able to pull in 7 new channels. Called Apex and they want me to pay to send in the remote. You would think a company would send something as cheap as a remote without asking for the old part. When I called Apex, I asked for the part number and they told me that there is none and I would have to order it from them. They would not me the code for the box. I asked if it was an 8 bit, 16 bit, or what. They said they didn't know. I don't believe a word they said. There is no way that I am going to spend almost $20.00, a third of the cost of a new remote to run this piece of sh*t box.

NEVER, EVER BUY ANYTHING MADE BY APEX. YOU WILL REGRET IT. I am going to report it to the FCC. TALK ABOUT BUILT IN OBSOLECENCE! THIS IS THE WORST EXAMPLE THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN.

thank god someone gave this

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 12/05/2009 - 23:14.

thank god someone gave this thing to me for free... it still works but sometimes it will shut off and come back on over and over again, then no joke i bang on it and it works again, the remote is junk 2, it takes about five presses of a button to make the box respond and sometimes it will change the volume instead of the channel.

DON'T BUY THIS COMPLETE PIECE

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 01/04/2010 - 22:55.

DON'T BUY THIS COMPLETE PIECE OF CRAP

This box is the biggest waste of money. Within two weeks the remote went bad. Luckily, the store replaced it, but within 5 months it has gone bad. It just completely stopped working. The light went red and when the red power button on the remote is pressed, the red light on the box flashes. Of course the warranty is only for 90 days. Should have known it would fail if they couldn't guarantee it any longer than that. This company needs to do something about this.

ALSO..... When it was

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 01/04/2010 - 23:06.

ALSO.....

When it was working, the remote would do crazy things daily, such as the volume going up when you were trying to change the channel or vice versa. Pressing a number and then something else happens. This was constant. We thought the wires were loose because the picture always appeared to have static, but after connecting a new box (different brand, of course)with the same wires, we realize that it was actually just the box.

I have already made my

Submitted by AlphaCentaur on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 00:03.

I have already made my complaint, and read all of the disheartening reports. Has anyone purchased a replacement converter box that they liked? I am at the point of what do I do now. Also, I am the person who has had closed Captioning /teletext turned on by Apex----Unwanted, and with no mechanism for getting rid of it. There is no OFF location choice on the menu: only Automatic or Custom.

Would be happy to hear from someone with the same problem who has surmounted it, or better yet, obliterated it! I don't know if the captioning would bleed through.

Will check back tomorrow.

This is a new comment; can't

Submitted by AlphaCentaur on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 21:39.

This is a new comment; can't find the proper location. Mon 1/11/01

More info for Apex DTV converter Box DT250. Especially for those of you have accidentally pressed the CCD button on the remote and find that you have teletext and closed captions 24/7 with no method of turning off.

The teletext and/or captioning has not been placed on your tv by the manufacturer of the tv, or the captioning companies themselves for the following reasons observed in the past 24 hours:

Deutsche Wella, and other truly foreign stations do not display this captioning which is being paid for. Also, an old movie late last night did not display it.

Your tv is OK, so this indicates that you can toss the DT250 out, preferably through a Window of Apex Digital, Inc. Just a comment, don't accuse me of fomenting violence, just describing on of my favorite fantasies. I am saying that probably you can safely get rid of it that way. As a last resort.

I have added, to my original email complaint to the FCC, a phone complaint to the FTC. 1-877-382-4357. English speaking personnel. FCC advised me to go to them as the ones most likely to take action on our behalf. FCCm not so much. However, I have spoken my piece to both, as Apex has generated enough adrenalin to go around. And in so, doing, shot down, with them, the various fictitious solutions, excuses, and denial of responsibility and/or liability by Apex, as I go.

The very courteous agent at FTC, who told me that all calls are recorded so that no details will be missed, advised me that a more likely fruitful venue to pursue vis a vis, legal action being initiated, which could result in compensation to us poor suckers holding the bad box bag, in the State of California would be The State Consumer Protection Agency. Their tolll-free phone no. is 1-800-952-5225. As my adrenalin level has pretty much leveled off for today, I will call them tomorrow, and let you know tomorrow evening if it seems worthwhile. But, like chicken soup, it probably couldn't hurt. A bientot!

My POS DR250a also died. The

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 01/16/2010 - 00:18.

My POS DR250a also died. The power button would blink when pressed but not turn green.

I fixed mine following the instructions at this link. (not a exact photo but the bad cap was bloated)

http://www.instructables.com/id/FIX-A-BROKEN-DTV-CONVERTER-BOXAPEX/

The problem that most

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 01/23/2010 - 17:20.

The problem that most converter boxes (not just Apex) have is that they have a very poor cooling system. It is completely passive. I installed a small 12v cpu fan into mine and do not expect to have any problems. Just clip off the fan connector and plug the red wire into +12v and the black into the GND next to +12v on the power supply board. You are able to just put the bare wire in the connector along with the other wires; there is no need for solder. The operating temperature is 20 degrees celsius lower now. I will likely post an instructable on it sometime soon.

for some reason a poor

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 01/26/2010 - 22:34.

for some reason a poor cooling system sounds like a manufacturing defect. It is not our jobs as consumers to modify the engineering on products that are going to fail because some dipshit couldn't figure out that their design was crap. Everybody that bought one of these that fails needs to join in on the federal complaint process it is our only recourse.

I appreciate you sharing this

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 03/01/2010 - 00:46.

I appreciate you sharing this info. If you would be willing to post a slideshow or pics of how to do this and where to buy the necessary products that would really be helpful! Thanks!

This product is

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 02/03/2010 - 22:38.

This product is horrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I purchased 2 converter box's and both of them went out in less then a year. The box's simply just stopped working. I unplugged the box's for a couple of days (just to see if that would help) and still the red light was on (which means it's dead)!! Then I made the GRAVE mistake of calling this company customer service line. Good luck finding someone who speaks ENGLISH. They offer NO support what-so-ever!!!!! After being on hold for about 30 mins, you get someone who barely speaks english and to add insult to injury they tell you to send in the product and pay a fee to have converter box's fixed!! At first I thought I was being PUNK'd, then I realized they were DEAD serious!!!***DO NOT BUY** U can find other ways to waste money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the sorriest piece of

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 02/06/2010 - 23:06.

This is the sorriest piece of crap i have ver puchased in my life!! Do Not Buy This

Because of this piece of

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 02/07/2010 - 00:39.

Because of this piece of crap, I'm going to miss watching the Super Bowl in the safety of my own home. I'll have to go out to watch the game. GO COLTS!!! Who made this crap anyway???

agreed we got one TODAY just

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 02/07/2010 - 22:30.

agreed we got one TODAY just for the game and it freezes every like 60 seconds! The picture is good but what the hell you cant watch anything that freezes this much!

This box doesn't work well

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 02/27/2010 - 01:27.

This box doesn't work well

my remote keeps eating

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 03/07/2010 - 20:39.

my remote keeps eating batteries batteries last about a day

My box died last night. No

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 03/08/2010 - 12:45.

My box died last night. No Oscars for me. The green light comes on for ten seconds, the screen is static, and then the light goes red again. Is it dead? I feel like after reading the comments I should hold a funeral and toss it out the window. I bought it not even six months ago. I'm so pissed that they forced us to go out and buy this defective crap. ARGH!

Remote quit working after

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/09/2010 - 20:27.

Remote quit working after less than a year of use.

APEX DT250

Digital Converter Box

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