The AM21 from DIRECTV is an high-grade off-air tuner and excellent 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.
Features
Dual ATSC tuners
Simple USB connection
Small and lightweight design
We Do Not Ship to Canada
New black matte finish
For C31, C41, H21, H23, H24, H25, HR20, HR21, HR22, HR23, HR24, HR34, HR44, HR54 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
Specs
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.
Benefits
• The easiest way to watch HD channels that are broadcast locally
• Seamlessly intergrates off-air HD channels into the DIRECTV on-screen guide
• No configuration necessary
• One-time setup is Automatic
• Designed to rest perfectly on top of the DIRECTV Plus HD DVR
General
Product
Model AM21
Brand DIRECTV
Name DIRECTV Off-Air Tuner
Receiver
Width 15.125 "
Height 1.18"
Depth 12.25"
Tuners
ATSC 2
Inputs/Outputs
Other
F-Connector Input
Box Contents
Cables USB and attached power cable
Other
Users Guide
Downloads
Here are available downloads related to this product:
Product Reviews for DIRECTV Off-Air Dual Tuner (AM21)
Product reviews help other customers decide which product to purchase, where the best deals are, and your get a sense of
what to expect with the product. Write a Review!
Average Review (26 reviews):
Five Stars:
15 (58%)
Four Stars:
8 (31%)
Three Stars:
2 (8%)
Two Stars:
0 (0%)
One Star:
1 (4%)
Recent Review: SteveH - North Augusta, SC - 8/26/2015 Perfect companion to DirecTV receiver.
Customer Reviews:
Filter:
Perfect companion to DirecTV receiver. SteveH - North Augusta, SC - 8/26/2015 10:47:51 AM Necessary to have whenever weather or satellite issues hinder signal. Emergency broadcast come over locals. Nice to have the local sub-band choices too.
Signal Xtreme Signal HDB91x VHF/UHF HDTV Antenna Using with AM21 Tuner. Needed not too large, very long range H.D.vhf/uhf outdoor, rooftop mounted antenna that could recieve broadcast signals 100+ miles on good weather days. This unit did the job. lowdslanding - MIAMI, FL - 6/18/2015 2:45:17 PM I live in deep south Miami/ Dade county. The vast majority of the T.V. brodcast towers serving the East.coast of Florida are placed very near the Atlantic coast from South Miami/Dade county north all of the way to the Fl./Ga. state line. This is the ideal broadcast situation , nearly flat land , straight shot up & down the coast. The only limit on how many stations & substations you will recieve is the range limits of the antenna & how high up the mast will be placed.If you are lucky like me and live at the southern end of the state , you will only need one long range north facing antenna placed as high up as possible with nothing blocking the broadcast signal.If you are using a newer H.D. T.V.s tuner, connect the antenna cable to the T.V. & let the T.V. auto tune feature do its job. If your T.V. is connected to DirecTV , purchase FROM SOLID SIGNAL DirecTV's land signal receiver model AM21 and connect as per instructions.( EXCEPT ) To get the most channels & sub stations , do the following. ( THIS IS MY EXAMPLE) Rather them give them my real zip code,that would set the receiver give me only the stations serving South Florida Florida. If I sellect a zip code half way between the So. Florida broadcast towers and the Space Coast( about 100 to 120 miles) further north) the direcTV will program to tune all of the channels between So.Florida. & The Melbourn ,Cape Kennedy, Fl. area that your antenna has the range to recive. Normally DirecTV tries to be quite helpfull when you call with a question or problem. However , I found that very few have had any training on DirecTV's, M 21 tuner. So don't expect any help from them , at least on this item. And don't even think about discussing using the wrong ZIP code to extend your receiving range. With the help of a Solid Signal tech , carefully select the antenna that meets your needs, there are many veriables you must consider prior to making your final choice. Things to consider : Indoor or Attic Mounted Antennas , greatly reduce reception quality. Lower cost antennas,are lower reception antennas. Outdoor only good when used less then 7 or 8 miles from tower. Indoor antennas work best when placed in window with no obstruction ,use only when used less than 5 miles from broadcast tower with no obstructions. For best receptiong go with out door antenna with good quality and price that reflects quality. The AM21 Tuner does a good job for a low price, it's importaint to spend enough for a good quality antenna that services your needs like distance to stations, width of space (rt. to left) between antenna towers. (band Width ) in case you need 2 antennas.Reception strength of VHF section of antenna. Your UHF section may be powerful enough but your VHF may need a more powerful antenna to have good reception.option , Buy larger combo antenna or buy seperate VHF antenna
Works with THR22(Tivo) InstallerUser - Albany, GA - 4/2/2015 9:28:56 PM I haven't had local channels in years, works great. Simple to hookup and setup.
THIS THING WORKS AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!! Bobcat - Ridgeway, IA - 12/4/2014 5:30:47 PM SATELLITE PROVIDERS SHOULD MAKE ALL RECEIVERS WITH OFF-AIR HOOK UP
Works with Genie and Clients Edfire - Birmingham, AL - 10/29/2014 1:16:29 PM I ordered this under the impression that it would only work with my Genie hr44, however after hooking it up to the Genie, I can also view off air channels on the clients that are on my other tv';s.
Great product, Free TV is fantastic and it fully integrates into my existing DirecTv programming guide. Jwb5858 - Birmingham, AL - 9/11/2014 7:26:44 AM The product was easy to install and integrates with my Directv DVR HR43-700. I wanted a product that would not require me to switch the input mode on my tv and integrate fully with my system and this was it. I forgot how nice it was to have all the local public broadcasting channels. It';s also nice to have the local channels when a I get rain fade on my satellite system. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to complement thier existing service.
Very Good Product coconut - Arlington, MN - 1/12/2014 10:53:53 PM The AM21 works very well and integrates nicely with the DVR. What most people don';t realize is that it is possible to pick up almost all the channels available in your area, even if they aren';t in Directv';s database of channels. By using secondary zip codes you can gain channels not in the database. In MN I can get all but 1 channel using secondary zip codes.
Problem solved! widogmom - Weston, WI - 10/4/2013 8:23:21 AM We had no - and I mean NO - TV reception at Devil';s Lake Campground last weekend, so I missed Svengoolie - and it was The Leech Woman! That was the last straw...I resolved that we MUST be able to record shows at home when we';re camping in areas that have lousy TV reception, and this little AM21 box solved the problem! The installation was a little perplexing at first(I';m not all that tech-savvy) but after I called Solid Signal tech support and found my ID10T error (they were lovely and patient about it, too) it works perfectly...exactly as advertised! All the network 1-2-3 stations show up on my DirecTV guide, I can pause and rewind off-air shows, record my favorite shows from the retro-TV channels...and I don';t ever have to miss Svengoolie again! This is an excellent problem-solving product!
Nice directv add on ksgoodguy - KS, KS - 3/28/2013 This is a great way to add all the extra channels that are now available over the air that are not and probably will never be available on Directv.Even gives you the guide as well.
AM21 is great if you like offair! Directv Fan - Michigan, Michigan - 3/28/2013 The AM21 is a good item to have if you already have a nice off air antenna and want to make use of it.When its pouring rain and your directv dies at least you can still use your directv HD DVR to watch off air.I always make sure my tv shows record off the offair signal for this very reason.You need this for all HD DVR receivers other than the hr20-700.This thing plugs in kind of interestin
love this product!!! Larry D - Chatsworth, sworth GA - 3/28/2013 easy to set up...if you have an over the air antenna do not hesitate to buy this product...allows you to add local digital stations not currently broadcast by Directv to your system seamlessly...would highly recommend as I currently have two in use...
Great Add On Mickeyd - Rual Alabama, Rual Alabama - 3/28/2013 I use it to record Off Air programs with my DTV HR23.The guide makes it easy.
Great Add-on Randyk47 - San Antonio, Antonio TX - 4/25/2012 Easy to install right out of the box.I got the AM21 for those times when the satellite goes out during a storm.Thats not often actually kind of rare but the cost of the AM21 was so low it was worth having the OTA back-up.With tornadoes our biggest weather threat switching over to the antenna during thunderstorms is a nice option.
Cant get any better... CB_Avatar - DC, DC - 2/23/2012 Great sales and customer service quick shipment and the tuner does the trick in the DC Metro area.Tuner took less than 5 minutes to set up. Thanks!
am 21 work greay larry - dothan al, dothan al - 10/5/2011 i hope directv come with a am that work with a hr25.
May not be as sensitive or allow as many channels as your TV J - Baltimore, MD - 11/22/2015 11:05:23 PM For seamless integration of OTA into a DirecTV, this is it. Firstly, this occupies the same footprint as the HR21, not including the 2 inches or so behind required for the plug and bending radius. It's friggin' huge unless you have space to sandwich it below the receiver. I have it hidden away in a cabinet with my VCR. Connection and setup is straightforward, but do enter your primary zip code first, followed by the most desired out-of-market zip. (Max two zip codes total.) I was having trouble with some stations for several months before realizing (a) many classic TV and movie networks with poor reception are syndicated on a closer station and (b) an amp isn't necessarily helpful if it makes the signal too hot. It occurred to me to pull the power to my rooftop amp yesterday and every channel I value perked way up. Keep in mind that the signal level shown in the menu reflects total quality and not just signal strength. The unit has been surprisingly stable hardware-wise. I have not had to unplug the USB in 9 months and it never locks up. If you have a specific distant station you really value, try a high gain directional UHF antenna. I really like the Winegard HD-1080.
works as advertised Tom - Delanson, on NY - 3/28/2013 used to receive off air localsa nice back up if satellite signal is lost
Works pretty well Chuck - Fresno, CA - 3/28/2013 Works well but I dont understand why it cant just scan the air waves without having to enter my zip code.
AM-21 reciever Doug - Los Lunas, unas New - 3/28/2013 The recievers worked well when hooked upto a H21 but when hooked up to a H23 the you could not turn the power off theAM21.Direct TV woulld not give me anyhelp with the problemso I cancelled service with Direct TV and got a heavypenalty for early cancelation.
Good product but not without problems Gregorio - Los Gatos, atos CA - 3/28/2013 I have two of these and they both provide excellent off the air picture quality.However both exhibit the same problem with garbled audio once in a while.One unit is connected to an AMP via optical and the other to a TV via RCA. The solution is to change channel for a second and go back.DTV is clueless about the problem but claims to be working on it. At this point it is only a minor annoya
off air receiver chas - gladstone mo, gladstone mo - 3/28/2013 receiver is okbut is subject to electrical damage thru storms
Great But Some Limitations Antennaman - Anderson, on In - 3/19/2012 Interfaces great with guide. Does not lose localsignals like Directv doed on HD. There is no wayto enter a local channel. If directv does not carrythe channel in your local market your are out of luck. Directv is not very selective when useinga zip code. There will be stations you will haveto edit out some over 100 miles away.
Great w/ HR-21 but problematic w/ H21 Minor market us - Charlottesville, Charlottesville - 11/5/2010 Really solves a problem since DirecTV doesnt carry my local channels on satellite. Was prepared to drop service before discovering this tuner. Works great on my HR21 DVR. Tested on my H21 receiver before buying a second and couldnt get sound to work even though its supposed to be compatible. Too bad since direct broadcast is essential during a real storm -- satellite signals always went out qu
works well rms58 - jessup, PA - 11/14/2015 9:01:20 AM works well,but they should have made with the scan channel feature and then it would pick up all sub shannels,i had an hr20 withat feature and it picked up all channels available,I hope they come up with a software upgrade to fix that,the scannig for zipcode is no good
Doesn';t scan for available channels. May not get all that are available. Ron - near lansing, MI - 7/28/2014 5:50:14 PM I had to trick the box by entering different zip codes to get the channels I wanted. One channel drops off every day at 5:30pm and 11:30pm. Have to go to another channel and then back to get it back. It doesn';t get all the sub channels.
Won';t receive all subchannels that are available RF man - Hutchinson, MN - 1/9/2014 9:14:44 AM Connected the AM 21 to my brother';s HDDVR--the AM 21 would not receive all of the subchannels available--even though all of the TV tuners in the house did. (I';ve installed antennas for 35 years, and know the signals are good) DirecTV support was horrible--continued to blame the signal--they knew very little about the product, and weren';t interested in resolving the problem with the AM21--stating they don';t deal with off-air product (even though they market and sell the AM21 off-air tuner!)
Solid Signal is an authorized retailer of DISH
Network L.L.C. DISH, DISH Network and DISH Network logos are trademarks, registered trademarks and/or service marks
of DISH Network L.L.C. and/or its affiliate(s). The DISH Network trademarks, registered trademarks and/or service
marks are used under license of DISH Network L.L.C. and/or its affiliate(s).