Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this model because it has a separate power source. All of the TV converter boxes on the market are of the same poor quality. Those without a separate power source heat up and last only a few months before the internal parts burn out. I opened them after they stopped working and there was considerable heat damage on the inside. Such units are a fire hazard and should not be sold. This unit came with batteries not included. I hate to have to provide batteries of my own just to find that it is not working. I was not able to record. The unit did not recognize USB ("USB not inserted" message). Also, there was a very long delay time when using a remote. I have an older model (HW180STB) and it works with the same USB stick. The older model has an internal power source and I only turn it on to record and then turn it off immediately. I use RCA converter boxes to watch TV. The only other model that I was able to find that has an external power source. They work the same as other converted boxes on the market, which means that they are not user friendly, are difficult to program, will spontaneously and frequently reset, fail to record and the like. The most serious drawback of RCA units is that recorded files get corrupted and won’t play properly if copied to another USB or a hard drive. That is not the case with Homeworks HW180STB and that is why I wanted a similar unit that I can leave turned on and that will last for a while. I guess I will have to keep looking.