Some newb questions about TVs, tuners, and such.

ClemmonsHoo

I apologize for being such a dunce in this area, but I just have not kept up with the technology. I'm used to just pulling a new TV out of the box, plugging in the cable, and turning it on. LOL!

I currently have a behemoth 32" Panny CRT TV I want to replace. I'm leaning toward a 50" plasma that I can mount on the wall. I've heard good things about Costco's TV service and dropped by there after work thinking that I was going to eventually get the new 50" Vizio (based on reviews and friends and such). Well, next to a Maxent, Phillips, and Panny plasma, the Vizio did not look good - dimmer, and not nearly as crisp looking. They all appeared to have the same HD feed. Of the group, the Maxent looked the best. I also thought the glossy plastic bezel around the Vizio was hideous. I really liked the Maxent, and it's really inexpensive.

Here's my issue - the Maxent does not appear to have a tuner of any kind built in. I am clueless about this issue. To get off-air HD via an antenna would I need some kind of HD tuner? Also, if I switch my cable over to digital (I assume it would come with a digital box), I would just have to connect the digital box up via HDMI or whatever, right? Finally, what about regular analog cable? If I procrastinate a while before getting digital cable, what kind of tuner/box do I need to get my analog signal to the TV?

TIA

unc2701

My dad is in winston... you just get a HD cable box from TWC. They've got some with HDMI, some with DVI and some just with component (RGB)- if you bug them long enough, they'll give you the one that you need.

I would be truly surprised if the maxtent had NO tuner- it probably just doesn't have and ATSC tuner, which lets you get over the air (OTA) digital broadcasts. I can't remember, but I think my dad can only get like 2 channels OTA, so I wouldn't worry about that- you'll get your HD from TWC.

Now, if it REALLY doesn't have ANY tuner, you can just use your VCR while you're procrastinating, but it'll look like crap compared to what you've been seeing in the store.