2009 Digital TV Transition

Serendipity
Serendipity Posts: 6,975
edited March 2008 in The Clubhouse
For those of you that use an antenna to receive your TV broadcasts, and will be affected by the 2009 DTV transition, maybe you can help me figure a few things out:

1.) Are the DTV tuners available for $10-20 (after government coupon) HDTV tuners? Or do they just tune the *digital* portion of the DTV signal?

2.) Will I be able to watch channels like 50.5 (NJN-HD) with one of these DTV converter boxes on an analog set?

3.) How do I get timer recording to work on my old VCR after the DTV transition?

4.) My HTPC (hp DEC z560) has an ATSC tuner but it MUST have an analog connection present before it even searches for a digital signal. What can I do to fool it into believing that there is an NTSC signal so I can watch the digital channels after the DTV transition?
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2008
    Get cable and it won't be a problem any longer.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    For # 4, this is what I am talking about -

    hp-entertain-rear.jpg

    On the back of my HTPC, there is an analog tuner and a digital tuner. In order for the PC to see the digital channels, you must finish a "channel scan" on the analog tuner.

    The first time I hooked it up, I didn't hook up anything to the analog tuner, and the PC wouldn't see ANY digital channels...
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    Face wrote: »
    Get cable and it won't be a problem any longer.

    My parents have cable. But we have separate systems.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2008
    cablesplitgood.JPG
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    You would think that'd work. But I need an *analog* signal to fool the HTPC into thinking that the connector is connected. Then it can go on to do a search of digital signals. In 2009 when the analog signals are turned off, I won't have an analog signal.

    When I tried what you mentioned, the PC just went on to the next step and said "No signal found."
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2008
    On the back of a cable box, is the coax out digital?

    I would contact HP. I'm sure you won't be the first person to ask.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    Face wrote: »
    On the back of a cable box, is the coax out digital?

    I don't know about the boxes in Long Island, but the one we have in NYC (Time Warner) doesn't even have a coax out anymore.

    It just has Composite Video, S-Video, Component, and DVI.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    If you look at the back of this picture, you'll see what I mean:

    They've stopped using coax out on cable boxes in my area, you're limited to Composite Video (at the minimum).
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2008
    Taken from: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00222968&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=3235291&lang=en#N774

    What is High Definition (HDTV) Television?
    HDTV is the highest quality DTV standard. Devices such as monitors, tuners, and integrated monitor/tuner combinations designed to handle any of the 18 formats officially sanctioned by the industry-led standard setting, Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) for the digital transmission of video signals. HDTV provides increased picture detail such as 720p (progressive), or 1080i (interlaced) with a widescreen based on a 16:9 aspect ratio, and higher quality audio such as surround sound. Connect your ATSC signal to the HDTV/SDTV Ant. In connector on the back of your HP Digital Entertainment Center.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    So from my understanding of the quote, you can connect the ATSC digital signal to the SDTV Ant. In connector? That makes absolutely no sense, I have my VCR connected to the SDTV Ant. In connector!!!

    I thought the HDTV signal *had* to be connected to the HDTV Ant. In connector!
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2008
    I'd also call Time Warner, see if they offer a box with a coax out. I believe most of the DVR boxes do, but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a HTPC right?
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    Face,

    Have you seen any Cablevision boxes with a coax out?
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2008
    Yes, the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR. I use it's coax output to feed TV to my PC.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    Face wrote: »
    Yes, the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVR. I use it's coax output to feed TV to my PC.

    Is that a digital signal?
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  • Demiurge
    Demiurge Posts: 10,874
    edited February 2008
    appadv wrote: »
    My parents have cable. But we have separate systems.

    Get a job and move out.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    Demiurge wrote: »
    Get a job and move out.

    I don't live at home anymore.
    appadv wrote: »
    I don't even want to spend that much, as this is something that is just temporary. Keep in mind, I only get to use my system like 15% of the year, ever since I moved out when I turned 18 the HT has been mostly unused. I use it once in a while when I go home on break.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2008
    I'm searching through my preferences and am trying to get a answer for you.

    When I run it full screen on my TV, it doesn't looks nearly as good as directly from my cable box to my TV.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    Face wrote: »
    I'm searching through my preferences and am trying to get a answer for you.

    When I run it full screen on my TV, it doesn't looks nearly as good as directly from my cable box to my TV.

    Thanks, what kind of HTPC are you using?
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2008
    Home made.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    Did you have any driver issues? I used to have a DIY HTPC and had issues with the graphics card, but it seems like the HP drivers are 100% reliable - I've never had the PC freeze or anything like that.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2008
    No issues. I'm using a XFI 7800GTX video card.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    Cool. With my old HTPC if you had too many programs running, it would slow down to a crawl and freeze up. Like if you were burning a CD, copying large files, and playing a video at the same time.

    But with the HP, it seems to be extremely reliable when multitasking.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    Oh yeah one more thing -

    Is TV Guide On Screen still usable after the DTV transition? Reason being my DVD recorder with TV Guide On Screen came with a note in the box that said it was not compatible with digital cable or satellite.
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  • hljones821
    hljones821 Posts: 35
    edited February 2008
    You could connect an old VCR and play the output on Ch3 from a tape, the analog tuner would pick this up.
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited February 2008
    appadv wrote: »
    For those of you that use an antenna to receive your TV broadcasts, and will be affected by the 2009 DTV transition, maybe you can help me figure a few things out:

    1.) Are the DTV tuners available for $10-20 (after government coupon) HDTV tuners? Or do they just tune the *digital* portion of the DTV signal?


    From what I can figure out it looks like those boxes receive the digital channels like a digital tuner. Then the signal is changed to standard ntsc output and fed into channel 3 of your standard tv. They do not have component or hdmi output. They are meant for the cheapy basic standard definition tv. I got this from my trip to WalMart yesterday where they have the tuners in stock.
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  • shadowofnight
    shadowofnight Posts: 2,735
    edited February 2008
    I just had 2 of these delivered yesterday http://www.hdtvexpert.com/pages_b/h260f.html They work amazingly well...only reason I got one ( The other is going to a friend ) is I already have an HD ant mounted, and there are a few local channels I dont get with directv.

    After reading the 54 glowing reviews here http://www.abtelectronics.com/review/26386.html I decided to give it a shot....worth every penny for OTA HD for free and allowing older tv's to make the jump to digital
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  • PhantomOG
    PhantomOG Posts: 2,409
    edited February 2008
    How much did you pay for the Samsung tuner?

    I really thought stand alone digital tuners would have come down in price more by now. I have an old HD tv without a built in tuner.
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  • shadowofnight
    shadowofnight Posts: 2,735
    edited February 2008
    PhantomOG wrote: »
    How much did you pay for the Samsung tuner?

    I really thought stand alone digital tuners would have come down in price more by now. I have an old HD tv without a built in tuner.


    158 at Onecall http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=34596 Guess I took their last two though...shows on order now
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    madmax wrote: »
    From what I can figure out it looks like those boxes receive the digital channels like a digital tuner. Then the signal is changed to standard ntsc output and fed into channel 3 of your standard tv. They do not have component or hdmi output. They are meant for the cheapy basic standard definition tv. I got this from my trip to WalMart yesterday where they have the tuners in stock.

    Thanks!

    So - from what I'm understanding, these tuners don't have the ability to output HDTV. But my dorm room TV, a 13" Zenith, only has an antenna connection and nothing else. Would I be able to tune into HD channels with one of the converter boxes?
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited February 2008
    hljones821 wrote: »
    You could connect an old VCR and play the output on Ch3 from a tape, the analog tuner would pick this up.

    I guess that would work, as (correct me if I'm wrong) I believe the VCR's output is no different from what's coming from a rooftop antenna or rabbit ears...

    As per using VCR's, I still haven't figured out how to get timer recording to work once the digital transition is completed. To make this possible, the VCR needs to be able to control the DTV box to pick the right channel - i.e. record channel x at 5PM, record channel y at 6PM, then channel z at 8PM, etc. And in case you were wondering, I only have access to a VCR at school here, nothing fancy :(
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