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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/26/2008 2:28:01 PM
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amybreit
Posts: 805
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quote:
I talked to a guy I know at church who works for a local TV station, and he corroborated this; he said the station I can't get right now may change its signal after the conversion, so if he were me, he'd wait after the conversion to decide whether to get a new antenna. That's encouraging!!!! We're hoping this is true too! WE don't get ABC right now. We don't watch a lot of ABC shows (maybe because we can't get it in digital), but some football games have been on there & once the analog station is gone, we won't be able to see those unless they boost their digital signal!!!
ETA - I was wondering the other night if the TV guides will start to have the -2, -3 etc... stations listed now. We use the one from our Sun. paper. It'd be nice if they did!!
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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/29/2008 9:20:17 AM
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percussionlover
Posts: 96
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my opinion.....stay away from the converter boxes.
if u already have a HDTV u dont need the converter box cause there should already be a digital tuner in the tv & you'll have no problems in Feb., to pick up the digital channels.
if u cant afford a HDTV right now,do what i did & buy a SDTV. sure the SDTV is an analog tv,but it already has a "Digital Tuner" built into the tv & it picks up all the digital & HD channels in my area.
if u go to your local Wal-Mart,u should find some SDTV's around $250.
we have cable,but when i autoprogram my SDTV,i pick up around 20 digital/HD channels & the digital picture is sooooo much better than the analog.
we always watch the digital channels over the analog if i've got the channel available in analog & digital.
what's also cool about my SDTV that in my menu features,it has a digital meter to see the strength of the digital signal coming in & i can also switch the screen size to 4:3 (full screen) or 16:9 (wide screen) or zoom.
i've got an 27" ILO SDTV that i bought at Wal-Mart....
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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/29/2008 9:54:56 AM
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stateofgrace
Posts: 1992
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If someone has a perfectly good TV there's not necessarily a reason to run out and buy a new $250+ digital/HD TV yet, when they can buy a converter box for under $50 and even get a coupon to get it for free.
TV's are always adding new features and there is always a price/feature ratio going on, where the longer a feature is available, the less expensive it will be...or at the same price that you could have bought TV "A" a year ago, you can now get TV "B" with additional features.
HDTVs have dropped in price somewhat...and I suspect in the next year they'll drop a bit more.
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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/29/2008 12:23:38 PM
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DaveW
Posts: 4073
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Are there any "converter boxes" with HDMI outputs?
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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/29/2008 2:33:42 PM
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DaveW
Posts: 4073
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You only need the converter box if you are getting off the air broadcast. As long as your cable company still has an analog signal from their box, you are fine.
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We are now grandparents TWICE!!
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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/29/2008 3:05:40 PM
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figmentPez
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quote:
ORIGINAL: DaveW
Are there any "converter boxes" with HDMI outputs?
In theory, yes, there should be HDTV tuner boxes with HDMI outputs, for HD-ready monitors that don't have built-in tuners. However, there are two caveats.
First, such a box won't be eligible for use with the government coupon. Those coupons don't apply to any tuner boxes with the ability to output an HD signal.
Second, while there isn't anything to keep such products from existing, I'm not sure how common they'll be since I'm not sure how many HD-ready sets have HDMI but also don't have any sort of tuner built-in.... Oh, nevermind. Here is such a box from Best Buy: Samsung - HDTV Digital Terrestrial Receiver It's $180 and, knowing Best Buy, can probably be had for cheaper elsewhere.
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I make this challenge to all Christians:
Read Daniel 7:13-14
And tell me: Who do you say that the Son of Man is?
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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/29/2008 3:14:04 PM
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figmentPez
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quote:
ORIGINAL: percussionlover
if u already have a HDTV u dont need the converter box cause there should already be a digital tuner in the tv & you'll have no problems in Feb., to pick up the digital channels.
Not all HDTVs have tuners built-in to them. Many sets, especially older HD sets, were sold as HD-ready with-out an ATSC tuner. In fact, many older digital SD televisions (also labeled EDTV) were sold without tuners as well. It's probably still possible to get TVs without any tuners (since you can't sell devices with only analog tuners now). As I've already mentioned, tuners capable of sending out HD signals aren't eligible for the government coupon. So those with HD-ready sets who need a tuner to get HD programming will have to pay full price.
quote:
we have cable,but when i autoprogram my SDTV,i pick up around 20 digital/HD channels & the digital picture is sooooo much better than the analog.
Yes, the digital signal will give better quality, but not all TVs will have the necessary tuner to pick them up, nor will all cable companies have them unencrypted. Broadcast digital stations use the ATSC standard, while cable uses QAM. Last I looked, relatively few TVs had QAM tuners. Not only that but QAM can be encrypted so that only special cards can view it. To the best of my knowledge, some cable companies encrypt all their digital channels. Our cable company (Comcast) has many of the digital basic channels unencrypted, but not all (Disney, Discovery HD, MTV, and others are all encrypted.)
_____________________________
I make this challenge to all Christians:
Read Daniel 7:13-14
And tell me: Who do you say that the Son of Man is?
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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/29/2008 3:42:30 PM
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SuspenseWriter
Posts: 445
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quote:
ORIGINAL: DaveW
You only need the converter box if you are getting off the air broadcast. As long as your cable company still has an analog signal from their box, you are fine.
Thanks, bro!
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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/29/2008 5:31:31 PM
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percussionlover
Posts: 96
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my SDTV has a QAM Digital Tuner built in to the tv & thats why i pick up all the over the air digital & HD channels on my tv. i've got cable thru "mediacom"....
lke i said....i get about 20 over the air digital/HD channels when i autoprogram (which i do every other month or so to see if theres been more digital channels added) my tv.....my SDTV is a ILO 27" i got at Wal-Mart...right now they've got a nice RCA 27" flat screen SDTV with built in QAM Digital Tuner...
quote:
ORIGINAL: figmentPez
quote:
ORIGINAL: percussionlover
if u already have a HDTV u dont need the converter box cause there should already be a digital tuner in the tv & you'll have no problems in Feb., to pick up the digital channels.
Not all HDTVs have tuners built-in to them. Many sets, especially older HD sets, were sold as HD-ready with-out an ATSC tuner. In fact, many older digital SD televisions (also labeled EDTV) were sold without tuners as well. It's probably still possible to get TVs without any tuners (since you can't sell devices with only analog tuners now). As I've already mentioned, tuners capable of sending out HD signals aren't eligible for the government coupon. So those with HD-ready sets who need a tuner to get HD programming will have to pay full price.
quote:
we have cable,but when i autoprogram my SDTV,i pick up around 20 digital/HD channels & the digital picture is sooooo much better than the analog.
Yes, the digital signal will give better quality, but not all TVs will have the necessary tuner to pick them up, nor will all cable companies have them unencrypted. Broadcast digital stations use the ATSC standard, while cable uses QAM. Last I looked, relatively few TVs had QAM tuners. Not only that but QAM can be encrypted so that only special cards can view it. To the best of my knowledge, some cable companies encrypt all their digital channels. Our cable company (Comcast) has many of the digital basic channels unencrypted, but not all (Disney, Discovery HD, MTV, and others are all encrypted.)
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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/30/2008 6:38:55 AM
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DaveW
Posts: 4073
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: MD suburbs of Washington DC
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quote:
ORIGINAL: figmentPezquote:
Are there any "converter boxes" with HDMI outputs? In theory, yes, there should be HDTV tuner boxes with HDMI outputs, for HD-ready monitors that don't have built-in tuners. However, there are two caveats.
First, such a box won't be eligible for use with the government coupon. Those coupons don't apply to any tuner boxes with the ability to output an HD signal.
Second, while there isn't anything to keep such products from existing, I'm not sure how common they'll be since I'm not sure how many HD-ready sets have HDMI but also don't have any sort of tuner built-in.... Oh, nevermind. Here is such a box from Best Buy: Samsung - HDTV Digital Terrestrial Receiver It's $180 and, knowing Best Buy, can probably be had for cheaper elsewhere. I will check that out. My Samsung tv has HDMI input (with the old style plugs) and a NTSC tuner, NOT a digital tuner.
_____________________________
Avatar is Saphira 5 months and Louvena at 23 months!
We are now grandparents TWICE!!
====================================
Our CD is now available here:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/dswaggoner
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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/30/2008 7:41:53 AM
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percussionlover
Posts: 96
Joined: 2/29/2008
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hey DaveW,,,also check out the more affordable SDTV's that have the digital tuner built in to them like the tv i've got......her's a link to a very good SDTV (digital)http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9188630
quote:
ORIGINAL: DaveW
quote:
ORIGINAL: figmentPezquote:
Are there any "converter boxes" with HDMI outputs? In theory, yes, there should be HDTV tuner boxes with HDMI outputs, for HD-ready monitors that don't have built-in tuners. However, there are two caveats.
First, such a box won't be eligible for use with the government coupon. Those coupons don't apply to any tuner boxes with the ability to output an HD signal.
Second, while there isn't anything to keep such products from existing, I'm not sure how common they'll be since I'm not sure how many HD-ready sets have HDMI but also don't have any sort of tuner built-in.... Oh, nevermind. Here is such a box from Best Buy: Samsung - HDTV Digital Terrestrial Receiver It's $180 and, knowing Best Buy, can probably be had for cheaper elsewhere. I will check that out. My Samsung tv has HDMI input (with the old style plugs) and a NTSC tuner, NOT a digital tuner.
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SURFIN FOR JESUS
CONGA MAN
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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/30/2008 7:47:24 AM
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DaveW
Posts: 4073
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: MD suburbs of Washington DC
Status: offline
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quote:
Here is such a box from Best Buy: Samsung - HDTV Digital Terrestrial Receiver It's $180 and, knowing Best Buy, can probably be had for cheaper elsewhere. I looked it up online and that is exactly what I was interested in. Pretty pricey.
Best price I found was Refurbdepot and Amazon (used) for $149.99 and a list price of $299.
Since we have cable, I will probably wait for the price to come down before picking this up.
Interestingly, the dvd recorder I bought has an ATSC tuner and there are a few digital channels of local channels it picks up **occasionally.** Off the cable that is. It is not hooked up to an external antenna.
< Message edited by DaveW -- 9/30/2008 8:25:28 AM >
_____________________________
Avatar is Saphira 5 months and Louvena at 23 months!
We are now grandparents TWICE!!
====================================
Our CD is now available here:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/dswaggoner
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RE: Convertor Boxes.. - 9/30/2008 7:56:26 AM
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DaveW
Posts: 4073
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: MD suburbs of Washington DC
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quote:
ORIGINAL: percussionlover
hey DaveW,,,also check out the more affordable SDTV's that have the digital tuner built in to them like the tv i've got......her's a link to a very good SDTV Um - I already have a 50" Samsung DLP hd tv. I don't really need another one......
I won it at the company christmas party 4 years ago, actually won another one the following year and turned it down in favor of a color laser printer. I don't need 2 big screens.
_____________________________
Avatar is Saphira 5 months and Louvena at 23 months!
We are now grandparents TWICE!!
====================================
Our CD is now available here:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/dswaggoner
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