Getting HD OTA with HD-Ready tv?

thormx538

Hey, new here so I apologize if this is the wrong section

I just bought an older an 'HD-ready' TV (so, no built in digital tuner, right?) for my room up at college. We have Comcast cable at the house in the individual rooms, but we do not have set-top boxes for each room. How should I go about getting HD on this TV? Can I go from an antenna through a DTV converter box to the TV and get my HD channels OTA, then just plug the cable from the wall into the TV for regular channels?

Loves2Watch

You get what Comcast broadcasts. I would suggest you get a box from them since your TV has no tuner.

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thormx538

I'm under the impression that I cannot use a Comcast box. I've been told by the landlord that getting a box in each room would require restructuring the cable package. Some of my roommates have TV's with built in HD tuners, and can get the channels that broadcast in HD (ABC, FOX, NBC, etc..). With the new DTV switch, is there a way to get OTA HD via antenna with my tuner-less TV? ie, do they make HDTV capable DTV converter boxes?

DoctorCAD

A Prime DTV200 will get HD OTA into your HD ready TV set. It will also tune in QAM cable HD signals that exist on the Comcast feed.

There are more of them, but I don't know any model numbers.

m_vanmeter

you can add an ATSC/QAM tuner to feed your TV.

this is the low end entry, component cable feed to the TV. It does have DVI-D out and a conversion to HDMI "may" work.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...Ltd-_-15260021

This is the top of the line ATSC tuner set top box, but more expensive and now hard to find
http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/d...=DTB-H260F/XAA

zip2play

You need a digital tuner with HD capability. It needs to be QAM compatible to get the local channels in HD from a Comcast wire.

The DTV boxes for $40 that you are hearing so much about will NOT fill the bill because they convert digital to analog, not what you need.

Your best bet is to have your landlord ask Comcast to give him/you an HD set top box. That will cost him $10 more a month and you can just give him the money. It will also give you a MUCH better picture than what you have been looking at with the bare wire.

Comcast makes very sure that unless you rent a box from them your viewing experience will be sub-par, and this applies also to people with sets that INCLUDE a good tuner.

deadhead68

I do agree that Comcast makes it difficult to get by without renting a box from them. But I have to disagree that you will have a sub-par viewing experience even if your TV has a QAM tuner. I have a TV in my den that doesn't have a box, I use the QAM tuner, and my PQ is just as good as the TV I do have a box connected to.

DeadHead68

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zip2play

I very purposely said "sub-par viewing experience" rather than "sub-par picture." In most areas, mine included, Comcast encodes many if not MOST of the QAM channels that are included in the most basic subscription making reception of these channels impossible without a box, even if the channels are paid for. Yes, on the few Channels Comcast passes QAM unencoded, the picture is often even BETTER without the box.
So this substantial elimination of basic channels causes what I call a "sub-par viewing experience" without a Comcast box rental.

Of course, in an area where Comcast passes ALL the channels in "clear QAM" one doesn't need a box, but those areas are dwindling rapidly. I enjoyed this superb situation for several months before Comcast started encoding more and more channels, forcing me to rent a $10/mo. box to get the channels I was paying for. Now only the local channels are left in clear QAM...and for those I don't need cable, OTA is an even better picture.

deadhead68

Oh...now I understand. I don't have that problem as my TV has a cable card slot and Comcast in Chicago does not charge monthly fee for a cable card. So I receive all the channels I pay for.

DeadHead68

__________________
Toshiba 52HM95
Moto 3416 HD DVR
Sony STR-DG810 Receiver
Sony DVP-NS77H DVD
Denon SYS-76HT Speaker System
Harmony 670

thormx538

Thanks for the responses. I'll look into the set top box as a first choice -- I only have 9 months left on the lease anyways so it comes out to the same price if I get the ATSC/QAM tuner or go with the box.

Ahighdefnow

Yeah it depends on the area