Hi everyone,

First post here, hoping to get some help since Comcast is converting to digital cable here in the Portland area.

My TV is a JVC AV-34WP84 1080i 34" HDTV monitor. I think that means HD ready, but I've never actually viewed anything HD on it since I bought it four years ago. I currently subscribe to expanded basic cable through Comcast, basically channels 2-71. I hook the coaxial cable from the wall into the back of my TV and everything's great. I have split screen (PIP) functionality, so my wife can watch "real tv" (usually America's Next Top Model) on one side with audio, while I have a football game playing on the silent side. Very nice, everyone's happy. Except now with the new DTA box, the TV must be on channel 3 to work and all channel changes are through their DTA or a set-top box. Therefore, no split screen capability!

The only work-around I can figure might work, is to get a second DTA box and hook that up through an auxiliary input via a coaxial splitter (since most TVs have only one coaxial input). This means I would need a coaxial-to-component adapter (do they even make those?). I suppose I could use a VCR to input the second coaxial, then output through the component to the auxiliary input on my TV. So I could have my split screen be Channel 3 and Aux 1.

Does anyone think this might work, or have tried a similar setup? I resent Comcast for making me resort to a work-around for watching a simple split-screen with cable, something I've always been able to do so easily in the past.

Any help is appreciated! Cheers from Portland.

Mike

Does the DTA box provided by Comcast have composite outputs (red/white/yellow)? If so I would use those to connect to your TV. If the answer to my first question is YES then you could use another DTA connected to the coaxial input for channel 3 and then use PIP. Have you considered getting an HD box and HD service from Comcast since you have an HDTV?

The Pace DTAs are RF only. Haven't seen the other ones but they are probably too.

Does the DTA box provided by Comcast have composite outputs (red/white/yellow)? If so I would use those to connect to your TV. If the answer to my first question is YES then you could use another DTA connected to the coaxial input for channel 3 and then use PIP. Have you considered getting an HD box and HD service from Comcast since you have an HDTV?
The Comcast DTAs are RF connector only. One in, one out - very basic.

No, I hadn't considered getting an HD box since I didn't want to pay the extra fees since I'm content with non-HD images for now. Mostly, I just HATE the idea of renting equipment from the cable company, you could pay off the value of the box within a year yet you would never own it outright but rather line the pockets of their executives. When I do decide to go HD it'll probably be with an OTA antenna and HD tuner.

I just found out last night that supposedly I can get a free set-top box for use with expanded basic cable from Comcast along with my two DTAs. I'm gonna go pick it up from the Comcast store on Saturday. I wonder if the set-top box has component output, that would be great. Better yet, if the set-top box supported PIP or split screen, even better.

Very doubtful that it supports split screen by itself. I'm not sure what Comcast uses for standard def boxes, but it may be S-video for the top output. I've only seen component on HD boxes. In any case, the free boxes are most likely barebones models.

If you can get a free set top box from Comcast that has composite or s-video outputs you can use that to connect to the input on your TV and then have PIP.