Greetings,

....not sure if this is the correct section to post this but, here goes!:

i am picking up a plasma tomorrow...i have standard cable....i have no hd boxes or anything similar..i have seen some plasmas that without an hd box (usually from the local cable tv provider), the picture looks a bit "grainey"...

....comparing the pict to my crt tv, the crt is a better picture in that, it is NOT grainey....so, is there an inexpensive hd box independently sold/for sale/manufactured that i could put into the system to clean up the pict a bit?...(EXCLUDING my cable company)

......i believe that the cable is broadcasting in digital but, NOT hd.....herein may lie my problem....what if i were to get the digital to analog converter box and place that into the line?..what effect would that have (although, i think none)...any assistance would be of a great help!....thanks again!

Your cable co. almost certainly offers an HD box.

Your cable co. almost certainly offers an HD box.


....thanks for the reply. i should have stated EXCLUDING my cable company. my mistake..is there an hd box that is purchase-able in the used or new market?

Well can we find out what you have for a cable provider? What tv you want to get? How far you will be sitting away from the tv? What size tv and model number?

Pretty much the only thing that will look good in your situation without an HD box from local cable provider will be a CRT. I am afraid that there is still a transition to all HD channels and that means that there are a whole bunch of HD channels and a whole bunch of SD channels and since HD tv is moving faster than cable providers that means that at the moment you will have to bare with fuzzy blurry SD broadcasts on a 1080p set no matter what you get plasma or LCD.

Also, any standalone box will only pick up over-the-air HD broadcasts and/or clear QAM HD (which is sort of like OTA but it comes through the cable line). All new TVs have both of those things built in, so a standalone box will not help.

Really you're better off getting the cable co's HD box. That way you get a guide, better PQ (your current channels are analog, not digital) on all channels, likely a great increase in the number of channels you receive, and many more HD channels. With QAM you get a handful of channels in HD (usually just the networks) and there's no guarantee that they will work consistently or be easy to find (often cable co's put them in weird places like channel 456-79 -- good luck figuring that out).

i am picking up a plasma tomorrow...i have standard cable....i have no hd boxes or anything similar..i have seen some plasmas that without an hd box (usually from the local cable tv provider), the picture looks a bit "grainey"...

....comparing the pict to my crt tv, the crt is a better picture in that, it is NOT grainey....so, is there an inexpensive hd box independently sold/for sale/manufactured that i could put into the system to clean up the pict a bit?...(EXCLUDING my cable company)

......i believe that the cable is broadcasting in digital but, NOT hd.....herein may lie my problem....what if i were to get the digital to analog converter box and place that into the line?..what effect would that have (although, i think none).......is there an hd box that is purchase-able in the used or new market?Your cable company probably gives you some of the local HD channels available straight from the wall, without you having to use an HD cable box. Your new plasma TV will almost assuredly have a QAM tuner and should be able to tune these channels. The picture quality should be as good through the TV's internal tuner as it is through an HD cable box.

Well can we find out what you have for a cable provider? What tv you want to get? How far you will be sitting away from the tv? What size tv and model number?

Pretty much the only thing that will look good in your situation without an HD box from local cable provider will be a CRT. I am afraid that there is still a transition to all HD channels and that means that there are a whole bunch of HD channels and a whole bunch of SD channels and since HD tv is moving faster than cable providers that means that at the moment you will have to bare with fuzzy blurry SD broadcasts on a 1080p set no matter what you get plasma or LCD.

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Well can we find out what you have for a cable provider?
**brighthouse networks orlando, florida

What tv you want to get?
**just a plasma but i don't think too relevant(?)

How far you will be sitting away from the tv? What size tv and model number?
**now i am getting more confused! what i was seeking is that is therer a converter that will take the signal from the cable line which is already digital, and convert it to hd? distance, make, model shouldn't really come into play here and if it does, can you explain in detail why it does?

Pretty much the only thing that will look good in your situation without an HD box from local cable provider will be a CRT.
**and thusly the nature of my question...i am inquiring about a cable box" as in my original post.

I am afraid that there is still a transition to all HD channels and that means that there are a whole bunch of HD channels and a whole bunch of SD channels and since HD tv is moving faster than cable providers that means that at the moment you will have to bare with fuzzy blurry SD broadcasts on a 1080p set no matter what you get plasma or LCD.
***yes, i am aware of that.

...thanks for the reply.

How far you will be sitting away from the tv? What size tv and model number?
**now i am getting more confused! what i was seeking is that is therer a converter that will take the signal from the cable line which is already digital, and convert it to hd? distance, make, model shouldn't really come into play here and if it does, can you explain in detail why it does?

Your cable is analog and standard definition. The TV will "convert" it to a digital, high definition signal as that is all they can display. As you have seen, however, that doesn't improve the quality of the original signal, which is what it is. An external box isn't going to do anything more than what the TV does internally.

**and thusly the nature of my question...i am inquiring about a cable box" as in my original post.

There are no "cable boxes" sold by third parties anymore, they are only available through your cable company.

Also, any standalone box will only pick up over-the-air HD broadcasts and/or clear QAM HD (which is sort of like OTA but it comes through the cable line). All new TVs have both of those things built in, so a standalone box will not help.

Really you're better off getting the cable co's HD box. That way you get a guide, better PQ (your current channels are analog, not digital) on all channels, likely a great increase in the number of channels you receive, and many more HD channels. With QAM you get a handful of channels in HD (usually just the networks) and there's no guarantee that they will work consistently or be easy to find (often cable co's put them in weird places like channel 456-79 -- good luck figuring that out).
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Also, any standalone box will only pick up over-the-air HD broadcasts and/or clear QAM HD (which is sort of like OTA but it comes through the cable line). All new TVs have both of those things built in, so a standalone box will not help.
**if i can pick up hd broadcasts such as ch 9 abc wftv orlando which is a local station, they tell me that they are already broadcasting in hd. i am not referring to any of those converter boxes involving the digital transision but, a "box" that will give me the hd channels instead of but including 1-85(?).

Really you're better off getting the cable co's HD box.
**and that is NOT what i want to do as described in my initial post.

That way you get a guide, better PQ (your current channels are analog, not digital) on all channels, likely a great increase in the number of channels you receive, and many more HD channels. With QAM you get a handful of channels in HD (usually just the networks) and there's no guarantee that they will work consistently or be easy to find (often cable co's put them in weird places like channel 456-79 -- good luck figuring that out).
**now i am lost.

Your cable is analog and standard definition. The TV will "convert" it to a digital, high definition signal as that is all they can display. As you have seen, however, that doesn't improve the quality of the original signal, which is what it is. An external box isn't going to do anything more than what the TV does internally.



There are no "cable boxes" sold by third parties anymore, they are only available through your cable company.

thanks for the reply...if i were to connect (i suspect) the cable from the wall to the new plasma, will that tv having an hd tuner, be able to receive the very high channels already mentioned in this thread or will i still have the 1-85(?) channels i have already?

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Also, any standalone box will only pick up over-the-air HD broadcasts and/or clear QAM HD (which is sort of like OTA but it comes through the cable line). All new TVs have both of those things built in, so a standalone box will not help.
**if i can pick up hd broadcasts such as ch 9 abc wftv orlando which is a local station, they tell me that they are already broadcasting in hd. i am not referring to any of those converter boxes involving the digital transision but, a "box" that will give me the hd channels instead of but including 1-85(?).

Your local networks are broadcasting in HD. All new TVs can pick those HD broadcasts up without any additonal box. You may also be able to get them without an antenna through the cable line -- this is called QAM. Unfortunately it's not well supported by the cable companies and can be unreliable and difficult to use.

The non-network channels that you're getting right now (comedy central, cnn, etc) may or may not have HD versions. If they do have HD versions, the ONLY way to get them is with a box from the cable company. There was once something called a "cable card" that would let you get them without a box but that has pretty much died out, and required you to get something from the cable co anyway.

You see, the non-network HD channels are encrypted by the cable company. They don't let you see them unless you are using their equipment. No box other than their own will work.

thanks for the reply...if i were to connect (i suspect) the cable from the wall to the new plasma, will that tv having an hd tuner, be able to receive the very high channels already mentioned in this thread or will i still have the 1-85(?) channels i have already?

All new TVs have HD tuners.

If you connect cable from the wall directly to the TV, you would likely receive all the same crappy analog channels that you get now (1-85, or whatever), AND networks in HD (with the caveats that I mentioned above). You will not receive non-network channels in HD.

Your local networks are broadcasting in HD. All new TVs can pick those HD broadcasts up without any additonal box. You may also be able to get them without an antenna through the cable line -- this is called QAM. Unfortunately it's not well supported by the cable companies and can be unreliable and difficult to use.

The non-network channels that you're getting right now (comedy central, cnn, etc) may or may not have HD versions. If they do have HD versions, the ONLY way to get them is with a box from the cable company. There was once something called a "cable card" that would let you get them without a box but that has pretty much died out, and required you to get something from the cable co anyway.

You see, the non-network HD channels are encrypted by the cable company. They don't let you see them unless you are using their equipment. No box other than their own will work.

...no compatible purchase-able box that can be purchased? (not from cable provider)

All new TVs have HD tuners.

If you connect cable from the wall directly to the TV, you would likely receive all the same crappy analog channels that you get now (1-85, or whatever), AND networks in HD (with the caveats that I mentioned above). You will not receive non-network channels in HD.

...thanks for the reply...damn, i should just stick with my crt!!...now i am depressed!

...no compatible purchase-able box that can be purchased? (not from cable provider)

No, because there's encryption on the HD channels other than the networks.

I'm curious - what's so awful about getting a box from the cable co?

...thanks for the reply...damn, i should just stick with my crt!!...now i am depressed!

Well you aren't really losing anything with a new TV. In fact, you'll get more channels (networks in HD).

What I think people are trying to express here, is that if your new plasma includes a QAM tuner and you are close enough to the broadcasting source you will likely receive your local networks in HD (if they broadcast in HD) as well as the major networks HD programming as an over the air HD broadcast There are no boxes that I'm aware of that will give you HD at all, other than those supplied by your local cable/satellite providers. The boxes that the government is extending a coupon for allows you receive digital standard definition without a cable or satellite set top box on an analog TV. If your QAM tuner doesn't pick up over the air HD you could connect any analog antenna and use that to extend the range of your QAM tuner and increase its chances of picking up over the air HD.

No, because there's encryption on the HD channels other than the networks.

I'm curious - what's so awful about getting a box from the cable co?

...thanks for the reply....i am now understanding. i will have to come up with my cable providers "box" to receive the channels i desire...also, call it a "personal preference" about not getting a box from the provider....i wish FIOS was down here as brighthouse/roadrunner has a monopoly down here and i would dump them in a second!..

...thanks for the reply....i am now understanding. i wil have to come up with my cable providers "box" to receive the channels i desire...also, call it a "personal preference" about not getting a box prome the provider....i wish FIOS was down here as brighthouse/roadrunner has a monopoly down here and i would dump them in a second!..

You're already paying them for cable service, just kick out a few extra bucks and get the HD box. Then dump them when Fios arrives. Witholding those $5/month isn't going to kill the cable company.

Well you aren't really losing anything with a new TV. In fact, you'll get more channels (networks in HD).

..thanks for the reply...yeah, i understand that i suppose but, my thinking was confused in that i thought that with a generic/compatible cable box, i could receive the "upper hd channels"....i was horribly wrong!:(

..thaks for the reply...yeah, i understand that i suppose but, my thinking was confused in that i thought that with a generic/compatible cable box, i could receive teh "upper hd channels"....i was horribly wrong!:(

Yeah, sorry. Not possible.

You're already paying them for cable service, just kick out a few extra bucks and get the HD box. Then dump them when Fios arrives. Witholding those $5/month isn't going to kill the cable company.

..as far as i know FIOS has no plans to be here..(as i raise the gun to my head!):D

Yeah, sorry. Not possible.

...:(:(:(:(

..as far as i know FIOS has no plans to be here..(as i raise the gun to my head!):D

Satelite may be your only other option then.

....ok, thans for all the help everyone.....

Your HDTV can pick up Over the Air(Antenna) HD Channels from ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CW, PBS, depends on your Area and how far away you are and the Antenna your connected to! This is FREE. If you already have cable, you can pick up a few HD channels for free also, the ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX. For some reason NBC is scrambled on me, but then it really doesn't matter to much as I have a Dual HD Tuner DVR Cable Box.

You can get a HD TIVO Box that uses Cable Cards. This allows you to get all the HD channels from your Cable Company. Dealing with cable cards though can be a hassle. There's no free lunch other then the Antenna. You can get those few OTA channels, or a whole bunch of HD channels from Cable or Satellite, but you need a Box or some type.

I wouldn't recommend buying an HD set (LCD or plasma) unless you intend on primarily watching HD programming.

Regular cable will look worse on any HD set than it does on an analog CRT.