I'm an OTA HDTV vet, going back several years ago when you bought a CRT HDTV display and had to use a separate digital OTA set top box to receive the channels. :eek: I live in a weak signal area, so I've had to experiment quite a bit over the years, but those were with OTA boxes and PC cards. Now it's time for a new TV, and I still have one digital channel that is weak and problematic. So I'd hate to buy a TV that happened to have a poor digital tuner.

My question: Are there brands on the market now with tuners that are better or worse for me to consider or avoid? A few years ago, LG had by far the best tuner, and when I wanted an HDTV card for my PC, I searched out a brand that used their chip. Now, I don't know if everyone has caught up to LG, or if they or someone else make a superior tuner, or if they are all so close it doesn't really matter.

Any thoughts?

BTW, I would have put this in the LCD or plasma forum, but I'm not sure which of those I'm going to get yet. Right now I'm considering probably a Toshiba or Sony LCD, or a Panasonic plasma. Any thoughts on the tuners of those particular brands? If the LG were still clearly superior, I'd consider them, too.

Thanks!

The problem you will run into in getting an answer is, very few people actually do compare several brands in their homes.

LG was the leader in the field because they took over Zenith, which had pioneered the reception process.

One thing that I did read a few months ago;

The HDTV expert, Peter Putman, had tested a number of digital converter boxes, and found the LG one to be superior at the speed with which it scanned, and how many channels it locked on to. He did mention that was because LG was able to adapt their superior HDTV signal scanning and channel detection to the digital converter boxes. He did say that one negative was that the LG conversion box daily program listings was very short and skimped on descriptions, so you might want to check on that feature in the store, to make sure that the LG HD sets do not short you in that area.

Your best bang for the buck with OTA reception is (circumstances allowing) to go with the best and biggest and highest rooftop OTA antenna you can use, and possibly an antenna rotor if you have stations on several different headings.

After you are satisfied that you have the strongest/cleanest signal, the problem channel may no longer be a problem. If that channel was simply off the same heading as the others, you may be able to add a second high gain Yagi antenna for that specific channel and ponited straight at it, while continuing to use your present antenna for the other stations. Whatever your circumstances may be, try first for a stronger signal is my advice.

Thanks guys.

Greenland, that's interesting. Maybe LG is still the best. One thing I don't know is whether LG is selling their chip to other companies. A couple of years ago, they claimed they weren't going to do that and were going to keep it for their own TVs, but from reading some other posts on forums they may have changed that policy. Also, your point about the program guide is a good one. My various OTA boxes had that, and I was disappointed when my 3.5 year old Philips plamsa didn't have a guide at all.

And Gary, yes, I'm actually a part-time DXer (I play around at our office with getting some DTV from a city about 120 miles away sometimes) so I have some great antennas, but this is at my apartment where I don't have much of an option. :( With just a better location, this one channel wouldn't be a problem, but this station is kind of weak and I'm blocked out by a big building next door.

Panasonic displays never did have the best tuners in them in past years, but I'm not really sure how they are these days in comparison. I would assume they're alright, especially in the newest models coming out.

Toshiba's made by Funai now, so forget that (same with Philips, Magnavox, Sylvania and Sharp, basically). LG's not really a clear frontrunner anymore - the others have caught up. But if anyone would be the closest out of all the ones you mentioned, it would probably be Sony. I would trust Samsung, too.

So, with the tuner as a priority, and since the LG's don't have the greatest reliability record, I'd choose the Sony, Samsung or Panasonic before the others. Some of the better Sony's also have the digital TV Guide on Screen feature, which would give you that good guide you want, if your area transmits it (find out first, though - if it doesn't, the display probably won't have a PSIP guide to fall back on. Check to see if the new Panny's have it, too - I haven't seen the specs of those yet myself). Samsung's generally have the best black levels for LCD's, and I believe they have good PSIP guides - but I'm not 100% sure of that, either.

(P.S.: forget about those Putnam reviews - those are years old.)

[quote=Rammitinski;

(P.S.: forget about those Putnam reviews - those are years old.)[/quote]

Wrong. How could he have tested the Digital converter boxes, years ago, when the first of them only became available last year.

Update. Here is a link to the Peter Putnam review, from January 2008.

http://www.hdtvexpert.com/pages_b/Zenith_DTT900%20.html


Excerpt:

"Seeing as how Zenith developed the 8VSB transmission and reception system over a decade ago, you’d expect this converter (made by parent company LG) to work really well – and it does. The DTT900 and all other low-cost DTV converters have to meet standards developed by the NTIA for “translation” of ATSC signals. "

I didn't know you were talking about the newer LG boxes, plus I never saw that one. I hadn't seen anything new by him regarding tuners in quite awhile.

Anyway, the new LG's are not necessarily "the best at everything" tuners anymore. As far as the CECB's, the Channel Master's are regarded as even better by many here (including me - and in most reviews you'll find on the net, also - if you want more sensitivity and better PQ). There are others that are as good as the LG's now.

That being said, I picked the LG as the best, all-around CECB in the sticky poll in the CECB sub-forum here. The LG does seem to have an edge on most with multipath, but that's not to say that a lot of the others aren't very good with that now, also.

The newer, Funai-made boxes still aren't that great (like the Magnavox and Philco), so that's why I'd stay away from their TV tuners. The ATSC tuners in their DVD(/HDD) recorders are so-so, too (lousy PQ even just for SD, and only adequate sensitivity).

I'm sure the LG tuner in a TV would be excellent - the CECB I had was excellent - and I have recommended it to friends more than any other CECB - but like I said, it still would be hard for me to recommend a TV by them otherwise. I don't read too many good things about the reliability of them (Zenith-branded plasma's, too), and also their DVD recorders. Good tuners, for sure, but not worth taking the chance on otherwise.

I know there are a lot of fanboys of the older LG tuners on this forum, and the tuners well-deserved their accolades back then, but they are sort of living in the past as far as them still being the clear "best" anymore. But, don't get me wrong - they are still up there among the very best. It's just that others have caught up.

Samsung's last standalone ATSC tuner was excellent - it was a fifth generation one. Their newer TV's are likely to have G6, like the CECB's, so I imagine they are very, very good.

As is the case in general around here, if I were going LCD, I'd choose a Samsung, with the Sony second - if plasma, it'd be Panasonic or Pioneer. (but my 1140HD's tuner is comparatively pretty lame, and so was the Panny's that I tried a couple of years back - like I said, I really don't know how much they've improved - I hear the ones in the Panny displays and DVD recorders now are "good", but I've never compared them personally).

I would try to choose something that's likely to be good in both tuner reception and overall quality - I wouldn't necessarily just focus on the tuner. You might end up regretting it.

You wanted to know if LG was clearly the best anymore, right? - and it isn't. If you really want an LG display, though, I'd also recommend a good extended warranty.

Rammitinski -- Funny, I just posted to you over in the Digital Stream 9950 forum. :)

(And BTW, the converter box question is for a different situation. It's for my gym/workshop at our office across town. The problem for the TV at home is actually worse.)

But thanks a lot for the info. You know what's funny... For fun, one time I compared my Accurian HDTV box to my 3.5 year old Philips plasma tuner. The Philips actually did better on the weak station in question, which surprised me. I wonder if that model from years back had the Funai tuner?

And also, thanks for the info on the LG maybe not being so reliable. I was actually thinking maybe I should consider one of those, but after this set going out relatively quickly, I want to stick to a really top brand. I'll probably eliminate the Toshiba and narrow it down to the Panny for plasma or Sony for LCD. (One TV I left out in my first post was a 42" Samsung plasma that seems pretty comparable to the Panny but is a little cheaper here in town.)

The Samsung plasma's are definitely nice, too.

That Accurian tuner may be at least as old as the Philips TV, if not older. It's a 4th generation. I have one, too, and I bought it on closeout well over a couple of years ago.

I don't think Funai was making Philips' stuff back then, but I'm not sure. Was that TV out before the 3575H HDD/DVD recorder first came out? That model HDD recorder was the first one they had out that was made by Funai.