Is all I need to watch HDTV on the KRP-500M (using Cox cable) an external t.v. tuner? If so, which one would be the best fit/most appropriate? (it needs to be very inexpensive though).

Thank You!

Wouldn't your cable company provide you with one?

The rented cable box or DVR unit would provide the tuner.

Wouldn't your cable company provide you with one?
If you want to watch HDTV OTA then you will need a tuner. A google search on HDTV tuner comes up with several from $75 to $150. Then you will need an antenna to attach to the tuner, and depending on how far you are away from the HDTV towers will determine whether an indoor or outdoor antenna would be adequate. But your cable provider should be able to provide a HD cable box that will give you HDTV through your cable.

The rented cable box or DVR unit would provide the tuner. Is there another option besides a rented DVR? Its extremely expensive at like $170 a year...

Wouldn't your cable company provide you with one?

I wish...

If you want to watch HDTV OTA then you will need a tuner. A google search on HDTV tuner comes up with several from $75 to $150. Then you will need an antenna to attach to the tuner, and depending on how far you are away from the HDTV towers will determine whether an indoor or outdoor antenna would be adequate. But your cable provider should be able to provide a HD cable box that will give you HDTV through your cable.

Ok, so all I really need is just an HDTV tuner that I could buy online that's compatable with cox right? Also the cable input/tuner will be right next to the TV.

Thanks for the help!

Is there another option besides a rented DVR? Its extremely expensive at like $170 a year...



I wish...



Ok, so all I really need is just an HDTV tuner that I could buy online that's compatable with cox right? Also the cable input/tuner will be right next to the TV.

Thanks for the help!

No, you need one from Cox. An external tuner isn't going to give you a satisfactory experience if you have cable. Just get the cheapest HD box.

No, you need one from Cox. An external tuner isn't going to give you a satisfactory experience if you have cable. Just get the cheapest HD box.

So the PQ will be significantly lower if I don't get a tuner from Cox?

There will be limited channel selections or none at all depending on how Cox is set up. You can't buy one, unless Cox is Digital and unscrambled (unlikely). I'll try to explain the tech "mess". It's probably about 5 bucks a month for the standard no recording box. What you need is a Digital Cable compatible tuner box, I know of none. Some older tuners like my Samsung SIR-T451,DTB-260HF receive OverTheAir DTV or Unscrambled QAM digital cable. Problem is, no Analog Cable for those many other channels. If you have all Digital cable, only Unscrambled channels will come in with a typical tuner box.

In my town, Timewarner cable is Analog and Digital both. My old Sony TV gets Analogs. The Samsung SIR-T451 tuner ignores all but digital, unscrambled channels, so it only gets a few channels. My new LCD HDTV gets Analog and the few unscrambled digitals. To get everything, they require the rented box.

So the PQ will be significantly lower if I don't get a tuner from Cox?
No no. OTA HD is better than cable HD as far as PQ. It doesn't have to be compatible with your cable box. They are 2 separate sources. You can have your OTA HD tuner hooked up to one HDMI port and cable to another HDMI port. With the OTA tuner you can watch your local stations HD broadcast. If you want ESPN HD, Discovery HD, etc, then you will need a cable HD box. If you want both, then a cable HD box will provide your HD locals and the others I listed. It all depends on what you want to watch. If all you are looking for is your local stations HD broadcast, then you don't need cable tv at all. Just an OTA HD tuner and an antenna. I guess you need to tell us what HD you want to watch.

hey nint...get a dvr from a cable company...

your viewing is more customized, you can pause, watch two programs by swapping, replay, etc...if you like football you are going to be in for a treat, watch two games, fast forward through all the commercials...cost about $10 to lease and another $50 for all hd programming you will ever need...

or get directv...

You may want to ask around at the Cox forum on DSLReports.

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/coxhsi

I'm sure you're going to want a box from Cox (sounds like Dr. Suess) but you'll find a critical mass of Cox users there who will have more specific answers than you'll find here.

hey nint...get a dvr from a cable company...

your viewing is more customized, you can pause, watch two programs by swapping, replay, etc...if you like football you are going to be in for a treat, watch two games, fast forward through all the commercials...cost about $10 to lease and another $50 for all hd programming you will ever need...

or get directv...

I agree with the last sentence of your post. I would definitely go with DirecTV or Dish Network if at all possible. I know it's sometimes not possible if you are renting or owning an apartment/condo and the building doesn't allow it.

Their HD DVR's are VASTLY superior to cable.....Dish Network's in particular. I personally have Dish Network and will never get cable again if it's within my power.

Is there another option besides a rented DVR? Its extremely expensive at like $170 a year...That's like an extra $15 per month which is what i pay for my TWC DVR ($5 to rent the DVR and $10 for the DVR Service). It's not "extremely expensive", the DVR service is actually a bargain and only adds $10 to my monthly bill. If it goes bad they hand me a new one, and being able to watch what i want when i want on my own schedule it worth the meager list cost of .33 cents per day.

Ok, so all I really need is just an HDTV tuner that I could buy online that's compatable with cox right? Also the cable input/tuner will be right next to the TV.I don't think anyone makes an external HDTV tuner anymore. Why not just rent an HD Cable box from COX - it's only like $5 bucks a month and you'll get all the channels that you're paying for.

Here's another AVS subforum that will be helpful...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=25

Some good info so far. If you're getting/already have the 500M, you're obviously going for quality over quantity. As such, I'd recommend OTA HDTV. If you can pick up your local signal, OTA is arguably the best uncompressed signals you're likely to get. In my experience, anything you're going to get from basic or expanded basic cable (the most affordable packages) is likely to be SD. The HD channels are often a step-up package and I think these may require a cable box to unscramble.

We're part of the very small percentage of folks that does OTA only with no cable/satellite subscription. We've got an HD Tivo for OTA reception and have a 500M on the way. If I didn't already have a tuner/DVR solution, and wasn't willing to pay for a cable/sat box and subscription, I'd pass on the 500M. I'd be willing to sacrifice a little video quality with a Panny or Sammy plasma in return for a lower price (especially once you add a stand, external tuner, etc to the 500M) and integrated ATSC/QAM tuner.

That's like an extra $15 per month which is what i pay for my TWC DVR ($5 to rent the DVR and $10 for the DVR Service). It's not "extremely expensive", the DVR service is actually a bargain and only adds $10 to my monthly bill. If it goes bad they hand me a new one, and being able to watch what i want when i want on my own schedule it worth the meager list cost of .33 cents per day.

Wow, .33 cents ($.0033), that would be a bargain. Possibly, though, you mean 33 cents ($.33).

Here's another AVS subforum that will be helpful...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=25

Some good info so far. If you're getting/already have the 500M, you're obviously going for quality over quantity. As such, I'd recommend OTA HDTV. If you can pick up your local signal, OTA is arguably the best uncompressed signals you're likely to get. In my experience, anything you're going to get from basic or expanded basic cable (the most affordable packages) is likely to be SD. The HD channels are often a step-up package and I think these may require a cable box to unscramble.

We're part of the very small percentage of folks that does OTA only with no cable/satellite subscription. We've got an HD Tivo for OTA reception and have a 500M on the way. If I didn't already have a tuner/DVR solution, and wasn't willing to pay for a cable/sat box and subscription, I'd pass on the 500M. I'd be willing to sacrifice a little video quality with a Panny or Sammy plasma in return for a lower price (especially once you add a stand, external tuner, etc to the 500M) and integrated ATSC/QAM tuner.

OTA HD is fine, but you're limited to the networks -- NBC, ABC, Fox, CBS, WB's current incarnation, PBS, etc. No ESPN, Discovery, HBO, TLC, Food Network, TBS, TNT, Science...and the list goes on.

Also, generally cable companies are not yet lowering the quality of the OTA HD channels that they redistribute so they should look just as good as they do OTA (not that they will necessarily look good -- many of the networks looks like crap due to useless subchannels hogging bandwidth).

Wow, .33 cents ($.0033), that would be a bargain. Possibly, though, you mean 33 cents ($.33).Yes, of course i meant 33 cents per day (or about 1/3rd of a dollar per day) :p