I just had my comcast hdtv box installed yesterday. For some reason they installed the box with coax to my tv. Is it even possible to get HD through the coax?

I immediately went out and bought a dvi/hdmi cable and run it to my tv.

Is this normal for them to connect their boxes with coax instead of a better quality connection?

When using an external cable box, you have to use component, DVI or HDMI for HD resolution(s).

They connect the quickest way and...... run. Call and complain.
The installer should have connected component cables at a minimum (if you didn't have DVI/HDMI available).

"Is it even possible to get HD through the coax?"

Not with a cable box. It is possible to receive unencrypted HD channels from the cable company if your TV has a QAM tuner in it though. You did the right thing by switching connection types.

Here is my setup, Comcast Motorola HD Cable box, Samsung DVR-R157, and Samsung HP-T5064 Plasma TV.

Problem: When I hook up the DVD-R157 between the cable box and plasma, the way it says in the manual, with L/R audio and single yellow video cable. I loose standard cable channels and HD channels show bands at top/bottom. If I remove the DVD out of the equation I get standard and HD channels with no bands. I also tried L/R audio and S-video out from cable box and in to DVDR, but then I get HD pic with bands across top, bottom, left and right.

Seems the only input on this DVDR is a single video cable or S-Video, and that messes up things. Looks like I need a DVDR that has either a component In or DVI In (DVI and component is what's on cable box out, along with S and single cable video). So do I have this thinking right about needing component or DVI in on DVDR box to get this right? Can anyone tell me what DVDRs have component or DVI as an IN option?

Thank you, my Heroes and A/V Gods!!!!! ;)

Bummer
:(

Here is my setup, Comcast Motorola HD Cable box, Samsung DVR-R157, and Samsung HP-T5064 Plasma TV.

Problem: When I hook up the DVD-R157 between the cable box and plasma, the way it says in the manual, with L/R audio and single yellow video cable. I loose standard cable channels and HD channels show bands at top/bottom. If I remove the DVD out of the equation I get standard and HD channels with no bands. I also tried L/R audio and S-video out from cable box and in to DVDR, but then I get HD pic with bands across top, bottom, left and right.

Seems the only input on this DVDR is a single video cable or S-Video, and that messes up things. Looks like I need a DVDR that has either a component In or DVI In (DVI and component is what's on cable box out, along with S and single cable video). So do I have this thinking right about needing component or DVI in on DVDR box to get this right? Can anyone tell me what DVDRs have component or DVI as an IN option?

Thank you, my Heroes and A/V Gods!!!!! ;)You MUST use component or DVI/HDMI for HD to be transfered between the moto cable stb and the plasma.

Your DVDR will only record SD and I believe the SD outputs on the moto stb are always on. Connect your DVDR to the SD output from the moto stb (s-video or composite) then connect the output of your DVDR to an s-video or composite input (different than the moto stb) of the plasma. The plasma should upconvert SD for display. If you want to use the upconvert function of the DVDR then you will need to use component or DVI/HDMI between the DVDR and plasma.

You MUST use component or DVI/HDMI for HD to be transfered between the moto cable stb and the plasma.

Your DVDR will only record SD and I believe the SD outputs on the moto stb are always on. Connect your DVDR to the SD output from the moto stb (s-video or composite) then connect the output of your DVDR to an s-video or composite input (different than the moto stb) of the plasma. The plasma should upconvert SD for display. If you want to use the upconvert function of the DVDR then you will need to use component or DVI/HDMI between the DVDR and plasma.

raouliii - Thank you for the education on hooking this up. One more question. If I run from the S-Video out from cable box and in to DVDR then either s-video, component, or hdmi out from DVDR to plasma (this would be the second connection to the Plasma as the first would be via comp video/audio straight from cable box to plasma). My question is don't I also have to run an audio line (say an optical audio cable) to get sound via this second video connection?

The problem I see is that there is no second audio out from the cable box, there is an optical (I guess out of the cable box, but no optical "IN" on the DVDR). Maybe I am really confused but I think I need audio out and then in to the DVDR to get sound on my second connection to the Plasma?

raouliii - Thank you for the education on hooking this up. One more question. If I run from the S-Video out from cable box and in to DVDR then either s-video, component, or hdmi out from DVDR to plasma (this would be the second connection to the Plasma as the first would be via comp video/audio straight from cable box to plasma). My question is don't I also have to run an audio line (say an optical audio cable) to get sound via this second video connection?

The problem I see is that there is no second audio out from the cable box, there is an optical (I guess out of the cable box, but no optical "IN" on the DVDR). Maybe I am really confused but I think I need audio out and then in to the DVDR to get sound on my second connection to the Plasma?You will need separate audio connections from moto stb to plasma and dvdr to plasma. If you use component video from moto stb to plasma then you will need to split the audio out of the moto with Y-cables to feed the plasma and dvdr.

BTW, HDMI includes audio but if you convert from/to DVI you still must have L/R audio cables.