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At College; what do I do for conversion?

post #1 of 24
4/16/08 at 1:11pm
Thread Starter 
My dad showed up at my place last weekend with a converter coupon card and said he would take us out to buy a converter, but the local Radio Shacks, Best Buys and Circuit Citys were all sold out.

He gave me an old 19-inch RCA TV, and a set of Cornet set-top antennas when I went here last September. Hopefully, the TV and I will be here another three years.

Anyway, I have done some looking around, and I think I need to have an analog signal pass-through box as I am in a translator area.

So, my question is.... If I install a DigitalStream or a Zenith from RadioShack or Best Buy, etc., I will not be able to see several channels when the box is hooked up unless I disconnect the converter box, right?

So, I don't need a box until next year. So, I can take the $20 dad left and save it, right?
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post #2 of 24
4/16/08 at 1:16pm
The coupon is only good for 90 days. If you don't use it now you're throwing away $40.
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post #3 of 24
4/16/08 at 1:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nybbler View Post

The coupon is only good for 90 days. If you don't use it now you're throwing away $40.

Hmmm, didn't think of that. The card says Jn 9 is the last day.

But who wants to mess with connecting and disconnecting the stupid box and antenna....or I guess buy the box now, use it later....takes me awhile...
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post #4 of 24
4/16/08 at 1:23pm
If you need a box that has analog passthrough - take a look at the Philco TB100HH9, available at www.solidsignal.com. They can redeem your coupon over the net as well.

I will tell you that if you set analog passthrough on - you will need a composite video and RCA analog input on your TV.
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post #5 of 24
4/16/08 at 3:43pm
You could use a splitter from the antenna, one into converter and one straight out, then the converter out and the cable straight out of the splitter into a combiner or switch, then to tv.

this will give both analog and digital into your set. all this will weaken the signals a bit but it works. if signals are weak then try better antenna or antenna amplifier.
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post #6 of 24
4/23/08 at 11:21am
Or use a manual switch from antenna to either TV or Converter Box:
http://www.amazon.com/Parts-Express-.../dp/B0002ZPIQ4
Readily available at BestBuy, CktCity, R-S, Home Depot, et. al.

Switch doesn't degrade the signal like a splitter....

BTW: Many more PASS THRU Converter Boxes are expected in the coming weeks....
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post #7 of 24
4/23/08 at 11:37am
Does anyone know if any of the boxes with passthru will work with a TV with only RF input? What I would like is a box that has a TV/DTV button on the remote to toggle the RF modulator off/on. Kinda like most VCR's had this feature. With it ON you'd be able to watch DTV(through ch3 or 4) and with it off you could watch your analog channels through the TV's own tuner.
Until I saw Scooper's post I hadn't thought it through that the TV would have to have video inputs. LOTS of people have RF only TV's in the real world. Probably not so many here on AVS(like me) but grandparents and other people using their 1980's TVs.
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post #8 of 24
4/23/08 at 11:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jjeff View Post

Does anyone know if any of the boxes with passthru will work with a TV with only RF input? What I would like is a box that has a TV/DTV button on the remote to toggle the RF modulator off/on. Kinda like most VCR's had this feature. With it ON you'd be able to watch DTV(through ch3 or 4) and with it off you could watch your analog channels through the TV's own tuner.
Until I saw Scooper's post I hadn't thought it through that the TV would have to have video inputs. LOTS of people have RF only TV's in the real world. Probably not so many here on AVS(like me) but grandparents and other people using their 1980's TVs.

I believe that is how the philco works with RF. Just box needs to be on and a menu setting for RF passthru
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post #9 of 24
4/23/08 at 11:59am
But from Scoopers post it sounded like with RF passthru ON a person would need to have composite inputs on the TV to see the output of the box
Almost sounded like to toggle passthru off and on one would need to go into the menu or even flip a switch in the back of the unit like some boxes. eg. 3,4 or OFF for the modulator.
The menu would be a pain but doable. The manual switch would be a deal breaker.
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post #10 of 24
4/23/08 at 9:01pm
jcs444
So can you leave it in RF passthru to continue to watch Analog channels and also use the Composite cables to watch digital channels simultaneously?

Changing the TV channel to line in / AUX to switch between Analog and Digital.
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post #11 of 24
4/24/08 at 5:50am
That's one way to set it up. Works pretty well actually.
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post #12 of 24
4/24/08 at 10:59am
Where are you located? Some translator systems are in the process of converting to digital, so you will definitely want the converter.
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post #13 of 24
4/24/08 at 11:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcs444 View Post

Malouff- don't know about that because the tv I set it up on is an old model with no rca inputs.

So just using the RF can you leave the box in RF passthru and view analog stations using your tv remote and change to channel 3 or 4 to watch digital using the boxes remote?

You don't have to go through the menu to switch between RF passthru and channel 3/4 every time you want to change from analog to digital do you?
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post #14 of 24
4/24/08 at 11:26am
No. You just have to switch inputs on the TV with your remote between Auxilary (Video 1, or whatever) and RF (the TV's tuner).

You will have to do a scan first with the TV's tuner so that it programs in all the analog channels. And you should probably leave the CECB tuner "on", because when they're off, the ones with pass-thru usually attenuate (weaken) the signal somewhat.
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post #15 of 24
4/24/08 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rammitinski View Post

No. You just have to switch inputs on the TV with your remote between Auxilary (Video 1, or whatever) and RF (the TV's tuner).

You will have to do a scan first with the TV's tuner so that it programs in all the analog channels. And you should probably leave the CECB tuner "on", because when they're off, the ones with pass-thru usually attenuate (weaken) the signal somewhat.

Yes I understand how to do that,
but not all TV's have Composite inputs and are limited to just RF.

How does it work with just RF?
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post #16 of 24
4/24/08 at 12:22pm
You can view the philco owners manual at www.funai-corp.com/6pdf/om/TB100HH9.pdf You need Adobe Reader to read the file. Page 19 has the instructions for using rf passthrough.
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post #17 of 24
4/24/08 at 12:22pm
I'm also interested in that question. If the CECB's remote just has a simple button to turn off/on the RF modulator that would be OK, but people wouldn't want to keep going into the menu to turn it off/on. Again this is for TV's "without" a video input. RF input only who want to switch between analog and digital channels easily.

Edit:jcs44-I've never seen a device that can modulate channel 3 or 4 and ALSO not block all the passthru signal. With VCR's you need to turn OFF the RF modulator to watch via the TV's tuner, it doesn't do both.
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post #18 of 24
4/24/08 at 12:26pm
Hmmmm. Got me there.

(Tip for the day: uninstall the bloated, slow, sticky PITA Adobe Reader and download the Foxit Reader - you'll thank me immensely for it later.)
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post #19 of 24
4/24/08 at 12:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jjeff View Post

If the CECB's remote just has a simple button to turn off/on the RF modulator that would be OK.

Looking at the User Guide it looks like "SETUP" is the button to switch the RF settings

It also says that channel 3 is the default channel.

Now here is a question how does this setup button cycle work?
Channel 3, Channel 4, RF PassThru
or just Channel 3 and RF PassThru?

Do you need to press "SETUP" for three seconds to switch from analog to digital or can you keep it on the RF PassThru and use both analog and digital changing to channel 3 to access Digital by default?
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post #20 of 24
4/24/08 at 12:53pm
What I would do is hold off until late May or early June. By then, there will probably be a few converters with passthru out on the market, and the folks here will have reviewed them.

You might also want to contact your stations and see what the plans for switching their translators are. If the stations don't own the translators, they should be able to give you a contact for the owners.
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post #21 of 24
4/24/08 at 1:08pm
Thanks Malouf. It sure would have been nice to have a dedicated button on the remote for that. Like most VCR's had, because I would think once you've turned off the RF modulator how would you see the menu to turn it back on(assuming your TV didn't have a video input) but maybe you just have to hold setup button down for 3 seconds to turn it back on, according to your post...as long as you remembered that. Remember Granny's will be using these boxes and until Feb '09 their will still be all analog stations left she might want to watch. After '09 it will be a non issue(for the most part).
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post #22 of 24
4/24/08 at 1:14pm
I do plan to hold off.
However, I would like to learn how Analog PassThu is implemented or can be.
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post #23 of 24
4/24/08 at 1:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Malouff View Post

I do plan to hold off.
However, I would like to learn how Analog PassThu is implemented or can be.


On the Philco box ( yes - I have one) - if you select RF Passthru - it literally does just that - it passes thru the RF signals. In this mode, you can power it off and get a strong signal through, but degraded in strength. However, it will NOT display on channel 3/4 when in this mode. Sorry guys - I wanted it to work like "power-off - RF passthrough, power on - you watch this box" too, but that's not the way this box works. THAT is why I've been saying you really need A/V inputs.

You CAN find an external modulator / switches to implement what you want.
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post #24 of 24
4/24/08 at 1:38pm
sadly if your card expires June 9th i don't think you will make it. Go to the Echostar TR-40 thread because someone received a email saying they would honor expired coupons. I would send them an email asking if this is true and if so wait for their box. You can write them your question and see what they say about your problem.
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