[Haydee]

Any of you guys have experience with built in ATSC tuners in your HDTV? Is the PQ as good as a stb? Did you need an antenna?


Is it worth the 100 dollar mark up?

 

[mjones73]

Yes you need an antenna if you want OTA broadcasts, the PQ should be equal or better then that of an STB. How do you plan to receive HD in the first place?

 

[donrussell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haydee Any of you guys have experience with built in ATSC tuners in your HDTV? Is the PQ as good as a stb? Did you need an antenna? Is it worth the 100 dollar mark up?

If there is a possibility you may want to connect it to an antenna at any time (moving it to the kitchen, bedroom, etc). I'd pay the extra money to not have to deal with the extra cables, remote, and set-top box. Likewise, if you think you may need to watch cable HDTV in those locations, I'd make sure the HDTV has a CableCard input for the same reason. Not all HDTVs with ATSC tuners also have CableCard. Some have reported the CableCard PQ is better than the stb, but you lose PPV, TV guide, and possible DVR capabilities.

 

[Karyk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donrussell If there is a possibility you may want to connect it to an antenna at any time (moving it to the kitchen, bedroom, etc). I'd pay the extra money to not have to deal with the extra cables, remote, and set-top box. Likewise, if you think you may need to watch cable HDTV in those locations, I'd make sure the HDTV has a CableCard input for the same reason. Not all HDTVs with ATSC tuners also have CableCard. Some have reported the CableCard PQ is better than the stb, but you lose PPV, TV guide, and possible DVR capabilities.

Cablecard has been very problematic according to the posts I've seen here and elsewhere, and since you're going to probably want a DVR anyway, I don't really see the point of cablecard or a tuner in a TV set. But if you're really into watching commericals . . ..


I'm curious about the reports of better PQ with cablecard. I wonder if that's just the analog channels, where many of the existing HD STBs (and especially the Moto HD DVR) have really lousy PQ, or if it's also the HD channels. I'd be surprised if it is that latter, and don't really care about the former.

 

[NVboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karyk I'm curious about the reports of better PQ with cablecard. I wonder if that's just the analog channels, where many of the existing HD STBs (and especially the Moto HD DVR) have really lousy PQ, or if it's also the HD channels. I'd be surprised if it is that latter, and don't really care about the former.

HD via cablecard is noticably different than from a STB, at least from my experience. The cablecard picture is noticably better. The point of CC is for the digital channels, not the analog. Analog is still just blown up crap on a large display, no matter how it gets to the display.

 

[Jimbo Moran]

My RCA DLP has a built-in ATSC tuner. I only use it for UPN which is currently the only HD channel I cannot get via Cox Cable. The HD displays perfectly well for me. Ocassionalyy I switch back and forth from my STB to an OTA HD signal on FOX, CBS or ABC just to compare but can tell no difference. YMMV

 

[spwace]

Cable doesn't pass all the local channels and their subchannels. Also an OTA tuner is the only hope you would have of receiving out of market channels.