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Combine STD Cable with HD\Digital Antenna?

1130 Views 6 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Scooper, Jan 14, 2008

K-Dubb

Discussion Starter · Jan 13, 2008

Hello, I have a Panasonic Plasma 75u. I currently have standard cable, but it does not send any of the digital\\hd channels over. What is the best way to make it so i can get both the hd channels from an antenna, and my standard cable? I have no cable box, and I have no vcr on this tv. These are not options for me. It seems the best option is an A\\B box of some sort? Do they make any small indoor antennas that you can plug the cable into?

I also tried reversing a splitter, but that caused issues when switching to cable on my tv as I would have interference on the lower channels (assuming because the frequencies were overlapping).

Thanks!

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raouliii

· #2 · Jan 13, 2008

A coaxial A/B switch is your best option. Manual or remote controlled models are available. Cable and ota frequencies overlap. As you found out they cannot be combined as a single input to your set.

Have you visited your local reception thread to see if your cable company provides any unencrypted HD channels? If your Panny has a QAM tuner, you should be able to receive any unencrypted channels provided by your cableco.

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K-Dubb

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 13, 2008

My tv has the built in tuner. I have scanned, but I do not seem to receive any of the channels, so i am thinking no. Is there something i would need to do to receive them? I have scanned digital only. I get a bunch of channels that have just no picture and seem to be music only channels that way.

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raouliii

· #4 · Jan 13, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by K-Dubb /forum/post/12801157

My tv has the built in tuner. I have scanned, but I do not seem to receive any of the channels, so i am thinking no. Is there something i would need to do to receive them? I have scanned digital only. I get a bunch of channels that have just no picture and seem to be music only channels that way.

Does the user's manual specifically indicate that it has a QAM tuner? An ATSC tuner is for over-the-air reception, not cable.

A digital cable scan with an integrated QAM tuner should find any unencrypted and unblocked channels. Do you know if your local cableco has any unencrypted channels available? BTW, don't bother asking them, they are usually clueless. Is there a local reception thread for your area?

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Scooper

· #5 · Jan 13, 2008

Separate tuners - an old VCR for the analog cable, and use the TV's builtin digital for OTA. Or give up one or the other. With the A/B switch, you're going to have to rescan any time you switch from cable to OTA.

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K-Dubb

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 13, 2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by raouliii /forum/post/12801457

Does the user's manual specifically indicate that it has a QAM tuner? An ATSC tuner is for over-the-air reception, not cable.

A digital cable scan with an integrated QAM tuner should find any unencrypted and unblocked channels. Do you know if your local cableco has any unencrypted channels available? BTW, don't bother asking them, they are usually clueless. Is there a local reception thread for your area?

I can receive the HD\\Digital channels fine with regular bunny ears. EDIT: actually I need to check my manual to see if it has a QAM tuner.

Quote:
Separate tuners - an old VCR for the analog cable, and use the TV's builtin digital for OTA. Or give up one or the other. With the A/B switch, you're going to have to rescan any time you switch from cable to OTA.

I won't have to rescan each time. I can switch my tv from cable to antenna. It maintains the channel programming separately.

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Scooper

· #7 · Jan 14, 2008

Quote:
I won't have to rescan each time. I can switch my tv from cable to antenna. It maintains the channel programming separately.

Ok - so that means the switch may well be your best solution.

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