[robertawillisjr]

I need a good OTA box. I want to be able to plug in the antenna and my cable and have seamless channel changing ability. If I am tuned to an HDTV station and want to watch a cable station, I only want to depress one button on the remote.


It should be easy to set up and since I am surrounded by trees it doesn't need to have a satellite tuner.


What should I buy?


Thanks in advance.


rw

 

[IUnknown]

The DTC100 will do that. It happens to have two antenna inputs unlike many other STBs.


It is cheap but also big and somewhat noisy.

 

[robertawillisjr]

I just looked at it on e-bay and it misses component outputs. My 16X9 34" Toshiba doesn't have RGB inputs.


Otherwise it seems to be a good unit since it will also decode digital cable.


Thanks but I am still looking.


Any other recommendations?


rw

 

[Old Fogey]

As far as I know, there are no set-top boxes available in the marketplace yet (including the DTC-100) that are compatible with both OTA DTV and Digital Cable. Cable uses a different modulation scheme and you must use the STB that they provide.

 

[Benji]

Mt recommendation is giving up digital cable, get a Hughes E-86 (not perfect but I think the best STB on the market) and going with DIRECTV. Anyone with an HDTV is wasting its ability by running cable thru it. The Hughes box combines all inputs (cable, antenna and satellite) into 1 program guide. All you do is punch in the channel # and it goes right to that channel without having to change receiver inputs.

 

[robertawillisjr]

Losing digital cable won't make me sad. I can't install DirectTv because I have too many trees in the way. OTA HDTV is fine since the one tower that the local stations use is in the opposite direction.


So analog cable and OTA HDTV is fine as long as I can seamlessly change channels and the unit has component outputs.



Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Benji]

Robert, the Hughes unit has component outputs and whether you use DIRECTV or not is still probably your best bet. Despite the built-in sat. rec. it retails brand new for $499. If you own your own home, there must be someplace on your property with a clear view of the SW sky. If not that's unfortunate because DIRECTV is just really starting to come into its own with HD.

 

[robertawillisjr]

Benji,


Thanks, I'll take a look at it. Isn't the Hughes unit also sold by other manufacturers.

 

[Benji]

Robert: The Hughes unit is sold under the following brand names also: Philips, Toshiba and Mitsubishi. I don't know all the prices but Mits sells their unit form $799 while Hughes sells it for $499-exactly the same in every respect except for the name on it.

 

[quarque]

How about Samsung SIR-T150? New $500, ebay $300. Has comp + svideo + component outputs & lots of features.