[searcherrr]

We have this tv:



It has a built-in ATSC tuner.

We have coaxial cable running straight into the TV with no in-between boxes.


Some DTV channels are noticeably remarkably clearer than others, but the number of these channels is like 5 out of 75. Recently our local news station changed over to DTV in December, but we do not see any change in the picture and the station still shows as NTSC in the tuner channel info on the screen. What are we missing?


Are we seeing HDTV? or just DTV? ..... if yes to either then why not on the new station?


The 5 channels that show up in DTV 720 or 1080 do say as much on the station info on the screen too.


Even though we have a built-in ATSC tuner do we still need to hook up an HDTV receiver box? If so WHY, since we have a built-in ATSC tuner?


Confusion.

 

[mjones73]

You probably are getting a mix of ATSC and NTSC stations. The stations broadcasting both digital and analog are doing so on separate channels. You can see the actual broadcast channels by looking up your location on tvfool.com. With digital you can broadcast on one channel and have the tuner map it to another number. For example my local CBS station broadcasts analog on channel 13 and digitally on 38. The ATSC tuner in my set uses data passed from the digital broadcast to map it to channel 13-1.


Are you using an OTA antenna or cable? Try doing a re-scan of your channels to see if you can get the new channel you are looking for.

 

[mjones73]

After seeing your other thread, you have cable, the ATSC tuner isn't doing anything for you, that is only used for over the air digital broadcasts. There is a good chance your TV also has a QAM tuner which can pick up any unencrypted QAM channels the cable company is passing, these are typically only local digital/HD channels. They typically don't follow any number standard either, check the manual for your TV on how to do a scan then see what you get.

 

[maggiefan]

Your TV does have a QAM tuner, I have this same model. In your menu set up make sure that where you select cable "on/off" it is set to "on". Then do a channel scan. As was posted you are going to pick up both the analog and digital channels, so just use the digital one, the display will tell you what signal you are receiving. You can also "hide" the ones you don't want to use if you want.

 

[searcherrr]

Thanks for the replies. I love this forum already.


The other thread as about a different analog tv that I don't want to let go of.


This thread is about a newer Sony Bravia cited in the link above.


Again, I can clearly see the difference in digital stations vs analog ones with just the coax cable plugged straight into the Bravia TV, but there are so few DTV stations is whats puzzled me as I've heard on the news that more and more local stations made the switch. I am running a re-auto-program of the tv right now to see if it finds the newer digital stations.


Basically I really wanted to know if I need a HDTV or DTV converter box for the stated Sony Bravia?


I had thought I did not need one because we can see a "few" DTV stations, but since the local news station switched and we don't see its new higher quality DTV station it made me wonder.

 

[Rammitinski]



Quote:
Originally Posted by searcherrr /forum/post/15482280


The other thread as about a different analog tv that I don't want to let go of.

For that other TV, you either need a QAM tuner or one with both NTSC (analog) and QAM.


The government subsidized converter boxes are for over-the-air (antenna)-only - they're ATSC - they don't do QAM or NTSC.


You could use something like the


1.) Samsung DTB-H260F, which has QAM and a "pass-through" mode, which will let you watch the analog channels on your TV set's tuner without having to split the signal (but you'll have to change inputs to watch each), or


2. Any other QAM tuner (without a pass-through mode), and you could split the signal to your TV set's tuner for the analogs (and you'll still have to change inputs), or


3. Something like the PrimeDTV PHD-205 tuner, which has both QAM and NTSC, so they're both integrated into one tuner and you don't have to use a pass-through mode or a splitter, and don't have to change inputs to use the TV's NTSC tuner. That option would actually be the easiest and most convienient to use.


There is a sticky thread at the top of the sub-forum here that lists all the available boxes with QAM (but I don't know if it lists which have pass-through or not).

 

[searcherrr]

Rammitinski - if we're talking about the other tv here's the other thread for it:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...1#post15482234


Thank you for your info.


Basically guys (gals maybe?) I just wanna know if with the coaxial cable from the cable company plugged straight from the wall to my Sony Bravia am I going to see full HDTV quality?


If the answer is no, then I have the answer on needing an HD receiver or not to achieve full HD.

 

[jtbell]

Note that with the local broadcast channels, many cable companies don't carry all of them in HD, for whatever reason. Here, for example, Charter doesn't carry the CW or MyNetwork stations in HD. Until a couple of years ago, they didn't carry the ABC station in HD either, because they hadn't yet worked out an agreement with the station owners about compensation.

 

[maggiefan]

Just to be clear, the Sony KDL S3000 does not need any type of converter box. It has NTSC, ATSC, and QAM tuners built in.

 

[Rammitinski]



Quote:
Originally Posted by searcherrr /forum/post/15483161


If the answer is no, then I have the answer on needing an HD receiver or not to achieve full HD.

The answer is yes - at least it should be. It already has everything it should need, which is what maggiefan is saying.