Video Asylum

Posted by DavidLD (A) on April 15, 2008 at 12:30:10

In Reply to: RE: Some Qs on the upcoming digital-conversion settop boxes. posted by clarkjohnsen on April 15, 2008 at 10:29:50

Will the new channels retain the same (low) numbers?
It may be that if an old channel is, say 27, the new digital channel might be called 27-1 or if there are two a 27-2 as well. At least that is how some of my local stations right now are doing it and my set with a digital tuner calls them.

Will a separate box be required for every DVD recorder and VCR?

The cheap coupon boxes have a standard RF output going out to channels 3 or 4 as an analog signal, just like an old VCR does, plus a yellow composite out and red and white left and right audio signals. If your TV has composite video and audio in, you can go in through those, otherwise you connect via the RF out to your old RF in antenna terminal and set the TV to either 3 or 4 depending on how your tuner box is set up.IF your VCR takes an RF signal on channel 3 or 4, set it to the same channel as the tuner and connect through the RF input. Otherwise go through the composite video in on the VCR.

Even more to the point, will the channel selector in each of those still work?

The TV set will be permanently placed on channel 3 or 4, and you will use the remote and channel selector on the digital tuner instead to change channels just like you change channels and run an old VCR. THe tuners can be connected to an old VCR with an RF input and analog tuner tho the tuning will be done by the new digital tuner. You lose your ability to automatically record different off-air shows on different channels in sequence.

Will rabbit ears still work? (Prolly not...) So what will?
Possibly, tho Wal Mart and Best Buy are filled with amplified rabbit ears for $25-$50 designed to boosth the signal if the unamplified rabbit ears don't work. Either your antenna will pull in a good digital signal or generally none at all. You will need to try in each location and situation, tho I suspect that the amplified rabbit ears work pretty well in many urban locations. It is the locations far away from the digital transmitter that will be especially tricky, as a slightly snowy analog picture may not work at all as a digital signal.