Digital TV

Just bought a cheap 20" Tube TV for our Kitchen. This unit has a digital tuner built in. We have cable . My question is since the cable box converts the digital signal to analog am I missing some picture quality? Most likely connecting the cable directly would not allow me to receive premium channels. Any one else out there solved the same problem---if there is one---. comcast has only one cable box. Frank

Reply to
Frank
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A cheap 20" tube tv won't have a digital tuner no matter how they hype it. They're probably pleased that it has a digital readout.

Did they also call it a "flat screen"? :-)

Reply to
AZ Nomad

Sure it will, all TV's sold now are going to have a digital tuner because in Feb 09 the analog signal goes bye-bye.

If the CRT is flat and not convex they can call it "flat screen" because it is.

To the OP: Unless your TV offers a digital input (which I doubt since you said it was cheap) you're stuck with the configuration you have.

You can hook a set of rabbit-ears up to it and see the "hidden channels" that are broadcast over the air if you want to see what digital TV looks like (it's just an MPEG2 stream).

Reply to
G. Morgan

A shitty tube TV wasn't designed looking a whole year ahead. It was slapped together with the cheapest components available *now*.

They call it a "flat screen" to fool people into buying it thinking it is a flat panel TV like an LCD screen. "Flat Screen" was never marketing hype before flat panels were on the market.

Reply to
AZ Nomad

Connect directly to see if you have an picture quality loss My guess is you won't see a difference.

If you want better quality you have to go to a High Definition at about 4 or

5 times the cost. You may have to pay a higher price for your cable to get hi-def also.
Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Or look for #.# digital channel designations. If don't see multiple digital channels on each frequency, you haven't an ATSC tuner.

Reply to
AZ Nomad

No, flat screen CRTs appeared years ago, well before LCD screens were any sort of reasonable alternative to CRTs. Flat screen CRTs *were* different, and commanded a price premium over, non-flat CRTs. The standard Trinitron or equivalent slot-mask tube typically had a cylindrical face, while delta-gun CRTs typically had a somewhat spherical screen face.

(I'm typing this on a flat-screen CRT, a ViewSonic EF70).

Dave

Reply to
Dave Martindale

Sorry, but that is incorrect.

Reply to
salty

Well said, I am also using a flat screen CRT that is several years old, a ViewSonic E70fb.

Don

Reply to
IGot2P

Back to my original question regarding connection between cable box and tube type(FLAT SCREEN TV) I find the cable box has red&white audio output jacks with yellow video. The TV has same for input. Would this work with TV set to video 1 or 2 input.How much better signal would I get if any? Last time this subject Frank

Reply to
Frank

That will give you a better picture than the RF connector, as it bypasses the tuner circuits in the TV..

Reply to
salty

Reply to
Mark

No better. Any time there's a junction in the wire, there's a loss of signal quality. (probably not noticeable though).

Try connecting the cable TV wire directly to the new TV. Most likely it can receive cable TV signals. Then send the set-top box back to the cable co. so they stop charging you monthly rent.

Reply to
Bob M.

The red/white/yellow should give a noticably clearer picture.

Quality from best to worst...

- HDMI

- DVI - red/white (or other audio connection) + DVI

- VGA - DB15 (PC)

- Component - red/white + blue/red/green

- SVideo - red/white + 4pin

- Composite - red/white/yellow

- Coaxial (75ohm) - Cable TV cable

- 300ohm antenna

- baling wire

- licorice whip

Reply to
Calab

In this case, there would be a noticable improvement using the white/red/yellow connectors, as you would be eliminating the entire tuner of the TV set from the setup.

That might not be a good idea, as cable companies are rapidly forcing customers to give up their analog service and switch to digital. It won't matter at all that your TV has a digital tuner unless you use it for over the air broadcast reception. For any Cable or satellite provider, their proprietary converter box will be mandatory.

Reply to
salty

Use red/white/yellow if you use the cable box.

Reception of a direct broadcast digital signal (not old analog channel) via antenna should display as good a picture as R/W/Y (if antenna signal is strong enough so picture does not have some breakup).

I agree with Bob that direct cable connection to the TV may be best if the TV tunes to cable channels. (It won't get premium channels like HBO.) This should also be as good a picture as the R/W/Y cable box connection.

(Returning box - if the cable co. changes to digital you need a different converter box anyway.)

Reply to
bud--

white/red/yellow

He wants to know how to connect his cable box to his TV.

He posted that one of his concerns is that if he connects the cable directly to the TV without the converter box he won't get his premium channels.

Reply to
salty

a problem with many cable companies is that they encrypt almost all digital channels.

The only channels my local cable company doesn't encrypt are those I can pull over the air.

Reply to
AZ Nomad

Thanks to all . Found I can connect directly to TV but I can only receive basic service. Direct R Y W connection not much improvement,plus I must re- tune to Video imput on TV.

Reply to
Frank

Not only that, but if there is a window or other lamp in the room, the flatter the screen the easier it is to turn the tv or to sit so that the light won't be reflected in the screen. With a convex screen, this can be impossible. (Of course that's all I have, and most places it's ok)

Reply to
mm

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