DTV converters dont work

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Don Klipstein 18 years ago

I have a box like this. Plugging in white, yellow and red wires requires setting the TV to take the video input (or one of the video inputs), as opposed to any of the channels.

On my TV there is a pop-up door by the volume, channel and power buttons and remote sensor and power indicator light. I pop this door up and there are video inputs (red, white and yellow) along with 2 buttons - "video" and "menu". On this TV of mine, I press the "video" button to cycle through 4 modes:

Antenna Video 1 Video 2 Video 3

On this particular TV that I have, the front panel video inputs are "Video 3". Since my DTV converter box is plugged into the front panel video inputs, I have to push the "video" button 3 times every time I turn the TV on.

- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)

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Kevin Ricks 18 years ago

You must remove the antenna from the TV and attach it to the converter box - ANT IN.

To use the RF type connection then you also hook a short coax from the converter OUT to the TV ANT IN. Then put your TV on channel 3 (or 4).

AND/OR

If you want to use the RCA jacks then Select the correct video input for your TV. (Video 1, Video 2 AUX, Front, Back etc. or whatever the designation for your particular TV is).

No different than adding a VCR to your TV.

Kevin

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cw 18 years ago

In many markets, stations have been simulcasting ATSC digital for over five years, so there are digital signals to use those boxes with right now. It's not like all of a sudden next February they throw a big Analog>Digital switch (or is it 0|1). They will just turn off their analog transmitters and continue with digital as they have been for some time. I don't get why this is so hard to grasp.

cw in MI

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Mark Lloyd 18 years ago

One addition: This should always be your FIRST choice as using the RF connection (above) degrades the signal by passing it through additional components (cheap modulator, TV tuner).

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---MIKE--- 18 years ago

I use the RF connection and I can't see any difference between that picture and the same channel on my satellite receiver.

---MIKE---

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Mark Lloyd 18 years ago

You can't always tell the difference. The direct connection is still better.

That should be obvious. The RF connection uses additional components. There's no way that can make the signal better.

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Husky 18 years ago

But most of the local stations are already simulcasting their programming in HD on digital and SD on analog. So he was probably right, all he got was the same channels he already had...

Now >> I finally got one of them DTV converters. I plugged it into the

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mm 18 years ago

The stations may have HD capability, but much of the programming on digital is still in SD.

BTW, digital stations are not at full power yet, I'm told, but I havent' been able to find out what percentage of power they are likely to be using.

I have a Philips DVDR 3736H, I think it is, with a 160 gig harddrive. Its design, its logic isn't perfect, but it's the closest thing to a VCR I could fine. 250 at Sams Club. BEst not to buy mail order because quite a few of them are defective. But mine worked fine, minus the design issues.

It gets both digital and analog, and come February, I'll just stop using the analog. But now I'm still using it, because the digital fades out for 1 to 3 seconds every once in a while. Of course my amplified antenna in the attic is broken now, and all I have is an 8 foot wire on the bedroom floor, plus they are not at full power.

Plus I bought one converter box, in case I don't want to rely on the dvdr. (all my tvs are connected to the bedroom.)

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