Still waiting for my guvamint coupons, as well as a new TV antenna later today, but in the meantime .... I assume that if I want to program & record a show, the converter box should be attached to the VCR for recording, and if I want to watch a program thru the TV itself rather than watching thru the VCR, the converter should be attached to the TV. Is that your understanding?
I think most people will just run the antenna/cable through the converter to the tuner/VCR to TV full time, but your way will also work. -----
- gpsman
Just remember one important fact, the converter box will only tune ONE channel at a time so your ability to record one show while watching another will NOT be possible unless you have TWO convert boxes. I will also caution that unless substantial improvements have been made in the antenna and converter boxes in the last year, your reception is likely to be spotty. When you get a good signal, the picture is great but getting a good signal isn't guaranteed. I used one of the converter boxes with a 27in HD monitor and was anything but happy with the results. Living in the middle of the DFW Metroplex and was only able to pickup about 1/2 the local digital signals.
A lot of VCR/DVD recorders have a "blaster" that will send IR codes to a set top box or converter.
snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
but will the DTV converter respond to those codes? I have a fairly recent universal remote that won't talk to my Magnavox DTV box.(TB100MW9) also a Hitachi VCR with the "blaster",but I haven't tried that with the DTV box yet.
A digital Personal Video Recorder (PVR) can be programmed just like a VCR to turn on, change channels and record the desired program. They have two tuners so you can watch a different channel if you like or you can record two programs at the same time.
"Worn Out Retread" wrote in news:fu4uvm$87g$ snipped-for-privacy@news.datemas.de:
Has anyone been successful at doing this with a coupon-worthy DTV converter box? I know the DTVboxes have only been available for a short time. I'm wondering if the IR codes the VCR/DVD recorders use are current enough for the newer DTVboxes.My Hitachi VCR has the IR 'blaster',but I haven't gotten the manual out to see if it will set up the DTVbox.
so what's that got to do with DTV converter boxes? Of course,you could buy one of those PVRs instead of 2 converters,but probably at a much higher price.
But since the TV, VCR, DVD, cable box, each have unique codes, the converter probably does too, and existing VCRs probably wouldn't know the codes.
"Tom Del Rosso" wrote in news:4806977b$0$11604$ snipped-for-privacy@cv.net:
My Magnavox TB100MW9 DTVbox manual mentions using "set top box" codes used by satellite or cable boxes to control the DTV converter,but a fairly new (yr old) universal remote(non-"learning") I have would not talk to the DTV box.Perhaps newer universals,particularly the more expensive ones,would talk to the DTVboxes,and be programmable.
My much older Hitachi VCR has the "IR blaster" feature,but I have not yet tried to use it to activate and control the DTV box. I suspect it too will not talk to the DTVbox.
Has anybody received coupons yet? I requested ours about 2 months ago. Paul MR
Got mine a month ago, cashed in at Walmart Beware they compute the tax before they apply the coupon so you don't really get $40 off
Requested mine as soon as they started taking applications. Received about 3 weeks ago. With the coupons was a short list of stores, complete with addresses, that should be selling the boxes. Went to the corner Walmart and redeemed for 2 of whatever was in stock (believe it was RCA). Tax is charged on the pre-coupon price. Final cost was ((2x $50) + 8% tax)-$80 =3D $28 for the 2 boxes.
Have heard that there will be some $40 boxes coming out in the summer, which makes the box cost ~$3.20 after tax.
You have a 90 day window to use the coupons. So, you might want to hold on to your coupons for a month or so after you get them, see if you find any of those $40 boxes.
Jerry
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