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single channel hd tuner

#1
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12/17/07 at 2:47pm
  • Joined: December 2007
  • Post Count: 1
New here. Looks like a lot of good info

I have a Sharp Aquos LCD that does not have a built-in HD tuner, just the ATSC and NTSC tuners. With Comcast digital service and the HD DVR STB I can watch the HD channels they view just fine, but the other channels that are broadcast in HD can't be viewed in HD on my TV.

Comcast says that they don't mess with the HD signal and pass it right through the STB.

So, is there a single channel HD tuner that I can put inline to process the signal out of the STB to show HD on my TV? I want to avoid having to change inputs and finding the equivalent digital channel if I get a separate HD tuner. I'd like to stick with a tuner with DVI/HDMI input and HDMI output. If I need to use component I could, but I'd rather not loose any quality (yeah, I know, its Comcast...) by downgrading to component.

Comcast is adding the handful of channels we regularly watch to their HD lineup tomorrow in fact, but there are those times where we'd like to watch HD when its being broadcast on other channels.

Thanks
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#2
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12/17/07 at 5:05pm
  • Joined: December 1969
  • Post Count: 9,306

Re: single channel hd tuner

Have you tried an antenna? My limited experience says that even if analog reception is crappy, you can sometimes get a pretty decent picture from the digital signal.

Also - at least in my area, Comcast does pass the HD channels in a form that doesn't require a CableCARD or separate set-top box, although they're well hidden and undocumented. I had a Sony HD DVR (sadly, discontinued) before I had my HDTV and digital cable, and was able to find unscrambled broadcast channels by tuning to places like 85.1 with it. Anyway, it might be worth checking out DVD recorders to see if any of them have CableCARD slots or can at least record/pass through an HD signal.
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#3
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12/18/07 at 6:53am
  • Joined: February 2001
  • Post Count: 3,219

Re: single channel hd tuner

Point to note-- digital over the air broadcasts (ATSC) use an modulation scheme called 8VSB. Digital Cable uses QAM. If your TV only has a ATSC tuner, it can't decode the cable signal.

Cable Cards help if your cable company encrypts its signal.
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