DTV Converters and (Older) HDTVs

[C414B]

Recently was gifted a Samsung 43-inch DLP rear-projection HDTV. GREAT picture for nearly nine years old!

While it is HDTV, the on-board tuner is SD. I have an RCA DTV converter attached to the ANT input. I've noticed some stations are full-screen while others (4, 5, et al) still have the black bars on top and bottom.

Question: how can I receive these signals without the black bars? Any info will be most helpful.

Thanks in advance.

 

[landtuna]

Recently was gifted a Samsung 43-inch DLP rear-projection HDTV. GREAT picture for nearly nine years old!

While it is HDTV, the on-board tuner is SD. I have an RCA DTV converter attached to the ANT input. I've noticed some stations are full-screen while others (4, 5, et al) still have the black bars on top and bottom.

Question: how can I receive these signals without the black bars? Any info will be most helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Your converter box should have a button called something like "zoom" or "format" and pushing it should bring up different screen sizes. Scroll through the selections and see if it generates something you like.

You can probably find a manual for the converter box online. Google the manufacturer and model ID and download the manual. That should tell you how to set the screen settings.

 

[fybush]

The "zoom" advice is good, but it's only part of the battle. What you really want is a different converter box. The Zenith that you're using is designed to take an over-the-air HD signal and downconvert it to SD for display on an older 4:3 SD set. You need a box that can receive an over-the-air HD signal and provide an actual HD output for your display.

The bad news: since every HDTV made in the last five years or so has had a tuner built-in, they don't make boxes like that anymore.

The good news: you can still find used ones on eBay and elsewhere. A quick check on eBay finds a couple of gently-used working Samsung SIR-T451 tuners out there for $80 or so. You could also use one of their earlier models ending in "51"; I'd shy away from the Samsung DirecTV/ATSC boxes that are more widely available all over eBay.

Once you have the HDTV tuner in hand, you want to make sure you're using a full HD connection from the box to the TV, either component HD (red/green/blue RCAs for video + red/white RCAs for audio) or HDMI/DVI, if the box and the TV both have the appropriate connectors. Don't just connect from the RF 3/4 out from the box into the RF input of the TV, like you're doing now - that will only deliver an SD picture to your TV, and not a very good one at that.

 

[C414B]

Thanks, y'all!

Had a feeling I didn't have the right gear for what I was seeking. Will start looking around for the right tuner.

 

[JHBrandt]

The RCA tuner will get you by, but it sounds like you really want an HD tuner. It'll cost about $130; a bit more than the RCA (which was probably about $50-$60) but you'll love the improvement on HD stations.

The RCA uses either a coaxial cable or a "composite" cable (three RCA jacks), but the output of an HD tuner will be either a component cable (five RCA jacks) or an HDMI cable (flat push-in connector). The HDMI cable is more convenient, but if it's an older HDTV, it might not have a place to connect an HDMI cable. If so, make sure the tuner you buy has component outputs.

Channel Master sells a CM-7001, which has connectors for both cable types, so it should do the job. I don't own it, but I do own the CM-7000 (which was their version of your RCA tuner) and I've had very little trouble with that model.

They also make a CM-7400, but that's a DVR so it'll cost more; about $350. Of course Channel Master isn't the only brand available; it's just one I happen to be familiar with.

 

[C414B]

The RCA uses either a coaxial cable or a "composite" cable (three RCA jacks), but the output of an HD tuner will be either a component cable (five RCA jacks) or an HDMI cable (flat push-in connector). The HDMI cable is more convenient, but if it's an older HDTV, it might not have a place to connect an HDMI cable. If so, make sure the tuner you buy has component outputs.

Thanks, JHB! I'm very familiar with the HDMI, RGB and other inputs/outputs. This particular HDTV we now have has a DVI input as well as VGA and a compliment of RGB inputs. There is no native HDMI input. Thankfully, though, the HDTV came from its previous owner a VGA-to-HDMI cable they used with it and had no known problems with it.

Money rules out purchasing an HD tuner...but I've got some good ideas and am keeping my eyes out for when we are able to make that upgrade.

 

[JHBrandt]

Good to hear you have an HDMI converter cable for your TV. Hope I didn't sound too patronizing. One never knows how much expertise folks have :-[

Certainly $130 is a big outlay for many folks. The good news is most HD tuners will last a long time; the bad news is they usually aren't guaranteed for more than a year.

The first HDTV I had was like yours. I had an old CRT TV go out, and couldn't afford a new TV with an HD tuner; so I bought a cheap 23" Olevia HDTV with only an NTSC tuner. (It did have an HDMI connection, though.) A year later, with the digital conversion approaching, I went out and bought a Samsung HD tuner for it. They were even pricer back then: about $180 as I recall. The darn thing lasted just over a year! Luckily Samsung gave me a 90-day grace period on the warranty and I was able to get it fixed for just the cost of shipping. Unfortunately it died again after another 18 months or so. Luckily by that time I was in better financial condition and replaced it with a DVR, which has turned out to be more durable.

 

[Chuck]

I have a dead Samsung HDTV tuner too. It wasn't all that great when it worked. For a replacement, I bought a JVC DVD recorder/VHS player at Sam's for about $150. It has been great. It shows both ATSC and NTSC signals, as well as records and plays DVD's and plays VHS tapes.

It only has component HD video outputs, but that works fine with the Samsung HDTV.
There are also SVHS and composite video outputs as well as modulated NTSC on channel 3 or 4.

I don't know it they are still available, but it might be worth looking for one.

 

[fybush]

I have a dead Samsung HDTV tuner too. It wasn't all that great when it worked. For a replacement, I bought a JVC DVD recorder/VHS player at Sam's for about $150. It has been great. It shows both ATSC and NTSC signals, as well as records and plays DVD's and plays VHS tapes.

It only has component HD video outputs, but that works fine with the Samsung HDTV.
There are also SVHS and composite video outputs as well as modulated NTSC on channel 3 or 4.

I don't know it they are still available, but it might be worth looking for one.

Does the JVC output actual HD from its ATSC tuner? I have a "Magnavox" (really Funai) DVD/hard-drive recorder with an ATSC tuner; it has HDMI and component outputs, but it doesn't do any true HD, just upconverted SD, even on live programming. (The difference is VERY visible on my 55" Sony LCD.)

 

[JHBrandt]

I have a dead Samsung HDTV tuner too. It wasn't all that great when it worked.

I liked mine; I just didn't like that it wasn't built to last. At least they gave me the first repair free.

The DVR I replaced it with is fine for now. I also have a Toshiba DVD-R but it doesn't have a tuner. If it goes out again (yes, again; that's another story) I'll look for something like your JVC to replace it.

One weird thing I remember about it: it had SD outputs (composite & S-video) as well as HD; but the SD outputs were apparently intended specifically for recording devices (VCRs, DVD-Rs, etc.) because you only saw the received signal, never anything from the Samsung itself - no program guide, no menus; not even channel numbers! So in a pinch, you couldn't use it as an overpriced converter box; you had to have an HD TV or monitor to see what you were doing.

 

[Chuck]

Does the JVC output actual HD from its ATSC tuner? I have a "Magnavox" (really Funai) DVD/hard-drive recorder with an ATSC tuner; it has HDMI and component outputs, but it doesn't do any true HD, just upconverted SD, even on live programming. (The difference is VERY visible on my 55" Sony LCD.)

The JVC makes real HD pictures. It has been a great solution - one box does it all. My experience with Funai products (Magnavox, Sylvania, Philco, Emerson, Phillips, etc.) have been less than wonderful.

 

[JHBrandt]

The JVC makes real HD pictures. It has been a great solution - one box does it all. My experience with Funai products (Magnavox, Sylvania, Philco, Emerson, Phillips, etc.) have been less than wonderful.

I do like their Philco converter box, but most of the SD converter boxes Funai sold were the Magnavox brand that Wal*Mart sold during the DTV conversion period. Many SD converter boxes have RF pass-through, but the Philco-branded box is the only one I've seen whose RF pass-through functions while it's in use, so I can daisy-chain it to another receiver. (To be fair, my dead Samsung also had RF pass-through that worked while in use, but that was an HD box.)