Cable Question

[shigsy]

I would like to get digital/high-def/good-audio on my theater tv without having to rent a box from the cable company. The tv is a high-def set. Currently, I simply have the cable running directly into the tv's RF input, so I don't get audio into the receiver (meaning I just get audio from the tv's built-in speakers). Also I don't get any high-def channels and only get a small fraction of the total channels (presumably because I'm using the tv's built-in tuner.

Is there another way (besides renting a box) to get all the normal (non-pay) channels, including high-def as well as getting audio to the receiver?

[Animo]

Which HDTV do you have?
Do you have a good rooftop antenna?
Did you do an auto scan of your channels?
Believe it or not, before the switch over from analog, I had more channels on my Sammy LN52A650, than I do now after the digital only switch. Without getting a box, it would be mandatory to have a real good, high gain antenna on your roof, pointed directly at the transmitting antenna in your area. Also mount it as high as possible and have little if any obstructions between your antenna and the transmitter. I live in NY City. I am approximately a 15 mile straight line to the Empire State Building. My antenna is on the roof of my 2 story house, mounted on a 20 foot pole tied down with guide wires and an anchor clamp to my roof vent. Check the channel indicators. My set says DTV not HD on most channels, but when I click on the info button, it shows me the digital resolution that the channel is receiving. 720P, 1080I, and 1080P are considered HD.

As far as getting audio to your receiver, there should be audio out rca's on the back of the set.
Just put the left and right audio outs, into the left and right auxiliary inputs of your receiver and you should be good to go. That's how my TV is hooked up. By the way, I have a cable box and rooftop antenna. The cable and antenna go right into the TV, the audio outs go to my Outlaw aux inputs. This way I can watch TV either by itself or as full blown theater.

[shigsy]

Originally Posted by Animo

Which HDTV do you have?
Do you have a good rooftop antenna?

Thanks for the quick reply. Sorry, I should have included more info in my OP.

I have cable service from Cablevision; I don't have an antenna. I have one cable box from Cablevision (a DVR) connected to my family room television. It has digital/optical and component output. Works great.

My question however concerns my theater room tv which is a Mitsubishi 73" DLP (Model# WD-73727). Currently, I have a coax/RF cable running directly into the tv without a box, and I'd prefer not to have to rent a box.

Originally Posted by Animo

Did you do an auto scan of your channels?

I did something on the tv menu which did an autoscan of the channels, making it up to around 60 or so before turning to static for the remaining channels.

Originally Posted by Animo

As far as getting audio to your receiver, there should be audio out rca's on the back of the set.

Good idea. That should work well as I don't really need 5.1 audio for television (although it would be nice ).

But I still want to get high-def, which I don't appear to be getting. On my set with the cable/DVR box, the high-def channels are in the 600-700 range, and the tuner on the Mitsu doesn't appear to go that high (it stops in the low 100s).

[DerrellB]

You can buy an HDTV antenna and get over the air local HD channels, but without a box, thats about all you will get.

[solarrdadd]

really want to enjoy that HDTV, then get an HD-DVR from your cable company and connect the HDMI out from your cable box to your receiver, this will get you HD & DD 5.1 on one cable then go from your receiver to the tv with just video. Now, you've got 1080i and DD 5.1 surround on all channels that offer it. and of course you can PPV in DD 5.1 too. if you can afford that 73" DLP, I'd like to hope you can also swing for the HD-DVR from the cable company, it's worth it, trust me!

Oh yeah, if you really, really, really want to enjoy that HDTV get an Oppo blu-ray player!

[My_Two_Cents]

Since you have a cable subscription, you are receiving basic cable only when plugging directly into the TV. Depending on the service, you "should" be getting local HD channels over the basic cable feed (I do). Is your set capable of receiving digital channels (xx.x, etc.)? Contact your cable provider to see if you should be receiving local HD channels. If not, then you can go the antenna route into another input (if available) or just use a cable splitter or switch an run both the antenna and cable into the coax input on your set.

[browndk26]

Originally Posted by Ricshoe

Since you have a cable subscription, you are receiving basic cable only when plugging directly into the TV. Depending on the service, you "should" be getting local HD channels over the basic cable feed (I do). Is your set capable of receiving digital channels (xx.x, etc.)? Contact your cable provider to see if you should be receiving local HD channels. If not, then you can go the antenna route into another input (if available) or just use a cable splitter or switch an run both the antenna and cable into the coax input on your set.

If the TV has a QAM tuner then you should get local channels in HD with the basic cable service.

Connect the digital audio output from the TV to the AVR and you should get sound through the AVR.

What model is your TV?

[jonesyg27]

Originally Posted by browndk26

If the TV has a QAM tuner then you should get local channels in HD with the basic cable service.

Connect the digital audio output from the TV to the AVR and you should get sound through the AVR.

What model is your TV?

According to the specs on Cnet, your TV has a QAM tuner, so you should be getting HD and some digital channels. You have to autoscan the channels to get them but you will only get local network channels, don't expect cable HD channels (like TLC, Disovery, etc.). ***However, it is up to your cable provider. Before I got a digital box a few months ago, Comcast gave me all the local channels and, for some reason, ESPN. I did not complain during football and college basketball season.

[Animo]

Originally Posted by shigsy

I have cable service from Cablevision; I don't have an antenna. I have one cable box from Cablevision (a DVR) connected to my family room television. It has digital/optical and component output. Works great.

My regular cable box (non DVR) had digital/optical and component outputs.
My HD cable box has those as well as HDMI. Is it possible that you do not have an HD cable box?

But I still want to get high-def, which I don't appear to be getting. On my set with the cable/DVR box, the high-def channels are in the 600-700 range, and the tuner on the Mitsu doesn't appear to go that high (it stops in the low 100s).

My HD is in the 700-800 range, but the box is connected to the TV via an HDMI cable.
The TV has various assignable inputs to select which signal is coming from where.
Examples.....
Air = rooftop antenna....
HDMI 1 = cable box....
HDMI 2 = Blu Ray ....
etc

[shigsy]

Originally Posted by jonesyg27

According to the specs on Cnet, your TV has a QAM tuner, so you should be getting HD and some digital channels. You have to autoscan the channels to get them but you will only get local network channels, don't expect cable HD channels (like TLC, Disovery, etc.). ***However, it is up to your cable provider. Before I got a digital box a few months ago, Comcast gave me all the local channels and, for some reason, ESPN. I did not complain during football and college basketball season.

Okay, it turns out I was just being impatient while scanning for channels. I re-scanned this evening, and after it finishes scanning all the analog channels (1-135) it starts over and does the digital channels. A lot of these are subchannels, so I'm not sure how many I'm getting, but there are a lot. Many of them are in high-def as well.

All I need to do now is run a cable from the digital audio out on the tv to the receiver and I'll be set. No extra cable box needed!

Thanks guys.

[GRILLSMASHER]

Order a box its 5-10 bux a month its well worth it and you dont have to worry about buying other pieces or tryin to go around it! you prob spend @ least 5 bux on lunch during the week anyway,go -get one!!!!! break bread

[mtbkr]

im not familiar with cablevision, but i know that comcast in this area has eliminated the frequencies that enable you to pick up quam channels with only your tv. you now HAVE TO have a converter of some sort to get anything above channel 30. so beware that this is a growing trend in cable companies. it helps them capture the money lost on illegal hook-up's (people are less likely to steal cable if they are only getting a couple channels), bandwidth, and people with quam tuners that could be paying for their expensive hd boxes.