Dazed & Confused about OTA options

[kwhite]

Hello All,

I recently decided to buy a new TV and begin my journey to OTA HD TV. I am on a modest budget. Currently I am looking at a decent 32" HD Ready CRT for around $750. So naturually with much enthusiam i started researching what I would need for a receiver. basically I am really bummed by the lack of products out there. I can only find about 4 receivers under $400. Am I looking in the wrong place or something?

Also, there is no way on god's green earth, that my association will ever let me put up a grid antenna. I'm pretty close to a bunch of towers down here so I am going to try some inexpensive powered indoor ones first. Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

[Edit: Fyi my loc is in Broward County FL for any who may be around me, what do you use?]

 

[rcbridge]

Which STB's have you found for OTA, if $400 is your budget there are a number to choose from, an inexpensive indoor antenna is the Zenith Silver sensor about $20-30.
You can always find a used STB for a little less.

 

[kwhite]

For just a receiver I am liking the Samsung SIR-T451 @ around $250.

The reason I raised my receiver $$ up to 400 is because of the LG LST-3510. Not only do I get the HD OTA tuner but it also has up-conversion abilities with selectable outputs.

For an antenna, the radio shack has a powered one for $74 which seems reasonable. Catalog # 15-2185.

 

[rhasselbaum]

There are many good HD receivers around $300. All of the ones I'm familiar with are combination satellite-and-OTA receivers, though. If you're looking for a receiver that is just for OTA, I'm sure they are out there, but may be harder to find.

Regarding your association: Others have written extensively on this in other threads, but I believe the bottom line is that in most cases, they don't have the legal right to prevent you from putting up an antenna. I'm sure others more in tune with these issues than I am can point you toward laws to back this up. On the other hand, if you can get reasonable reception with an indoor antenna, go for it. For many people, plain old $20 UHF/VHF antennas from Radio Shack do the trick just fine.

 

[kwhite]

Do you have a recommendation for combo satellite / ota? I don't want to sign up for a service to get one, if I find one I like I will prob hit ebay for it.

 

[rhasselbaum]

For DirecTV, I'd recommend the Samsung SIR-TS360 or Hughes HTL-HD. For Dish Network, the Dish 811. But beware that some receivers (like the Dish 811) require a properly installed satellite dish before they will work at all.

 

[rhasselbaum]

BTW- You mentioned up-conversion as a desired feature. ANY receiver worth its weight in salt should up-convert SD signals and provide a variety of outputs. All of the receivers I mentioned will do that.

 

[kwhite]

Thanks for your help. One last question then I'll go do some more research. The samsung receiver has the usuall outputs (Component, DVI, Video, Audio (2)-Rt/Lt, Dolby Digital, Coaxial, Optical) but the DVI is listed as HDVP. Not sure what that means. Out of the 2 tvs i am looking at (1) has an HDMI input and the other has a straight DVI input. (they both have component ins) Is HDVP compatible with either tv or do i need to use the component inputs.

 

[rhasselbaum]

HDMI and DVI are two connection types. DVI carries video only and HDMI carries video, audio, and device control signals. A quick Google search turned up a web page that explains the differences better than I can:

http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/howto-dvi-hdmi.html

This page also lists some OTA receivers.

 

[TuxCoder]

How about any basic, cheap digital OTA tuners? If this sounds like the same question as above, the difference for me is I don't need HDTV yet. I'm not looking into expanding into HDTV for another year or so. Therefore, here's my wish list, in descending priority order, let me know if you know of any matches.

1. Basic low-cost digital OTA tuner (DVB-T)
2. Digital audio out (coax or optical)
3. Video can be about anything (S-Video, composite, RF)
4. No HDTV if it's cheaper without DVI/etc. connectors and upconversion
5. No need for additional satellite reception capability

About video (#3 above) I'm just not too picky at the moment. I just would like something cheap to play with digital OTA for a while until I decide to get more serious and commit to more expensive HDTV equipment. So, until then I would be OK putting $200 or less toward the above if at all possible. A "generally clear" picture with digital audio is fine for the moment--it matches everything else I've got.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[DarrellP]

For a picky HOA, try one of the squareshooter antennas.

 

[rhasselbaum]

I just would like something cheap to play with digital OTA for a while until I decide to get more serious and commit to more expensive HDTV equipment.

Don't know of any, personally. Since a lot of OTA digital broadcasts are high-definition at least some of the time, you probably need an HD receiver just to decode the signal before it can be down-converted. For what it's worth, all of the HD receivers I've seen have legacy outputs (S-video, RCA, RF, etc.) through which they output a down-converted signal. So if you spend a little more for an HD receiver now, you can still use it with your old TV until you're ready to upgrade.

 

[rcbridge]

Kwhite

Do you want satellite or just OTA, from your original post it sounds like you only want OTA which is it?

I belive if you purchase a satellite/OTA receiver you need to have the sat dish pointed to the satellite (You don't need to subscribe) but you need a locked signal to utilize the OTA section of the STB.

My original advice was to purchase an OTA receiver and an inexpensive indoor antenna and try that first if you need an amplifier purchase that next, in the begining keep it simple!!

 

[kwhite]

Yup Just OTA. but now im waffling between 4:3 and 16:9 for the new tv again. 70% of usage is a bunch of kids vhs tapes so I am starting to lean back to 4:3

thanks for the link on the squareshooter, if i have to go for an outdoor antenna ill keep that in mind.

 

[dgordo]

Please stay away from a 4:3, if you want an HDTV you need a 16:9. Even if you are only planning on using the tv for HD 1% of the time 16:9 is a must.

 

[kwhite]

dgordo, that is my feeling as well but my finance controller (a.k.a. wife) has said she will not put up with a stretched screen on non HDTV items. This means about 70% of the time it will be using the center 2/3rds of the screen and I am a little concerned about the possability of burn-in. I am hoping to get 2 years out of the tv as by then the LCDs will be moch more inline with my budget.

 

[towelie]

Please stay away from a 4:3, if you want an HDTV you need a 16:9. Even if you are only planning on using the tv for HD 1% of the time 16:9 is a must.

Not sure why you would say that. A 4:3 TV can show HD programming in letterbox. I have a 32" HDTV, and letterboxed its equivalent to a 30" 16:9. Plus I get a 32" 4:3 screen out of it instead of a 27" (which a 30" widescreen would give you). For the same reason I don't like cropped or squished 16:9 programming, I won't stretch 4:3 programming.

If I could have afforded 40"+ then I definetely would have gone with 16:9, but for someone who watches alot of 4:3 (VHS, videogames, regular TV), and can't spend more than $1000, a 4:3 HDTV makes alot of sense.

 

[rhasselbaum]

dgordo, that is my feeling as well but my finance controller (a.k.a. wife) has said she will not put up with a stretched screen on non HDTV items.

I understand. I have a finance controller, too. Consider, though, that many HD receivers and 16:9 TVs support one or more "non-linear" stretch modes for 4:3 video sources. The way it works is that the center part of the image is stretched less than the left and right edges. Since most of what you're focusing on on the screen is in the center (e.g. people's faces), you don't notice much distortion at all.

 

[kwhite]

ok after reviewing all the options (and my wifes temperment) Ive decided to go with a 4:3. Not sure which one yet, but the Zenith C32V37 looks pretty nice as it has both an integrated ATSC and NTSC tunners. (any have experience with it) If i pick up just an HD ready TV, I am going to go with the Samsung SIR-T451 Terrestrial tuner.

Anyhow going to try with my small powered indoor antenna first. If it doesnt work, I have a good sized attic I might try to mount a channelmaster super-vee 5646 up there to avoid the whole HOA issue.

I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for all your help so far.

 

[kwhite]

Ok TV is in. Bought a 32" Samsung TXP3264 @ CC this Friday. Looks amazing so far. Next is the HD Receiver. Seems only Crutchfield has the SIR-T451 I want so far, but they are out of stock.