OTA - can I do this?

[tlturbo]

I just got a 722 but in West Palm Beach I can only get HD locals by OTA. This sucks if I want to watch one HD network and record another in HD.

I was reading another post and had an idea (oh no).

I run my sat signals through my audio amp then to the TV (Mitsu 65 HD). OTA cable is attached to the Sat receiver. Can I split the OTA cable and run one to the Sat receiver and the other one to another input on the HD TV? That way I could record one OTA HD signal through the Sat receiver and watch another OTA HD local on another input on the TV.

I never tried running the OTA cable to the TV but I'm guessing this would work??

Thanks - Terry

 

[RandallA]

I just got a 722 but in West Palm Beach I can only get HD locals by OTA. This sucks if I want to watch one HD network and record another in HD.

I was reading another post and had an idea (oh no).

I run my sat signals through my audio amp then to the TV (Mitsu 65 HD). OTA cable is attached to the Sat receiver. Can I split the OTA cable and run one to the Sat receiver and the other one to another input on the HD TV? That way I could record one OTA HD signal through the Sat receiver and watch another OTA HD local on another input on the TV.

I never tried running the OTA cable to the TV but I'm guessing this would work??

Thanks - Terry

Yes, it should work. The only thing is that when you use a splitter you're losing -3.5 dB on each leg. How long is the cable run from the antenna to the TV?

 

[KAB]

I just got a 722 but in West Palm Beach I can only get HD locals by OTA. This sucks if I want to watch one HD network and record another in HD.

I was reading another post and had an idea (oh no).

I run my sat signals through my audio amp then to the TV (Mitsu 65 HD). OTA cable is attached to the Sat receiver. Can I split the OTA cable and run one to the Sat receiver and the other one to another input on the HD TV? That way I could record one OTA HD signal through the Sat receiver and watch another OTA HD local on another input on the TV.

I never tried running the OTA cable to the TV but I'm guessing this would work??

Thanks - Terry

Yes, of course!

 

[crainbo]

Or just hook up some bunny ears to the TV input. I have two antennas, one for the tv and one for the dish box.

 

[tlturbo]

Cool,
The OTA antenna is on the roof above the TV. Probably a 20-25 foot cable run by the time it comes in and gets to the receiver.

 

[GregE]

I split my OTA antenna and run it to my 722 and to my TV so I can do just this. Then I created buttons on my Harmony 880 to switch the TV between OTA and Dish and add TV channel up and down buttons. It works great and came in handy when we had storms coming thru last week and I lost my sat signal. I just switched the TV over to OTA and could see the weather updates.

 

[tlturbo]

I'm playing with this now but having a problem. The cable from the OTA antenna is a standard coax like your Sat receiver cable. I unhooked it from the Sat receiver and hooked it directly to an INPUT connection on the TV. When I change the TV input to that one, I only get a couple of channels and none of them in HD. The TV is a HD Mitsu so what am I missing?

 

[GregE]

Did you let it search for channels? My Mistu found all of mine but one. I keyed in the frequency assigned to it and it came right up. Not sure why the searched missed it.

 

[BigFella]

I'm playing with this now but having a problem. The cable from the OTA antenna is a standard coax like your Sat receiver cable. I unhooked it from the Sat receiver and hooked it directly to an INPUT connection on the TV. When I change the TV input to that one, I only get a couple of channels and none of them in HD. The TV is a HD Mitsu so what am I missing?

Can you confirm that you are connecting the antenna to the "Antenna" INPUT on the back of your Mits and not a "Video" input? I don't mean to insult - I'm really trying to help here. I just don't know how electronically savvy you are...

If you have no problem receiving OTA HD on your 722 and assuming your Mits has an ATSC tuner, the connection between the antenna and your TV's tuner is the only thing that I can think of that would be suspect (provided you have completed a channel scan on the Mits)

 

[tlturbo]

OK, I did the search and it found all the local channels but I can't get them in HD.

The back of the TV has 3 Inputs that can use either S-video or RCA jacks. Then there are 3 Component connections but only one is labeled DTV. According to the manual, only the DTV connection is 1080i capable. I have my Sat, DVD etc connected to my A/V receiver and the 3 component cables from it connected to that DTV connection set on the TV. I wonder if I can connect the OTA cable to the A/V receiver and feed it through the component cables that I already use. Guess I'll go try.

After you split the OTA coax cable, how did you connect it to your TV and get HD?

Thanks again

 

[adavis720]

Is it possible your TV is an "HD Ready" or "HD Monitor", ie has no built in HD tuner?

What is the model number of the TV?


If that is the case you would need an additional OTA HD (ATSC) tuner.

 

[GregE]

OK, I did the search and it found all the local channels but I can't get them in HD.

The back of the TV has 3 Inputs that can use either S-video or RCA jacks. Then there are 3 Component connections but only one is labeled DTV. According to the manual, only the DTV connection is 1080i capable. I have my Sat, DVD etc connected to my A/V receiver and the 3 component cables from it connected to that DTV connection set on the TV. I wonder if I can connect the OTA cable to the A/V receiver and feed it through the component cables that I already use. Guess I'll go try.

After you split the OTA coax cable, how did you connect it to your TV and get HD?

Thanks again

I doubt your A/V receiver has a tuner to pick up HDTV so that won't work.

I connected it to the Ant-1 connection on my TV so I could use the internal tuner.

What model Mitsu do you have?

 

[BigFella]

The antenna connection on the back of your TV will not be a smooth, RCA type connection. It will be threaded to accept an "F" type connector and it should be clearly labeled "Antenna", "Cable" and/or 75 ohm. If that connector doesn't exist on the back of your TV, then you don't have a built-in tuner and you will need an external tuner - such as the one built-in to your 722. To further complicate matters, if a tuner does exist inside your TV, it may be an NTSC or analog tuner that can only tune analog OTA broadcasts (the ones that are going to be phased out in 2009). Older TV's only had this type of tuner. You want an ATSC or digital tuner that is capable of tuning OTA digital stations - the type of stations that are capable of broadcasting HD programming. Some newer TV's have both types of tuners. In fact, some newer, newer TV's being manufactured these days, only have the ATSC tuner and do not include an NTSC tuner.

 

[KAB]

OK, I did the search and it found all the local channels but I can't get them in HD.

The back of the TV has 3 Inputs that can use either S-video or RCA jacks. Then there are 3 Component connections but only one is labeled DTV. According to the manual, only the DTV connection is 1080i capable. I have my Sat, DVD etc connected to my A/V receiver and the 3 component cables from it connected to that DTV connection set on the TV. I wonder if I can connect the OTA cable to the A/V receiver and feed it through the component cables that I already use. Guess I'll go try.

After you split the OTA coax cable, how did you connect it to your TV and get HD?

Thanks again

Some TV's will have two coax inputs, Air and Cable. Make sure it's connected to air. I suggest a little time with your TV users manual.

 

[tlturbo]

It is a Mitsu WS-65809 HD 1080 Series about 5 years old.
It has Ant A, Ant B (both threaded), Input 1,2,3 (all for RCA type or S-video) and Component 1,2 and DTV. Only one labeled 1080i is the DTV component set. So it appears there is only ONE input set that will support 1080i. I just have to figure out how to feed the OTA signal through those component cables from my A/V receiver.

Guy is here installing the new 722. Ever have the feeling the guy on your roof doesn't know what he is talking about?

I live near West Palm Beach and have a Dish 500 dish pointed about SW with 2 cables from it connected to the old 921 receiver on Sat1 and Sat 2. He is putting up another whole dish pointing SE and adding a switch to tie all three together. I questioned him and he said the new dish would pick up REAL HD signals. So what is the differentc between REAL and make believe HD signals? If I had HD before, why do I need the new dish? ARGHHHHHHH

 

[bhelms]

That new dish is being pointed to the E*3 and E*12 sats. at 61.5 deg. You'll get many, not all, of your HD channels from that location, the rest being at 110 deg.. The only other E* option needs the 129 deg. slot, but that is not visible from your location. Sounds like they know exactly what they're doing...!

If you check here, you can determine what channels are coming from which sat.:

Dish Network Channel Chart (Unofficial)

 

[GregE]

It is a Mitsu WS-65809 HD 1080 Series about 5 years old.
It has Ant A, Ant B (both threaded), Input 1,2,3 (all for RCA type or S-video) and Component 1,2 and DTV. Only one labeled 1080i is the DTV component set. So it appears there is only ONE input set that will support 1080i. I just have to figure out how to feed the OTA signal through those component cables from my A/V receiver.

Guy is here installing the new 722. Ever have the feeling the guy on your roof doesn't know what he is talking about?

I live near West Palm Beach and have a Dish 500 dish pointed about SW with 2 cables from it connected to the old 921 receiver on Sat1 and Sat 2. He is putting up another whole dish pointing SE and adding a switch to tie all three together. I questioned him and he said the new dish would pick up REAL HD signals. So what is the differentc between REAL and make believe HD signals? If I had HD before, why do I need the new dish? ARGHHHHHHH

The WS-65809 is a HDTV monitor. You don't have an internal ATSC tuner in your TV so you cannot receive OTA HD with it.

HDTV Pub - Mitsubishi WS65809 DTV product review & information

 

[Jim S.]

But if it has antenna inputs, it's not a monitor. I can't find anything definitive about it on the web, but user-compiled web sites aren't necessarily accurate.

 

[KAB]

The WS-65809 is a HDTV monitor. You don't have an internal ATSC tuner in your TV so you cannot receive OTA HD with it.

HDTV Pub - Mitsubishi WS65809 DTV product review & information

Negative. It has NSTC tuner.
Madzon? - Win TVs » Mitsubishi WS65809 65" Platinum Series HD-Upgradeable Television

 

[BigFella]

I just got a 722 but in West Palm Beach I can only get HD locals by OTA. This sucks if I want to watch one HD network and record another in HD.

I was reading another post and had an idea (oh no).

I run my sat signals through my audio amp then to the TV (Mitsu 65 HD). OTA cable is attached to the Sat receiver. Can I split the OTA cable and run one to the Sat receiver and the other one to another input on the HD TV? That way I could record one OTA HD signal through the Sat receiver and watch another OTA HD local on another input on the TV.

I never tried running the OTA cable to the TV but I'm guessing this would work??

Thanks - Terry

So... The answer is no to your original question, because you do not have an internal ATSC tuner.

Inputs (Analog):
Antenna (RF) Inputs NTSC/Analog Cable - 2​

In addition, since you only have one HD input (1080i Component), adding another external ATSC tuner (like your 722 has) is only possible if you have an extra component input on your A/V receiver or add a Component Switch in line between your external ATSC tuners (722 + $40 Govt issue ATSC tuner*) and your 1080i component input on your TV or A/V receiver.

*This is an example - I don't know if these boxes will have Component outputs like the current crop of external ATSC tuners have. They may only convert and modulate digital signals to analog channel 3.