Question on Built-In HD Tuner

[dellt]

I'm just getting started with HDTV, and plan on purchasing a Panasonic TH-42PX25U/P Plasma TV in a week or so. It comes with Built-in NTSC Tuner for SDTV Standard Television and Built-in ATSC/QAM Tuner for HDTV Broadcasts.

I have already ordered a Triple LNB PT-Dish Elliptical Dish.
I am currently a subscriber with Directv and plan on adding the HD package as soon as I receive my TV. My question is, will I be able to receive HD on the TV using the built-in ATSC Tuner, or will I still have to purchase a stand-a-lone Sat. HD Receiver? If I will need a Directv Receiver, then I may opt to use the difference in price and go for the Panasonic 50" Plasma without any tuners. Been such a hassle trying to decide what to buy.

If I still need to buy another tuner in order to receive HD programing, then what good is the built-in tuner?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Dell

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The tuner picks up OTA HD as well and any unencoded QAM signals your cable company sends.

On my cable company I see almost all of their HD channels, plus I see a bunch of Digital Cable channels, all the Audio Channels carried by the cable company plus I can watch all the Video on Demand channels as well.

 

[skidog]

If you have satellite you will need their HD STB which I believe have the OTA tuners in them already at least mine does, but I have Dish Network.

 

[TuxCoder]

unencoded QAM signals

Not to nitpick, Scott, but that is sort of an oxymoron... How about "unencrypted QAM signals".

On my cable company I see almost all of their HD channels, plus I see a bunch of Digital Cable channels, all the Audio Channels carried by the cable company plus I can watch all the Video on Demand channels as well.

Sounds like another great source of content to be considered, FTC, "Free-To-Cable"

But I suppose the frequencies they're using for the QAM signals are subject to blocks/traps/filters? In other words, for those of us who don't subscribe to cable, will we be able to see those?

 

[jetjock]

I have two E* 921 receivers which I use regularly to record shows to watch later. I find that the built-in ATSC tuner on my Sony TV is handy for when my 921s are both tied up recording and I want to watch some other live HDTV program - football being a good example. Even if you purchased the HD Tivo D* receiver (which has has two OTA HD tuners) you'll probably find a time in the future when it's tuners are tied up and you want to watch some other live OTA HD program.

 

[dellt]

OK, sounds like I will have to purchase a Directv Sat HD Receiver, but I'm still curious as to why they would put two tuners in the tv, one for OTA signals, but what purpose does the other ATSC/QAM Tuner do, sounds kinda useless to me. I live in an area where OTA signals are non existant, and if the ATSC/QAM is useless, guess I should forget about getting a TV with tuners built-in. I'm sure there is some reason, however I'm just not getting it.

anyway, thanks for the help....
Dell

 

[TuxCoder]

Some people just have their reasons.

I have my reasons for wanting built-in SD NTSC tuners on any TV (HD or SD) I would buy, yet none of them involve connecting an antenna or cable company feed to the TV.

Also, I don't see this anywhere yet, so...
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