Run OTA And Cable On Same TV?

[RobertK]

Hi
I at present have just analog cable but would like too also
have OTA DTV since I live in Toronto and have a good line of sight too the CN Tower. My new TV has a Quam tuner in it. Is there a way to combine the 2 signals into one coaxial cable??? If not,
what would be an alternative??

Thanks for your time
Rob

[stampeder]

Hi Rob and welcome here - since you have only one digital-ready coax input on your TV there are a couple of solutions:

1. get an A-B coax switch (you can even find remote controlled ones)
2. get an ATSC Set Top Box or PVR and run it into an HDMI or component input

[ericball]

3. For analog cable get a NTSC PVR (like the TiVo Series 2 DT) and connect your cable to that, then S-Video to your TV.
4. Go digital cable (SD or HD).

[Michael DeAbreu]

From post 21 in Stampeder's excellent OTA Knowledge Base & FAQ

Can I run Cable TV and OTA on the same coax line?

You cannot have Cable TV signals on the same coaxial cable as OTA TV signals. There is a risk of signal leakage, which is treated very seriously by the authorities. For more information see the Signal Leakage Between CATV and OTA FAQ.

[stampeder]

ericball's analogue cable solution is good too since I doubt you'd be getting any Clear QAM signals from Rogers.

[Jase88]

I use an A/B switch. You cannot combine the two feeds (unlike Direct Broadcast Satellite), as Cable TV uses the same spectrum as OTA channels.

In Kitchener, the only clear QAM channels (besides audio-only music and radio stations) I get are BET TV (standard definition), and the PPV promo channel.

[jeneral]

I am fortunate that my Samsung TV has 2 coax inputs. That said, I don't use it for cable. Instead, I use a HTPC with 2 combo tuners and a third hybrid tuner. That allows me to record 3 ATSC and 2 NTSC channels at the same time. I use Vista MCE and I can get full guide listings for all the channels. I personally love it and the unit is extremely intelligent as to what it records for me. If you have the money to spare, I'd recommend a HTPC.

The poor-man's way would be to use a DVD or VHS recorder to tune the cable (NTSC) and your TV's input to handle the ATSC. You can probably pickup a DVD recorder for under $80 nowadays.

[tpet]

I'm in the same situation: one input only on the Sharp.
I was going to try to go through the VCR and then use the component video to the TV.

I think its easier to go A/B switch but I'm worried about the quality of the switch and how much to spend on something that's good bang for the buck. Does anyone have any experience with the products available out there?

Thanks

[jjc_Mtl]

Hi everybody,
here is my problem:
I have a subscription with a cable company (Videotron, Montreal), analogic version, quality: so-so but numerous chanels;
I have an antena: few chanels but fantastic quality.
to go from a mode to another, the built-in ATSC tuner must scan the entire band and it takes forever;
so I think I must buy an external tuner and plug it to an HDMI port of the TV;
TV to HDMI is quick.
is there a better way to solve my problem?
Which tuner is best for that?
Thank you
jjc_Mtl

[HWP]

jjc_Mtl,

Welcome to the forum.

I agree with your solution. Buying an external tuner is the cleanest and easiest way to solve your problem. The thing you should consider, though, is that most of the external tuners out there have previous-generation chip sets. So if you have any weak channels, then you might not get as good of reception on those marginal channels compared to your regular TV. I don't think this is a big enough problem to stop you, though, because if something really important is on TV you can always go back to your regular TV tuner if necessary.

Is your TV able to connect to a computer? If so, then I highly recommend the HDHomeRun dual tuner. It will solve your problem even better than an external tuner box. The "HDHomeRun Dual" made by SiliconDust connects to your home network and can be accessed by any computer on your network. With Windows Media Center your computer can be a PVR.

Good luck and enjoy your OTA!

[57]

Just as an FYI, Videotron is doing away with some analogue cable, so you may be better off getting a digital STB from them instead of the other way around. Here's the thread. Eventually all analogue cable will be gone and you'll need a digital STB (or adaptor) for cable. I don't know if you're on basic or more than basic with Videotron. If more than basic, I'd suggest getting the cable STB. Your quality should also go up with the digital STB.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=143167

Here's a post useful for those new to the forum:

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=57741

[pr92]

Another solution, for now, would be to run your antenna into your TV, and run the analog cable into a VCR. Plug the VCR into some RCA jacks and just use it to tune cable channels. This will work as long as analog cable exists.

[Jase88]

Which model of TV do you have?

My Sony Bravia allows me to turn "cable" on or off--no need to rescan, and I use an A/B switch on the back to switch between cable and antenna.

I'm wondering if perhaps your TV has the same capability....

[Titan91]

My grandmother is still using analog cable on a 16 year old TV and I've been talking her into exploring some of the local HD digital OTA channels with an antenna (as well as getting a new TV at the same time, obviously). I must add that she is extremely stubborn and VERY behind the times.

I'm trying to find the simplest way to allow her to get both her analog cable channels as well as the digital OTO local channels. There are a few local channels broadcast in HD she is interested in that she doesn't get with cable. She doesn't want to drop cable because there are news stations she watches regularly that aren't broadcast OTA. Would it be possible at all to seamlessly merge cable channels and OTA channels into a single list? I know you simply can't use a reverse splitter to merge the cables together as analog and digital UHF occupy the same signal spectrum. I have also seen suggestions for external devices with tuners such as VCRs connected through a plain old RCA video input. A wireless A/B cable switcher could work but the TV would have to rescan for channels every time there is a switch from cable to OTA or vice-versa.

At this point there really doesn't appear to be an alternative to simply getting a TV with 2 seperate dedicated coax inputs, one for cable and another for an antenna. I've seen a setup like this before and surfing through channels is really simple as the TV merges them into the same channel list for you as well as scan for both analog and digital channels if you so choose.

She is specifically looking for a 24" flatscreen and doesn't want to go bigger than that. She has a small living room. The problem I have with the size restriction is 100% of the TVs I've been looking at online are technically PC monitors with digital ATSC tuners built in. I'm not sure if it's possible to find at least a 720p monitor with dual coax inputs with a size like 24". Has someone seen something like this? Thanks a lot for your help.

[majortom]

Install an A/B switch, and screw it down to the entertainment center or TV stand so it doesn't move around...
label it for her:

Cable / Antenna

You don't have to rescan anything on my TV here, it's a 42" LG from ~ 2009 or 2010.

I also have a 22" LCD TV that I use more as a PC Monitor, it supports up to 1080p.
So they are out there, just I think generally the smaller they get the less convenience/features so might have to look around
for one that'll do like the LG does.. Or if ya have to maybe ya can get creative while setting it up for her, be quick to flip the switch at the right time of the scan process. so u scan in the analog Cable and digital OTA in one shot.