Using an LCD HDTV with a Digital-to-Analogue converter

[Norman_C]

Looking for some advice here:
Issue:
In-Laws have vacation condo in Florida
They receive Comcast digital cable with an analogue adapter for their CRT-style TV
They want to upgrade their CRT to an LCD (32"-40"), but don’t want to pay for a digital tuner/PVR
They have no interest in OTA

Proposed Solution:
Use analogue adapter to feed the LCD
Live with 4:3 picture resulting, or stretch it. (I read the post on “Will Watching 4:3 on 16:9 LCD Cause Burn-In?”)

Question:
Which current brands of LCD to avoid/prefer to obtain best picture possible?
(Or doesn’t it really matter provided they have an NTSC tuner?)

[Nuje]

Umm…unless I'm missing something, can't they just drop the analogue adapter out of the equation? Then they have digital cable signal from Comcast going (digitally) into the LCD TV (?).

[57]

If they have digital cable with an analogue adaptor (to decrypt the signals), they can connect it the same way, assuming the new TV has an RF-coax input. This is the worst picture quality and usually mono sound. If you get an HDTV, you should really watch HD on it, but if not, watch 4:3 as 4:3.

In the US some of the channels may be unencrypted and be received by the TV using the RF-coax input and scanning for cable channels using the QAM tuner. See the following FAQ on QAM channels.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=32271

Unfortunately, if you do that, then the digital to analogue adaptor cannot be used at the same time and you'd have to have a switch upstream so that you can bypass the adaptor for unencrypted channels and use it for encrypted channels. The simple thing is to get a proper HD STB and watch in HD.

[Norman_C]

The simple thing is to get a proper HD STB and watch in HD.

Thanks 57. I agree, but they're stubborn and don't want to spend the $$.
Appreciate the suggestion about QAM.

[Dr.Dave]

If they want to watch the broadcast networks in HD, they can use an A/B switch with the digital adapter on "A" and the line straight from the splitter on "B" for HD via QAM. Here's the Comcast page with a diagram:

http://customer.comcast.com/help-and...apter-to-hdtv/

If they have an old VCR, replace the A/B switch with the VCR and use composite from the VCR to the TV.

Wall ------ Splitter ----- DTA ------ VCR(composite out)-----TV
                    |
                    |________________________________________TV (RF cable in)

They should be able to get ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and PBS in HD via QAM on the direct cable connection, plus any other channels on "Limited Basic". To watch "Expanded Basic", select the composite input on the TV.

Note: If the DTA is set to channel 3, the VCR must also be set to channel 3 and powered on.

[Norman_C]

Thank you for the hookup advice.
I take it there are no comments on whether there is a "better" HDTV for watching analogue signals?

[57]

Although some TVs can be better than others, it's often difficult to know. I would say that the better the TV, the better the probable outcome of the upconversion. Here's the FAQ on SD PQ, which indicates that other factors are often more important than the TV itself - like proper optimization.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=18580

[Norman_C]

Many thanks, 57!