digital ready tv's

[sonoma1993]

How do you tell if a tv is digital ready? My grandma was asking me if her tv was Digital ready for when the cables company switch over from the analog signals to the digital signals.

 

[mrSHEiK124]

Hmm, tad bit of confusion on your end.
Everyone was all happy all terrestrial TV signals were going digital in I think 2008, the FCC went and pushed the deadline further.

Anyways: HDTV Ready, marketing babble for a television with an ATSC tuner built in OR an HDMI/DVI input. I'm not sure exactly how the babble works, but I know there's two specific terms; one means the TV can tune over the air DTV signals on its own, the other means it is capable of displaying 480p/720p/1080i/1080p, in any mix or match flavor, through either a component input, or a DVI/HDMI input. If you've still got an old school SDTV that can't display any HD signals and has none of the above mentioned output, you'll be able to grab an STB (set top box) that converts the HD signals to something that can be displayed over a composite or S-Video output.

There are exceptions, however. Digital Cable and Satellite (think Comcast, Dish Network, DirecTV, etc.) will still require their own boxes, both before and after they switch everything over to digital broadcast. The only TRUE difference the stupid FCC mandated switch will make is that over the air local broadcasts in analog NTSC will be shutdown and digital ATSC broadcasts will replace them. For example, my TV is well capable of displaying HD, it just can't tune it on it's own; so I still need a set top box to tune over the air HD, or to watch HD cable or HD satellite.

Cliffs:
If your grandma has cable, it won't matter, she'll still need a set top box for anything above channel 100 because the cable companies encrypt their signals. Check her TV for component, DVI, or HDMI inputs to see if it's HD Capable.

 

[DaveSimmons]

> My grandma was asking me if her tv was Digital ready for when the cables company switch over from the analog signals to the digital signals.

The cable box is connected with a yellow composite RCA plug or black s-video, right?

When they switch to digital cable they will just give her a new cable box, that still connects using the exact same cable. The box does all of the work.

"digital ready" TVs are just talking about Rabiit Ears 2.0 the new over-the-air broadcast method.

 

[sonoma1993]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
> My grandma was asking me if her tv was Digital ready for when the cables company switch over from the analog signals to the digital signals.

The cable box is connected with a yellow composite RCA plug or black s-video, right?

When they switch to digital cable they will just give her a new cable box, that still connects using the exact same cable. The box does all of the work.

"digital ready" TVs are just talking about Rabiit Ears 2.0 the new over-the-air broadcast method.

my grandma tv doesnt have a cable box. She just has plain basic plus from comcast. The cable goes straight to her tv.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: sonoma1993
my grandma tv doesnt have a cable box. She just has plain basic plus from comcast. The cable goes straight to her tv.

OK, then for digital cable they'll make her get a box and like it!

If her TV is even 10 years old, it should have a S-Video or composite input.

 

[sonoma1993]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

Originally posted by: sonoma1993
my grandma tv doesnt have a cable box. She just has plain basic plus from comcast. The cable goes straight to her tv.

OK, then for digital cable they'll make her get a box and like it!

If her TV is even 10 years old, it should have a S-Video or composite input.

i know her tv is somewhere from 2 to 4 years old. yeah i'm pretty sure it has s-video input. I'll have to check on the component input though. I know it doesnt have the hdmi inputs

 

[DaveSimmons]

composite = 1 yellow plug
component = 3 plugs r,g,b

For standard-def digital cable she only needs a composite or s-video input, not component or HDMI.