RCA HDTV tuner-only $110 at buy.com

[KF]

RCA ATSC11 High-Definition Tuner
SAVE $389.99
Buy.com price: $109.99
List price: $499.98
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Free shipping on orders over $10. Oops! So the page says. But apparently doesn't apply to this item! Comes up $11.42 shipping.

Seems like an OK deal.

The idea is to get over-the-air digital TV signals (as opposed to cable or satellite) and translate them for use with an ordinary analog TV with video input or DVI. If you haven't seen digital, the picture is astounding. Normally these stand-alone tuners do not function with cable TV signals that might be digital because those systems need a proprietary decoder, and even when they don't the digital signals are in a different system than over-the-air.

 

[kitkit201]

u can get the one by samsung from circuit city for $249 or less..

 

[aceO07]

Wonder if it comes with an antenna?

What resolution is a regular tv? Not HD. I want to get HD reception on my old tv. Is it 480i?

 

[aceO07]

Originally posted by: kitkit201
u can get the one by samsung from circuit city for $249 or less..

But.. this one is only $109.99...

 

[dclive]

This gives substantially better picture quality, even for those with an older svideo (SD) tv set. Might have to try it out...for $110, why not?

 

[Davinci]

indeed much better picture. You can connect to your TV using svideo or composite cable. Really easy. I dont know about this unit though. I may try it, its a good price.

 

[KF]

Originally posted by: aceO07
Wonder if it comes with an antenna?

What resolution is a regular tv? Not HD. I want to get HD reception on my old tv. Is it 480i?

I'd assume it doesn't come with an antenna. They don't mention one. If you live within 10-15 miles of stations, chances are 50-50 you will get OK digital with an indoor or attic antenna. Lots of people do, lots don't. The problem is that what are strong ghosts (multipath) on analog TV often end up as too many data errors in digital. HDTV then drops out (freezes or blanks) every couple of minutes, which is intolerable and unwatchable IMO. Generally all you need is a small UHF-only antenna if you do need an outdoor antenna. HDTV is almost always broadcast on UHF. UHF-only antennas are small and cheap. It is VHF that uses large elements.

Regular TV is considered equivalent to SD (Standard Definition) which is 480. But there isn't any comparison to the crispness or color rendition really. If you've seen DVDs on your TV through the video input, HDTV is at least as eye-popping. The thing is, 100% digital TV, beginning from the TV camera on, beats movies.

 

[Jaxidian]

Originally posted by: KF
If you live within 10-15 miles of stations, chances are 50-50 you will get OK digital with an indoor or attic antenna. Lots of people do, lots don't. The problem is that what are strong ghosts (multipath) on analog TV often end up as too many data errors in digital. HDTV then drops out (freezes or blanks) every couple of minutes, which is intolerable and unwatchable IMO.

I went to Fry's and bought $200 worth of "HDTV-capable" antennas (antennae?) and I couldn't get a clear signal on my TV (has a built-in HDTV tuner) with any of them. I was hoping I'd find one antenna being better than the rest and take the rest back but none of them worked well. We live about 20 miles from most stations in a very flat area.

Just my comments/experiences about HDTV on an antenna in case anybody cares.

 

[uglywolf]

More info from RCA: http://www.rca.com/product/viewdetail/0,2588,PI700680-CI700311,00.html

I have the Samsung SIR-T451. Are you guys saying this has better quality picture than the Samsung? I think you mean much better quality than analog content. With the Samsung, HDTV content through S-Video is noticable better than regular SD (analog or satellite/cable digital). It's of course, much much better if you use component out (720p/1080i) or DVI/VGA.

The RCA can be hooked up to a regular computer monitor for a cheap HDTV solution. There is an included DVI -> Analog VGA adapter according to the manual. This is great for people who have a computer monitor and they can pick up the DTV signals.

Check Antennaweb.org to see what you'll probably be able to pick up in your area. Usually you'll just need a decent UHF antenna. 99% of the DTV channels are UHF. Digital signals are much easier to pick up than analog signals but it's pretty much an all or nothing deal.

So get this for about $109.99+$11.42 shipping and maybe tax. Hook it up to a cheap UHF antenna, computer monitor, and speakers and viola - HDTV baby!

 

[KF]

Originally posted by: Jaxidian

Originally posted by: KF
If ...IMO.

I went to Fry's and bought $200 worth of "HDTV-capable" antennas (antennae?) and I couldn't get a clear signal on my TV (has a built-in HDTV tuner) with any of them. I was hoping I'd find one antenna being better than the rest and take the rest back but none of them worked well. We live about 20 miles from most stations in a very flat area.

Just my comments/experiences about HDTV on an antenna in case anybody cares.

Forum for anyone seriously interested in solving an antenna problem.
You can read through all 120 pages of that forum, or maybe just the last 10 and get a pretty good idea.

What you will find is that the differences between indoor antennas is the hype on the box more than anything. And if an indoor antenna doesn't work out in a strong signal area (within 25 miles), what you are likely going to need is a directional antenna on the roof. The problem is not that indoor antennas don't get a strong enough signal. It's that they get multiple signals that bounce or refract off of things. The signal is plenty strong, just garbled when considered as data.

I didn't get reception worth a darn at my location with an indoor or attic antenna. For one thing, the house has foil-backed insulation in the walls and attic which blocks and bounces signals pretty thoroughly.

BTW, they will tell you that so-called HDTV antennas are not different in the slightest from the old "analog" antennas. It just happens that there has been a renewed interest in antennas now that HDTV over-the-air is broadcast from virtually all the big stations in the densely populated areas, and satellite services won't/can't carry them.

 

[funboy6942]

Well they are starting to. I just got true HD CBS out of New York last week installed. Cost me $100 for the extra sat dish and instalation but I get CBS HD for free and decided to pay an extra $5 per month and get the Voom hd channels as well since it is off the same sat and uses this new dish as well. I got all the hd channels dish network provide (not hbo or sho though) and with adding voom and cbs I am in HD glory and cant stand watching any of the other tv channels

Also decided to pay for the other dish now because if CBS is on there it wont be long then the others in HD will follow along

 

[Chadder007]

Any of these support QAM?

 

[st0nefry]

I put a Silver Sensor up on the roof of my 2 story condo. This antenna is an indoor model. I busted out my dremel and mounted it to the side of my (not brick) chimney. Ran a cable down the side of my house and into my TV which has a built in HD Tuner. I am about 60 miles from the transmitters in Sacramento and I probably get about 90% signal strength on each channel except CBS which is intermittant. This is with an unpowered antenna. Pulled in NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, WB, UPN, Fox, and Univision (not HD)!!

But now I have Comcast cable and a different TV without the built in tuner. I get the high def stuff for $5 a month through them. It doesn't have UPN or WB, but it has Discovery HD, 2 INHD channels, HD Special Events and ESPNHD. Also all of the premium channel HD stuff (HBO etc.)

-st0nefry

OOooh my 100th post!! Not that I actually contribute anything around here.

 

[mikeford]

Foo, Antennaweb shows ZERO digital for my area. I live in like a fold of the foothlls in a condo with no roof access permitted, so looks like I am SOL for anything over the air.

 

[uglywolf]

RCA doesn't support QAM. My Samsung does but IMHO, it's useless. Charter only puts the 3 or 4 local channels unencrypted. The rest of the digital cable is encrypted so my Samsung can't do anything with it anyways... I used to get VOD porn but I think they caught it and encrypted that stuff. I think that was my neighbors on the block getting the VOD feed and I was just picking it up because ocassionally it would fast forward or pause.

 

[unhuman]

Try an amplifier - radio shack makes the only good ones... I paid about $40 for mine and it made world of difference!

Originally posted by: Jaxidian
I went to Fry's and bought $200 worth of "HDTV-capable" antennas (antennae?) and I couldn't get a clear signal on my TV (has a built-in HDTV tuner) with any of them. I was hoping I'd find one antenna being better than the rest and take the rest back but none of them worked well. We live about 20 miles from most stations in a very flat area.

Just my comments/experiences about HDTV on an antenna in case anybody cares.

 

[marckuh]

Temporarily Sold Out.
More inventory may be available. Place your order today and be one of the first to receive this product when it arrives!

 

[aceO07]

drat.. was tempted to get one.

 

[dclive]

It's in stock.

 

[Joony]

it keeps comming in and out of stock, keep refreshing. My brother just got one for his 2405FPW.

 

[videopho]

I ordered mine last night and has been shipped. Will use it for a 2nd tv display (lcd) to be bought. Warning: This RCA does only ATSC not NTSC (not a problem for me)
this is a repost from my earlier post. Not a problemo. It's such a great deal and I hope the box will work!

 

[dwopks]

UglyWolf or anyone who has this set: when you use this HDTV receiver with the DVI-VGA cable to connect to a regular computer CRT monitor/LCD - do you really get a HDTV-like picture on the monitor?

I already have an ATI HDTV Wonder connected to my monitor and it gives a "true HDTV-like" picture - in my uneducated and inexperienced opinion.

Thanks in advance for your response.

dwopks.

 

[azoomee]

Dont you now typically get an HD tuner when you buy a HDTV?

 

[dclive]

Usually, but not always.

 

[aceO07]

Originally posted by: azoomee
Dont you now typically get an HD tuner when you buy a HDTV?

I want it for our old tv. Just to get the better reception and a few extra channels. I know there's great reception here since I have an ATI HDTV wonder.