Generic set top boxes?

D

daedal

Gawd
Joined
May 10, 2005
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I've got a HAVA Platinum HD connected to a 32in LCD TV in my office.

My dilema is that the TV has a built-in TV tuner. In order to use the HAVA and stream the TV, I need to have it connected to a set top box so I can change channels and such. The HAVA basically sits between the set top box and the TV, intercepting the signal. Since it doesn't accept coax, I need to run an RCA from a box, to the HAVA, then to the TV.

My question is: are there generic, cheap (e.g., Wal-Mart) set top boxes I can buy? I'm having a hard time finding some in online stores since I'm assuming they go under another name. I don't really need a quality product with bells and whistles since the signal is going to be streamed and compressed anyway. Just something that can grab a cable signal and output to RCA.
 
Sounds like all you need is a tv tuner. If you have HDTV in the area, you could use one of the cheap converter boxes (~$50) which all output RCA from an antenna signal (not cable).

You could use a VCR too if its just analog channels.

Purpose built TV Tuner boxes are pricey because theres no market for them.
 
ambientZ said:
Sounds like all you need is a tv tuner. If you have HDTV in the area, you could use one of the cheap converter boxes (~$50) which all output RCA from an antenna signal (not cable).

You could use a VCR too if its just analog channels.

Purpose built TV Tuner boxes are pricey because theres no market for them.
Click to expand...

I'm curious as to why wouldn't converter boxes work? This particular line is analog (I'm assuming it is, anyway since older TVs grab the signal just fine). I really don't know much about this as I've just started dipping my toes in, so I'm a bit confused.
 
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converter boxes don't have analog tuners. They only have Antenna / Over the Air HD tuners which use 8VSB modulation.

Cable systems use QAM for HD/Digital Cable which the converter boxes do not handle, plus most digital cable channels are encrypted.
 
NTSC is the standard analog format, you could try googling for an NTSC tuner, but the cheapest way to do that used to be to buy a vcr which includes one 99% of the time for way less than a purpose built box.
 
ambientZ said:
NTSC is the standard analog format, you could try googling for an NTSC tuner, but the cheapest way to do that used to be to buy a vcr which includes one 99% of the time for way less than a purpose built box.
Click to expand...

10-4. Thanks!
 
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