ATSC Tuner vs HD Tuner?

[Kelemvor]

Howdy,

My parents are looking to get a new TV and they're looking at a 32" or so LCD TV. THey have Time Warner cable and don't have a set top box so they need one that has a tuner built in.

TW sends the normal channel's HD signals over their normal lines so if your TV can tune to those HD channels then you can get the signals without the need for an HD Antenna or signing up for the expensive packages.

Some of the TVs say they have an ATSC tuner, some say just Digital Tuner... What exactly is the difference?

Specifically, my dad saw this Sanyo set today and asked me what I thought about it so I'm just trying to do a bit of research for him.

Store Link:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4529482

Manuf Link:
http://www.sanyo.com/entertainment/televisions/lcd/index.cfm?productID=1244

Will this TV be able to do what they want it to? Unfortunately I'm not up to speed on HDTVs since I'm just a PC guy. heh heh.

Thanks!

 

[SLCentral]

HD is always digital, but digital is not always HD. If you want to get HD without a cable box, you're looking for an ATSC tuner (which is what you see), which lets you use an antenna. But, if you want to use the cable from the wall right into the TV with no box/antenna, you need a ATSC tuner with QAM. It's not very popular, but specifically, LG, HP, Philips, and Sharp (off the top of my head) have them on 32" models.

Digital = ATSC tuner. Just like how analog = NTSC tuner.

 

[Kelemvor]

OK. Thanks for the info. Guess we'll just have to try one and see what happens. heh heh.

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: SLCentral
HD is always digital, but digital is not always HD. If you want to get HD without a cable box, you're looking for an ATSC tuner (which is what you see), which lets you use an antenna. But, if you want to use the cable from the wall right into the TV with no box/antenna, you need a ATSC tuner with QAM. It's not very popular, but specifically, LG, HP, Philips, and Sharp (off the top of my head) have them on 32" models.

Digital = ATSC tuner. Just like how analog = NTSC tuner.

DVB-T=HD/SD Digital, and analog= PAL tuner too

 

[xaeniac]

how do you pipe analog cable into hdtv? Do you need an external box? If so please recommend one, and before asking why would you want to pipe analog cable into an HDTV because I bought this tv to game but may want to watch the news at night.

 

[snoopdoug1]

Originally posted by: SLCentral
HD is always digital, but digital is not always HD. If you want to get HD without a cable box, you're looking for an ATSC tuner (which is what you see), which lets you use an antenna. But, if you want to use the cable from the wall right into the TV with no box/antenna, you need a ATSC tuner with QAM. It's not very popular, but specifically, LG, HP, Philips, and Sharp (off the top of my head) have them on 32" models.

Digital = ATSC tuner. Just like how analog = NTSC tuner.

Is it safe to assume an ATSC with QAM can also use an antenna?

 

[spherrod]

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: SLCentral
HD is always digital, but digital is not always HD. If you want to get HD without a cable box, you're looking for an ATSC tuner (which is what you see), which lets you use an antenna. But, if you want to use the cable from the wall right into the TV with no box/antenna, you need a ATSC tuner with QAM. It's not very popular, but specifically, LG, HP, Philips, and Sharp (off the top of my head) have them on 32" models.

Digital = ATSC tuner. Just like how analog = NTSC tuner.

DVB-T=HD/SD Digital, and analog= PAL tuner too

that makes sense to me

 

[woowoo]

Originally posted by: snoopdoug1

Originally posted by: SLCentral
HD is always digital, but digital is not always HD. If you want to get HD without a cable box, you're looking for an ATSC tuner (which is what you see), which lets you use an antenna. But, if you want to use the cable from the wall right into the TV with no box/antenna, you need a ATSC tuner with QAM. It's not very popular, but specifically, LG, HP, Philips, and Sharp (off the top of my head) have them on 32" models.

Digital = ATSC tuner. Just like how analog = NTSC tuner.

Is it safe to assume an ATSC with QAM can also use an antenna?

ATSC=Over the air digital modulation scheme
QAM=Cable modulation scheme

 

[snoopdoug1]

Originally posted by: woowoo

Originally posted by: snoopdoug1

Originally posted by: SLCentral
HD is always digital, but digital is not always HD. If you want to get HD without a cable box, you're looking for an ATSC tuner (which is what you see), which lets you use an antenna. But, if you want to use the cable from the wall right into the TV with no box/antenna, you need a ATSC tuner with QAM. It's not very popular, but specifically, LG, HP, Philips, and Sharp (off the top of my head) have them on 32" models.

Digital = ATSC tuner. Just like how analog = NTSC tuner.

Is it safe to assume an ATSC with QAM can also use an antenna?

ATSC=Over the air digital modulation scheme
QAM=Cable modulation scheme

Ok - so maybe I'm retarded but is that a yes or a no? I would assume just having QAM means you can do both?

 

[MrBond]

I'm completely lost when it comes to HD Tuners.

If I have standard, analog cable (ie: no cable box, it goes right into my TV/Tivo, which does the channel changing), can I use a QAM/ATSC/whatever tuner to pull in the unencrypted HD locals (my cable company sends them in the clear), or do I have to upgrade to digital service and rent a box?

I don't have an HDTV yet (I'll buy one after I move so I don't have to move it), but when I move I'm going to want cable and if I can get by with the cheaper analog service, I'll do that. The HD tiers of programming don't really have anything I'd watch, aside from ESPN HD. The only other thing that would interest me would be Discovery HD theater, but they don't show my favorite shows (mythbusters/etc) in HD.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: MrBond
If I have standard, analog cable (ie: no cable box, it goes right into my TV/Tivo, which does the channel changing), can I use a QAM/ATSC/whatever tuner to pull in the unencrypted HD locals (my cable company sends them in the clear), or do I have to upgrade to digital service and rent a box?

Correct and most newer LCD/DLP HDTV's offer a built in QAM tuner. My 32" LCD for $599 offers QAM and it works great.

Search these threads for QAM or cable:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=281734

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=287017

 

[Kelemvor]

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: MrBond
If I have standard, analog cable (ie: no cable box, it goes right into my TV/Tivo, which does the channel changing), can I use a QAM/ATSC/whatever tuner to pull in the unencrypted HD locals (my cable company sends them in the clear), or do I have to upgrade to digital service and rent a box?

Correct and most newer LCD/DLP HDTV's offer a built in QAM tuner. My 32" LCD for $599 offers QAM and it works great.

Search these threads for QAM or cable:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=281734

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=287017

So do we need a QAM tuner even to just get the normal analog cable channels (not HD< just USA, TNT, etc) or will the normal ATSC tuner stated in the specs work for that. The HD stuff would just be a nice bonus for what my parents want to do but they have to be able to get the normal cable channels and they don't have a box.

 

[Kelemvor]

Well nevermind. Reading more about this particular model at Sanyo's site the DP32746 is:

Equipped with both analog (NTSC) and digital (ATSC) tuners to receive DTV off-air (terrestrial) signals and Clear QAM unscrambled digital cable channels.

So I guess it should do exactly what we want it to.

 

[Homerboy]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Well nevermind. Reading more about this particular model at Sanyo's site the DP32746 is:

Equipped with both analog (NTSC) and digital (ATSC) tuners to receive DTV off-air (terrestrial) signals and Clear QAM unscrambled digital cable channels.

So I guess it should do exactly what we want it to.

Yeap
Just got the same setu in my bedroom using TW
no cable box....

wall -> coax-> TV (with QAM) = HDTV content (NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS and ABC) and STV for all other "standard cable"

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Homerboy

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Well nevermind. Reading more about this particular model at Sanyo's site the DP32746 is:

Equipped with both analog (NTSC) and digital (ATSC) tuners to receive DTV off-air (terrestrial) signals and Clear QAM unscrambled digital cable channels.

So I guess it should do exactly what we want it to.

Yeap
Just got the same setu in my bedroom using TW
no cable box....

wall -> coax-> TV (with QAM) = HDTV content (NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS and ABC) and STV for all other "standard cable"

That's our exact setup for our 32" LCD in the bedroom.

 

[Homerboy]

That's our exact setup for our 32" LCD in the bedroom.

thats cuz you're sexy and smart like me