I'm a college student, so I'm buying the cheapest TV out there. It's a 20" flat screen CRT from Emerson @ WalMart:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5645597
It says it comes with a digital tuner. We're getting cable Internet and TV installed from Comcast tomorrow. Do I need to get a Comcast digital cable box or can I just plug coax into the TV and I get digital TV? I don't really understand what the digital tuner means. I think someone once told me it's in newer TVs and it allows you to get digital cable TV straight into your TV without the box.
2007-09-05 15:10:29 · 3 answers · asked by fenix275 1 in Consumer Electronics ➔ TVs
The digital tuner inside the Emerson TV set is for over-the-air digital channels. It is completely different from the digital cable service offered by Comcast. If you purchase the set and plug it in to Comcast's system, you'll only be able to receive the analog channels in the basic tier of service.
Digital over-the-air broadcasting will begin in February, 2009. All new TVs sold today are required by FCC rules to include a digital tuner, hence the confusion in the marketplace about whether a cable company converter is required (it is to watch any of the digital channels on the cable system).
The TV set you're looking at has a S-VIDEO input. If your Comcast converter has an S-VIDEO output (and the left/right audio outputs), use that to connect to your TV set. The video quality will be superior to that provided by the coaxial RF input (the traditional 75 ohm connector), or the composite video/audio inputs (red-yellow-white RCA connectors).
Enjoy watching your new TV set.
Jonathan Kramer, Esq.
Kramer Telecom Law Firm, P.C.
and the http://CableTV.com/forum.php host
2007-09-07 12:23:16 · answer #1 · answered by Jonathan Kramer 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you are getting only unscrambled analog cable, then you shouldn't need a cable box. If you are getting any other kind of cable service, then you will need a cable box.
According to the manual for the CR202EM8, its digital tuner only seems to receive OTA signals. OTA digital signals require a ATSC tuner, which the TV has.
If the TV was capable of receiving digital TV signals, it would also have a QAM tuner. Even then it could only work it if your cable company were using unencrypted QAM to send the programing (you would have to ask them.)
2007-09-05 16:52:21 · answer #2 · answered by Stephen P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in case you purely have standard cable, and via which you recommend analog, then using the tuner in a VCR might do wonderful. in case you opt for for HD, you opt for for something with an HD tuner,like the TiVo HD unit.
2016-11-14 07:37:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋