If I get a DVD-R with a digital tuner, will I be able to see HD channels w/ my TV?

Question

I'm wondering if it would be smart to buy one of these units so I wouldn't have to buy both a HD digital tuner and DVD-R. Basically what I'm wanting to do is watch the HD channels on my TV -- I have a cable box -- record the occasional show, and watch DVDs on it. I'm not interested in hooking up a camcorder or anything like that. And please don't tell me about TiVo.

Also, if the answer is yes, do I hook it up to my LCD TV with a HDMI cable or do I need to hook it up with the cable box?

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

There are two separate issues here.

First: Are you getting HD channels from your cable company? Even if you aren't, the local broadcast channels (e.g. Fox, NBC, CBS, PBS) should still be available in HD. If you want things like Discovery HD, however, you will need to upgrade your subscription with the cable company. Using a HDMI cable should allow you to see the HD channels from your cable box.

Second: Recording TV shows. For non-digital, non-HD stations, just connect the TV cable to your DVD-recorder (you may need a splitter and some additional, short, cables.) The recorder has its own tuner for those channels and will work like a VCR.

For digital or HD stations, you will need to connect the cable box to the recorder. (note: the cable box has multiple outputs, so it should be easy to connect your TV and recorder.) Your recorder cannot handle a HDTV signal, so the cable box will downscale the image to that of a regular TV signal for your recorder. Also, if you want to record a digital or HD channel, you will need to set the recorder to record from the AV input the cable box is on - not the normal channel tuner where the TV cable is connected. This also means you will need to change the channel on the cable box manually - and leave it there - while the recorder is recording.

If you find yourself wanting to record many shows, you may want to talk to your cable company about getting a DVR. This adds recording capabilities to your cable box. If you wish to then record a show onto DVD-R, you can connect your cable box to the recorder, pop in a blank disc, hit start on the DVR, and then hit record on the DVD recorder.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, the answer is "that depends". This is a lot more complicated question than you probably thought.

The first question you need to ask is "What system does my cable company use to send HD signals?" If the answer is "unencrypted QAM", then it's possible to avoid using a cable box.

If the answer is something else, then you have to get your HD signals through their cable box (one channel) using a HDMI or component cables. Unless you are also going to record over the air programs, there is no advantage in having a digital tuner in your recorder in this case.

If your cable system is using "unencrypted QAM", then you would probably want to get a recorder that includes a "QAM tuner". This would allow you to record one digital channel while watching another.

What is a "QAM tuner"?
There are two different types of digital tuners used in the US.
ATSC tuners will pick up all digital over the air signals. Cable systems do not use ATSC, one common system that cable systems use is called "QAM". When a DVD recorder says it has a digital tuner, it could mean it only has an ATSC tuner. Check the specs to make sure it also has QAM tuner if that's what you need.

Another limitation is that all current DVD recorders only record and send out standard definition signals. If the recorder has a QAM tuner and you have an unencrypted QAM signal, it will receive the HD programming, The HD signals will be downconverter to standard definition and this is the best signal that it will send to your TV, even if the DVD recorder has a HDMI output.

To see HD programming in HD resolution, you will need to hook it up to your cable system separately from your DVD recorder.

If you don't have an unencrypted QAM signal, you will have to get this through your cable box using HDMI or component cables.

If you have an unencrypted QAM signal, you could tune this in directly without a cable box using either a QAM tuner in your TV (if it has one), or an external QAM tuner such as the Samsung DTBH260F HDTV Terrestrial Tuner