"To Converter Box" output on back of TV

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

"Mack McKinnon" <MckinnonRemoveThis@tvadmanDeleteThisAsWell.com> wrote in
message news:N5q2d.4525$3b.1277@fe2.texas.rr.com...
> My Sony HDTV has an output, just above the "VHF/UHF" cable input, labeled
> "To Converter Box". This is supposed to replace an external splitter, so
> you can run your cable out of the wall into your TV and browse the analog
> channels using the TV tuner, then run the signal out through the
> "Converter
> Box" output to your cable box. From there back into the TV via component
> or
> other cables, digital sound to your receiver, whatever. But when I tried
> to
> use it, my HD converter box would not even authorize. I ended up using an
> external splitter.
>
> Today, the Time-Warner cable guy was here because HBOHD was not performing
> well and I asked him about that converter box output. He said "that never
> works". Said that those outputs were common on the new HDTV sets but that
> they "never worked" with the HD cable box. Everybody has to feed the box
> out of the wall or use a splitter, as I did.
>
> I wonder what's up with that? Why does it not work? Why did Sony (and
> apparently others) think it would? Or is this just something weird about
> the Scientific Atlanta box TW uses? Don't know. Cable guy didn't either,
> only that "they never work".
>
> Does your "To Converter Box" output work?
>
> mack
> austin


i would suspect that if it doesn't work, it's because it's an amplified
"zero loss" signal that doesn't have a return path for the stb to talk to to
digital cable headend for decryption info

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

>Meaning if you want an active output from the "to convertor" RF connector
>then either select the Aux input for the tuner or put an active signal into
>both the Main "A" and Aux "B" inputs. Kinda defeats the whole ideas in my
>opinion.

I'm afraid you lost me there. Here's what Sony says about the "To
Converter" output in the manual for my KF-60WE610:

"TO CONVERTER. This is a VHF/UHF OUT jack that lets you set up your LCD
projection TV to switch between scrambled channels (though a cable box) and
normal cable channels (CATV). Use this jack instead of a splitter to get
better picture quality when switching between scrambled and unscrambled
cable channels."

Which sounded to me as though you just ran cable from the wall into the TV
VHF/UHF input, then out through TO CONVERTER output to the digital converter
box, then fed the picture and sound back into your TV though component and
audio cables, accessible through the appropriate TV/Video input. Toggle to
"TV" and you get cable out of the wall; toggle to "Cable Box" (or however
you label that component input) and you get your scrambled digital channels,
including HDTV. All that would do would be to eliminate an external
splitter which is what they say it is for. Sounds pretty simple. Too bad
it doesn't work.

But in the connection diagrams in the manual, they only show use of the TO
CONVERTER output for one type of connection: connecting a VCR and cable box.
There, they have wall cable going into VHF/UHF on the TV, then out from TO
CONVERTER, into the cable box, out of the cable box, into the VCR, then the
signal goes out of the VCR via S-Video and RCA cables into one of the TV
non-HD inputs. Obviously, not an HDTV setup. So, go figure.

The way I have mine set up is cable out of wall into a splitter. Half of
splitter signal goes to my DVR recorder (replaces a VCR) and passes through
its output and into the TV's VHF/UHF input. The other half of the splitter
output goes to the HD-digital cable box which is then connected to the TV
via component cables. Digital audio cables from DVR and cable box to
receiver. Also TV audio out from TV to receiver. So three choices for
audio from the receiver: DVD & cable box, which are 5.1 digital and TV,
which is surround. All that seems to work pretty well, although, in theory,
it would reduce the signal to noise ratio a little and slightly improve the
signal, if I didn't have to use the external splitter and the internal one
worked as it is apparently supposed to.

mack
austin

"Art" <plotsligt@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:0dGdnfPqm_xbKtfcRVn-rw@comcast.com...
> The connector on the back of many teles seems to operate almost opposite
of
> which the average person would expect. These sets have an A and B antenna
> input or Main and Aux depending on the labels.
> While viewing station material on the "A" or "Main" input the to convertor
> output is switched to the "B" or "Aux", when the customer switches to the
> "B" or "AUX" side them the to convertor is then switched to the "A" or
> "Main" side. I have absolutely no idea why the designers developed them to
> operate them in this matter but it seems that all work in a similar
manner.
> Meaning if you want an active output from the "to convertor" RF connector
> then either select the Aux input for the tuner or put an active signal
into
> both the Main "A" and Aux "B" inputs. Kinda defeats the whole ideas in my
> opinion.
> "Randy Sweeney" <rsweeney1@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:_fOdneW2Pf8pp9fcRVn-qQ@comcast.com...
> >
> > "Mack McKinnon" <MckinnonRemoveThis@tvadmanDeleteThisAsWell.com> wrote
in
> > message news:N5q2d.4525$3b.1277@fe2.texas.rr.com...
> >> My Sony HDTV has an output, just above the "VHF/UHF" cable input,
labeled
> >> "To Converter Box". This is supposed to replace an external splitter,
so
> >> you can run your cable out of the wall into your TV and browse the
analog
> >> channels using the TV tuner, then run the signal out through the
> >> "Converter
> >> Box" output to your cable box. From there back into the TV via
component
> >> or
> >> other cables, digital sound to your receiver, whatever. But when I
tried
> >> to
> >> use it, my HD converter box would not even authorize. I ended up using
> >> an
> >> external splitter.
> >>
> >> Today, the Time-Warner cable guy was here because HBOHD was not
> >> performing
> >> well and I asked him about that converter box output. He said "that
> >> never
> >> works". Said that those outputs were common on the new HDTV sets but
> >> that
> >> they "never worked" with the HD cable box. Everybody has to feed the
box
> >> out of the wall or use a splitter, as I did.
> >>
> >> I wonder what's up with that? Why does it not work? Why did Sony (and
> >> apparently others) think it would? Or is this just something weird
about
> >> the Scientific Atlanta box TW uses? Don't know. Cable guy didn't
> >> either,
> >> only that "they never work".
> >>
> >> Does your "To Converter Box" output work?
> >>
> >> mack
> >> austin
> >
> >
> > i would suspect that if it doesn't work, it's because it's an amplified
> > "zero loss" signal that doesn't have a return path for the stb to talk
to
> > to digital cable headend for decryption info
> >
>
>