Combining OTA HDTV and CATV

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

On 14 Sep 2005 19:52:26 -0700 Dave <fosterdave@hotmail.com> wrote:

| I am trying to figure out if this is even possible. Are there HDTV's
| with tuners that can remember the channels programmed for OTA TV and
| CATV separately? I only have one F connector on my Insignia TV. I want
| to get OTA HDTV and analog cable and combine it into one cable with a
| diplexer or switch box. Then I want to be able to switch the input type
| between OTA TV and CATV and have the channels be separate.

The design of a receiver with only one F connector is usually going to
assume only one source is connected.


| Any advice on what I should use to combine the 2 coax cables? Diplexer
| or splitter?

Maybe a separate STB for one of the sources, if you have an A/V input?


| Also, are there other TV's that keep track of the chanel programming
| separately?

If the STB does, you could have it separate that way.

I don't know of TVs that do that, but it would definitely be a plus.
I'd also like features such as saving all audio/video settings on a
per-channel basis.

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Phil Howard KA9WGN | http://linuxhomepage.com/ http://ham.org/ |
| (first name) at ipal.net | http://phil.ipal.org/ http://ka9wgn.ham.org/ |
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Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

On 14 Sep 2005 19:52:26 -0700, "Dave" <fosterdave@hotmail.com> wrote:

>I am trying to figure out if this is even possible. Are there HDTV's
>with tuners that can remember the channels programmed for OTA TV and
>CATV separately? I only have one F connector on my Insignia TV. I want
>to get OTA HDTV and analog cable and combine it into one cable with a
>diplexer or switch box. Then I want to be able to switch the input type
>between OTA TV and CATV and have the channels be separate.
>
>Any advice on what I should use to combine the 2 coax cables? Diplexer
>or splitter?
>
>Also, are there other TV's that keep track of the chanel programming
>separately?
>
Have you looked at the HD TVs with built in digital and analog NTSC
tuners? The ones I've seen have 2 antenna inputs for just what you
are saying - so you can switch between them for analog and digital
sources if you want. I assume the set will remember both the digital
and analog channel settings when switching between tuners.

If you find a set that doesn't have that capability, you can still do
the work around another poster suggested and hook up the analog cable
to a VCR and feed the set with the VCR A/V outs. Another work around
would be a simple 75 ohm A/B switch, if necessary.

Gary E
--
|Gary A. Edelstein
|edelsgNO@SPAMyahoo.com.invalid (remove NO SPAM and .invalid to reply)
|"We have met the enemy and he is us." - Walt Kelly's Pogo

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

Dave (fosterdave@hotmail.com) wrote in alt.tv.tech.hdtv:
> I am trying to figure out if this is even possible. Are there HDTV's
> with tuners that can remember the channels programmed for OTA TV and
> CATV separately? I only have one F connector on my Insignia TV. I want
> to get OTA HDTV and analog cable and combine it into one cable with a
> diplexer or switch box. Then I want to be able to switch the input type
> between OTA TV and CATV and have the channels be separate.

This won't work with just one antenna input. When you switch from OTA
to cable, every TV (or STB) requires a re-scan. Every HDTV with more than
one antenna input allows separate channel memory, though.

The MyHD PCI cards not only have two inputs, but allow cable and OTA on
the same wire at the same time (obviously you have to make sure the
channels don't overlap).

> Any advice on what I should use to combine the 2 coax cables? Diplexer
> or splitter?

Diplexers are frequency-based filters...they cut off (or combine) signals
from below a certain frequency with those above a certain frequency.
Unless you have a very odd cable system, the OTA frequencies will overlap
with some of the cable channels, so you couldn't use a diplexer even if
you could find one set for a frequency other than 1GHz (which is the end
of cable and the beginning of satellite).

A *combiner* (which many splitters act like when installed in reverse)
wouldn't work because of the same overlapping frequencies issue.

You need an A/B switch of some kind, but the suggestion of feeding cable
signals through your VCR to a video input is the best idea.

--
Jeff Rife |
| http://www.nabs.net/Cartoons/Dilbe [...] onitor.gif

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

In article <1126752746.215169.157260@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
"Dave" <fosterdave@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I am trying to figure out if this is even possible. Are there HDTV's
> with tuners that can remember the channels programmed for OTA TV and
> CATV separately?

My Sanyo does exactly that.

It has two antenna inputs in the back: one for ATSC (digital OTA), one
for NTSC (where I have my analog cable plugged in).

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

In article <1126844676.840181.238770@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>,
"Dave" <fosterdave@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Are there any good HD DVR's available today?

Your cable company, or Sony.