ota reveivers under $100

[Chad N.]

I am looking for a cheaper ota HD receiver that is capable of displaying letterbox on a 4:3 monitor through component out in 480P, or VGA (1024 x 768).

A secondary concern is a receiver that has brightness/contrast or gamma adjustments.
Anybody know of any receivers that fit this criteria?

I bought a Voom receiver off ebay, but discovered that 4:3 letterbox mode is disabled through component out.

I built a projector using a 15" LCD that has a native resolution of 1024 x 768 and it does not support 16:9 resolutions (it stretches 720P). It only has a VGA input, so I have to run anything through a component to VGA transcoder.

Thanks!

 

[Jim5506]

I have run both an lcd monitor and a lcd projector off my Samsung SIR-T351. It has a switch on back for selecting 480i, 480p, 720p or 1080i output. Also switches for selecting RGB or DVI output.

These go for around $150 on eBay.

 

[Bulbman2]

try eba for a hughes direct tv e86 hd receiver

 

[dlsnyder]

In another couple years the US government will be issuing $50 vouchers to people towards the purchase of an ATSC tuner as the result of analog shutoff. There will probably be a bunch of sub-$100 tuners out then.

 

[Jim5506]

In another couple years the US government will be issuing $50 vouchers to people towards the purchase of an ATSC tuner as the result of analog shutoff. There will probably be a bunch of sub-$100 tuners out then.

I'm guessing that some (several) tuner manufacturers will produce a cheap ATSC-NTSC converter that will be like a VCR tuner, that is it will convert the digital signal to an ntsc signal on channel 3 and/or 4. This will all be SD with NO component or DVI/DHCP outputs. This is what your voucher will be buying, and it will probably cost $15-$20 to build.

If you want an ATSC tuner that does HD you'll probably have to buy a TV with it built in or buy an old one. I believe the stand-alone ATSC-DHTV tuner will disappear like UHF/VHF converters did.

Somebody's going to make a lot of money off this government debacle.

 

[Bugboy98]

Direct TV H10 Receiver ($35)

I bought this receiver off Ebay the other day just so I could get OTA HD channels and I have run into a snag. I do not have a satellite hooked up and the set-up menu has "greyed-out" the area where I can do the antenna setup. When I run it through the guided set-up, it stalls in the "advanced program guide data" screen because I have no dish hooked up to it.

I tried to set it up so that it would only run through the antenna but that wasn't an option. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[ralfyguy]

I think the best way to do this would be a old voom receiver, after getting eduacted about the DO's and DON'Ts on them. I f you educate yourself first how to get the right voom box, you will be happy with it, as I am. They go between $40-80 on eBay

 

[bsr2002]

I think the best way to do this would be a old voom receiver, after getting eduacted about the DO's and DON'Ts on them. I f you educate yourself first how to get the right voom box, you will be happy with it, as I am. They go between $40-80 on eBay

What are the Do's and Don'ts. I may be considering buying one

 

[roashru]

Some OTA Voom purchasing info.
http://home.att.net/~roashru/Voom.html
http://cgi.ebay.com/Voom-Motorola-D...716383223QQcategoryZ61396QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

eBay Voom receiver link.
http://electronics.search.ebay.com/...trefZC12QQfromZR40QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQsacatZ293

 

[neil_kc1]

If you are lucky you might check radio shack, I bought a brand new $250.00 Acurrian check my spelling STB for $85.00 US. Works great, straight forward set up and great pictures.

 

[sfollenius]

If you are lucky you might check radio shack, I bought a brand new $250.00 Acurrian check my spelling STB for $85.00 US. Works great, straight forward set up and great pictures.

These were on closeout quite a few months back 7 or so if I remember right. Maybe you'll get lucky, but I'd be willing to bet they are all gone.

 

[Peter Parker]

I believe that Accuruan price was a close out. I do nott hink it is offered anymore. Am I wrong?

 

[roashru]

I started a page on directv receivers that can be used for over the air hdtv without directv satellite tv service. some of these directv receivers are selling way cheaper than a voom receiver without the worry of is it activated.
http://home.att.net/~roashru/Directv.html

 

[configsys]

I am looking for a cheaper ota HD receiver that is capable of displaying letterbox on a 4:3 monitor through component out in 480P, or VGA (1024 x 768).

A secondary concern is a receiver that has brightness/contrast or gamma adjustments.
Anybody know of any receivers that fit this criteria?

I bought a Voom receiver off ebay, but discovered that 4:3 letterbox mode is disabled through component out.

I built a projector using a 15" LCD that has a native resolution of 1024 x 768 and it does not support 16:9 resolutions (it stretches 720P). It only has a VGA input, so I have to run anything through a component to VGA transcoder.

Thanks!

There is a setting in the Voom settings menu to display images in either 4:3 or 16:9

 

[lilyarbie]

The component outputs only show video in whatever its original aspect ratio is. I have an analog television which can do only 480 interlaced. If the broadcast material is 4:3, then I don't have to worry with it, but if it is 16:9, then I have to use my television's vertical 16:9 compression mode. Of course that works better in my situation because it aims all 480 vertical scan lines at the mid-section which allows me to have the video at full television resolution. If the receiver could letterbox, I'd lose some scan lines to blank space in the process. The picture modes only work with the S-video, composite and RF outputs on the receivers. The software was never designed to support them on the component outputs.

 

[kb7oeb]

I would avoid voom, the box will lock up if a station has a datacast on its stream. You have to delete the channel to use the box.

I think the Samsung SIR-T451 will do what you want and it has VGA out. The T451 does not do a good job cropping to 4:3 but it does letterbox or anamorphic just fine. A froogle search shows refurb models around $150