while I'm sleepless in seattle waiting for local hd channels....

[DadGuy]

Hi,

I'm in the seattle market and not sure if I should go ahead and order the currently offered h10 receiver and 3lnb dish and trust that I'll get a free upgrade when the local hd's are available later this year (the whole lease thing sound unclear on upgrades) or go ahead and order the h20 and 5lnb from value electronics for a little higher cost now and be set. Any thoughts/opinions would be appeciated....

In the meantime I have a HD antenna by terk (HDTVs slimline) on loan from a friend to see if I can get the locals. Here's where my ignorance really shines.... I bought a pioneer pdp-4345HD plasma screen and for the life of me I can't tell if it is actually a HD tuner or just a regular tuner. I'm listing the connections types it has and hopefully someone can help me know for sure whether or not I can go from my coax from the HD antenna directly to the pioneer tuner or do I have to wait till I have a separate HD receiver....

"The PDP4345 comes fully loaded: its outboard media receiver is equipped with a Digital Cable Ready Tuner (DCR) with a basic Passport EPG and an ATSC terrestrial HDTV tuner plus a full set of interfaces, including Multiple i.Link and a next-generation High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI). "

The PDP4345 PureVision plasma television delivers pristine pictures through advanced technology, like Pioneer's Pure Drive, which keeps video signals in a lossless digital domain, for higher video quality. Advanced PureCinema with 3-3 pulldown means film-based material matches the smooth, natural reproduction you'd see in a theater.

43" Screen Size (Diagonal), XGA Resolution (1024 x 768p)

Advanced PureCinema with 3-3 Pulldown, First Plasma Capable of 72 Hz Display

2 HDMI Connections, 2 IEEE 1394 (i.LINK) Interface, Component RGB w/BNC Connectors

Optical Digital Audio Output, D Sub-15 Input (For PC Input)

Front and Rear Component, S-Video and A/V Connections

Two-Way Stereo Speakers Included



Well that's what I can find that seems like it might be relevant...can anyone tell if I can get HD over the air via antenna directly into this tuner or not?

Thanks

 

[kryten98371]

Yes, your TV will support OTA HDTV via the ATSC Tuner. After you scan for channels, you should see:

4-1
5-1
5-2
7-1
7-2
9-1
9-2
9-3
9-5
11-1
13-1
13-2
16-1
28-1
28-2

And some more (going by memory, sorry if it isn't accurate!) 5-2 is all weather, and 7-2 is a camera at SeaTac airport (like watching paint dry).

Your TV may be different on how it shows the digital channels.

 

[DadGuy]

thanks kryten98371 I appreciate the response... I do have a couple follow on questions...

I hooked up the antenna, pointed it in the general direction indicated by anntennaweb.org, ran the channel scan and only got a handful of analog channels...nothing hd and nothing that indicated any signal strength. I was hooked up to the coax antenna/cable A coax in. Is it possible that I just don't get channles this far south? bonney lake / buckley area...or do I need to hook up the antenna to something different ? I was I could be more specific but I really am a bit confused still....

 

[gibbsjf53]

From Bonney lake you may need to get a larger antenna, I have a couple here in Tumwater you can have if you want to make the trip.

Jim

 

[kryten98371]

I'm in the Puyallup area, and I get all the stations (have to move the antenna once in a while for 13 and 16). You should be able to get most if not all the stations. Check which cable input you are using. For ATSC digital, you need to use cable input A only. Here is what the manual says:

This system is equipped with two terminals for inputting TV
broadcasting signals: ANTENNA/CABLE A IN and ANTENNA B.
The ANTENNA/CABLE A IN terminal accepts both digital and
conventional TV broadcasting signals while the ANTENNA B
terminal accepts only conventional TV broadcasting signals.
When using a cable TV to watch digital and/or conventional TV
channels, connect to the ANTENNA/CABLE A IN terminal as
shown. In addition, you may connect an antenna to the
ANTENNA B terminal as shown; use an outdoor antenna to
enjoy clearer pictures. If your outdoor uses a 75-ohm coaxial
cable with an F-type connector, plug it into the antenna
terminal at the rear of the Media Receiver.

If you are using cable, then you should connect your converter to Antenna/Cable B, and hook up your UHF antenna to Antenna A. Remember, all the digital stations are on UHF frequencies, so your antenna must have the UHF elements to work. I use a single UHF antenna with a rotor for my installation. PM me if you like.

 

[DadGuy]

gibbsjf53: I'll take you up on the antennas...I'll PM/email you with contact info...thanks much!

kryten98371: I'll pm you as well as I have a couple more questions for ya... thanks to you as well...