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Posted: 1/5/2006 12:24:21 PM EDT
Been looking at TV's with HD tuner installed or without. Called cable who told me it dosen't matter because you still need a hd box from cable. So my question is it worth it to spend the extra $100 for the integral tuner or not?
Link Posted: 1/5/2006 12:28:04 PM EDT
[#1]
if i understand your question right, the tuner you are speaking is to receive off-air signals. if you have local networks that broadcast an HD signal you will only receive them if you have the integral tuner. you will still have to have a set top HD receiver for cable or sat.
Link Posted: 1/5/2006 12:32:48 PM EDT
[#2]

Quoted:
if i understand your question right, the tuner you are speaking is to receive off-air signals. if you have local networks that broadcast an HD signal you will only receive them if you have the integral tuner. you will still have to have a set top HD receiver for cable or sat.


100% correct.  I'm in Kansas City and we have a few local stations broadcasting in HD that can be picked up great with a HD tuner.  
Link Posted: 1/5/2006 12:43:47 PM EDT
[#3]

Quoted:
Been looking at TV's with HD tuner installed or without. Called cable who told me it dosen't matter because you still need a hd box from cable. So my question is it worth it to spend the extra $100 for the integral tuner or not?



Not really, unless you don't plan on using HD cable or Satellite. You can receive local HD channels with just an HD antenna with a built in tuner, but you wouldn't need to if you are using HD cable. My HD TV doesn't have a built in tuner and I'll never miss it.
Link Posted: 1/5/2006 12:46:02 PM EDT
[#4]
I got a AD HD TV  I think...hey look, something shiny....
Link Posted: 1/5/2006 12:46:36 PM EDT
[#5]
Link Posted: 1/5/2006 12:50:17 PM EDT
[#6]
I don't know about Antenna or Satellite, but if your going with cable -


If you don't have a digital tuner built in, you will need a tuner box.  Most new TVs come with an option called CableCard.  With it you won't need a seperate tuner for the extra HD channels you pay for.  But you won't have the interactive TV guide, or pay per views through the remote control.

But in no way are you done there.  If you plan on using a tuner box for analog signals (Channels 2-78) they will look like crap.  You're HDTV displays a higher resolution, and doesn't know how to fill in the missing pieces.  HDTVs that have a built in RF tuner handle it a bit better but the image leaves a bit to be desired.  In 2006 this type of signal is supposed to no longer be used anyway.

What you should do is look at your cable company's website and the features they offer in your area.  Decide which features you'd order, and make the TV decision based on that.
Link Posted: 1/5/2006 2:52:49 PM EDT
[#7]
Get the built in tuner, You might want it some day. Keep in mind that digital cable, though digital is not HD by default it just isnt analog. Satellite by default is digital but not HD unless upgraded. both satellite and cable hd Programs use some form of compression. Over the air channels are the highest quality, due to that lack of compression. Cable also has problems with the multicast of channels. For example the local CBS 5 broadcasts in HD/Digital on UHF 16.1-3 meaning 16.1 is the regular CBS programs including HD during primetime, the 16.2 is the 24 hour local news replay, and 5.3 is a live view of their Doppler Weather Radar.  By the way not all programs even on the big networks are in HD except  during  primetime.

Visit the AVS FORUM and then make a decision. I got a new Magnavox Plasma with the built in Tuner and a Channnel Master 4228  UHF Antenna can CM7777 amp and recieve perfect over the air HD channels from the 3 that have changed to Digital thus far and they are over 50 Miles away. I still recieve all of the regular non digital OTA signals too and then use my DTV dish.

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