New buyer, need help.
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New member Username: Ew1075Post Number: 1 Registered: Nov-06 | Hello, I have a LCD HD tv that did not come with an HD tuner. So I am needing a receiver that will get me over the air HD stations. I am also looking to buy a HTIB for surround sound. Do I need seperate receivers for these or is there one I can buy that has both? This will be my first home theater so I know very little about these. I just needed to be pointed in the right direction. Thanks for the help, Dennis |
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Silver Member Username: PraetorianCanada Post Number: 449 Registered: Dec-05 | Wow, that has to be one "old" TV!  TBH I am no great expert in external tuners. Just to be clear though, do you mean that it has NO internal HD converter at all, or just no place to plug in an external antenna? The reason I ask is because one question I can answer, the other I cannot. If you have an "HD ready" TV but require an external tuner, you can get those in almost any electronics store, whether or not you can hook antennae to them is another question... I don't do that; I get it via land line (digital cable). My TV has a plug though for external OTA antennae, so if this is what you mean, I honestly do not know if you can convert one of the inputs into such a beast with some kind of adapter. If you don't mind leaving the type of TV you have and some specs here, I can get a more definitive answer. I personally recommend staying away from HTiB set-ups if at all possible, but this is strictly my personal preference. If you research (a plethora of info on the web) the different systems, I think you will find that you get way more bang for the buck with separate players, receiver (or amps and decoders, aka "pre-amps") and speakers. It gives you more quality, due to buying one piece of eqpt designed to do ONE job well, vice one piece designed to do many jobs average-to-poorly. It also allows you the flexibility of scalability as your tastes/budget grow! As far as moving in the right direction, you're already on it. The fact that you asked these question BEFORE you bought a system is a real plus! Most people come here looking to fix problems that we got ourselves into buy shooting from the hip. Don't stop here though, ask and read over every BB you find. Also, don't be shy about using the search function. You will find literally thousands of posts along the same line as yours and you can get a lot of answers right away, instead of waiting for someone who might not know what they are talking about to give you the "gospel". GL! |
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New member Username: Ew1075Post Number: 2 Registered: Nov-06 | Hey, thanks for the quick reply. I can leave the tv specs, no problem there. It is HD-Ready out of the box, whatever that means. Here is a link: http://www.olevia.com/jsp/products/otherModelspecs.jsp?pid=LT32HVE I really don't know what it is exactly I need. I have been told I need an HD tuner. That is pretty much the extent of my knowledge. Thanks for the advice on the sound system. I am going to look into some receivers and speakers and then go from there. |
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Platinum Member Username: Project6Post Number: 11619 Registered: Dec-03 | What is your budget? Separate components or do you prefer going the all-in-one route? Separate components are usually better suited for tailoring a better performance. An all-in-one system is very convenient. |
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New member Username: Ew1075Post Number: 3 Registered: Nov-06 | My budget, for sound, is around $300. I don't expect a top notch system for this amount, but I am hoping for a quality system. |
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Gold Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 1187 Registered: Feb-04 | Dennis, there are some external HDTV tuners available, but with each passing model year they're getting rarer since most new model HDTVs come with built-in ATSC digital tuners. Here are three: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SIR-T451-Definition-Terrestrial-Tuner/dp/B00064L1AI http://www.humaxusa.com/STB_HFA100_framset.html http://www.viewsonic.com/support/tventertainment/tvvideoprocessors/nextvisionhd10/ All these units need is an ordinary antenna, especially one strong in UHF reception (since most of HD transmissions, but not necessarily all, are UHF). If you do not live in a metro area, an extenal antenna may be necessary. Put your address in this site and click "show digital stations only" to see the direction and distance of HDTV tansmissions in your area. http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Address.aspx |
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