OTA tuners

I am looking for an inexpensive (e.g. no bells and whistles, don't need
satellite, nor tivo capabilities) OTA tuner for my projection HDTV monitor.

Is there a site where one can go to get a list of OTA HDTV tuners? Google
searches keep turning up the same few (HUMAX HFA100, Samsung
T351, 451,..) but with very little feedback as to their performance and
quality.

Also, I seem to remember an earlier post where one recommended an RCA model
(for about $100-$150) but I can't seem to find any RCA
model in that range.

Thanks in advance.

On Sun, 22 Jan 2006 19:37:35 -0600, Hobo wrote:

I am looking for an inexpensive (e.g. no bells and whistles, don't need
satellite, nor tivo capabilities) OTA tuner for my projection HDTV monitor.

Is there a site where one can go to get a list of OTA HDTV tuners? Google
searches keep turning up the same few (HUMAX HFA100, Samsung
T351, 451,..) but with very little feedback as to their performance and
quality.

Also, I seem to remember an earlier post where one recommended an RCA model
(for about $100-$150) but I can't seem to find any RCA
model in that range.

I got one of these when they were on sale for $109. They then went to $129
and now they're $149 and out of stock.

http://www.buy.com/retail/Product.as...205&adid=17662

--
Want the ultimate in free OTA SD/HDTV Recorder? http://mythtv.org
http://mysettopbox.tv/knoppmyth.html Usenet alt.video.ptv.mythtv
My server http://wesnewell.no-ip.com/cpu.php

Hobo wrote:
I am looking for an inexpensive (e.g. no bells and whistles, don't need
satellite, nor tivo capabilities) OTA tuner for my projection HDTV monitor.

Is there a site where one can go to get a list of OTA HDTV tuners? Google
searches keep turning up the same few (HUMAX HFA100, Samsung
T351, 451,..) but with very little feedback as to their performance and
quality.

Also, I seem to remember an earlier post where one recommended an RCA model
(for about $100-$150) but I can't seem to find any RCA
model in that range.

Thanks in advance.

For whatever reason HDTV OTA receivers are very hard to find. They are sold out
everywhere. A month ago I bought an HDTV at Best Buy. Then I said to the sales
person, OK, now I need the receiver / tuner to receive over the air HD
broadcasts. She said BB carried them but were sold out. And in fact BB has been
sold out nation-wide ever since. (except for a $1K Sony HD DVR) There are HD
receivers available that work with DirecTV but stand alone receivers are hard to
find. I eventually found one at Circuit City in St. Louis. I bought the last
unit in town. And it didn't work. CC received another ONE a few days later and I
exchanged mine for that one. It did work and continues to work fine. But $230 or
so.
I don't know why these are so hard to find and buy. I have to assume that most
new HDTV buyers are subscribing to HD cable or satellite. I also see in ads that
a lot of new HDTV models have built-in ATSC tuners but I think that is a new
phenomena.

Not only are OTA receivers hard to find ...
a lot of them have major shortcomings. For example,
according to consumer reviews on the web:

LG - OTA/DVD combo
problems playing DVD's on Syntax monitors
-------------------------
HUMAX
takes over video processing from more capable monitors
-------------------------
SAMSUNG
No longer produced or supported. All models have
horrendous reviews on the web. And, "gray" side bars
instead of black (makes center picture appear "sunken",
at least to my eye)
-------------------------
RCA ATSC11
again, "gray" side bars on 4:3 broadcasts
-------------------------
PRO BRAND (Also sold as DIGITAL STREAM)
I own one and it's buggy. Read my previous posts.
-------------------------
MOTOROLA HDT-101
No DVI nor HDMI. "Lots of bugs". "Still buggy".
-------------------------
VOOM
New receivers will not work. Must be used, having
been "activated" and working. Must have card & remote.

-TankGirl

DanR ) wrote in alt.tv.tech.hdtv:
I eventually found one at Circuit City in St. Louis. I bought the last
unit in town. And it didn't work. CC received another ONE a few days later and I
exchanged mine for that one. It did work and continues to work fine.

I don't know why these are so hard to find and buy.

You showed exactly why they are so hard to find. The stores are vastly
underestimating demand. Other people are camping on doorsteps like you to
get the receiver first. Then, too, there's a lot more Internet purchases.

--
Jeff Rife | "Wheel of morality,
| Turn, turn, turn.
| Tell us the lesson
| That we should learn"
| -- Yakko, "Animaniacs"

DanR wrote:
Hobo wrote:

I am looking for an inexpensive (e.g. no bells and whistles, don't need
satellite, nor tivo capabilities) OTA tuner for my projection HDTV monitor.

Is there a site where one can go to get a list of OTA HDTV tuners? Google
searches keep turning up the same few (HUMAX HFA100, Samsung
T351, 451,..) but with very little feedback as to their performance and
quality.

Also, I seem to remember an earlier post where one recommended an RCA model
(for about $100-$150) but I can't seem to find any RCA
model in that range.

Thanks in advance.


For whatever reason HDTV OTA receivers are very hard to find. They are sold out
everywhere. A month ago I bought an HDTV at Best Buy. Then I said to the sales
person, OK, now I need the receiver / tuner to receive over the air HD
broadcasts. She said BB carried them but were sold out. And in fact BB has been
sold out nation-wide ever since. (except for a $1K Sony HD DVR) There are HD
receivers available that work with DirecTV but stand alone receivers are hard to
find. I eventually found one at Circuit City in St. Louis. I bought the last
unit in town. And it didn't work. CC received another ONE a few days later and I
exchanged mine for that one. It did work and continues to work fine. But $230 or
so.
I don't know why these are so hard to find and buy. I have to assume that most
new HDTV buyers are subscribing to HD cable or satellite. I also see in ads that
a lot of new HDTV models have built-in ATSC tuners but I think that is a new
phenomena.


The FCC mandated 8-VSB receivers in all new TV sets over a period of
years. More and more TV sets will have 8-VSB receivers built in as a result.

But more and more "display devices" monitors, that have NO tuners in
them, are being sold to get around the mandate. Last week I checked
Costco and found 22 display devices, TV sets and monitors, of which only
three had integrated 8-VSB tuners. I expect that may go to one or even
Zero over time since in NYC reception is very poor for 8-VSB. Retailers
do not want to sell something big and expensive that might come back.

They already have mostly given up on stand alone 8-VSB receivers. Costco
doesn't sell one of those at the store I checked at all.

Bob Miller

" SAMSUNG
No longer produced or supported. All models have
horrendous reviews on the web. And, "gray" side bars
instead of black (makes center picture appear "sunken",
at least to my eye)

Please cite your sources for the above. I have a Sammy SIR-T151 that's been
working just fine for more than three years (knock wood).
--
Bearman
If it's got tits, tires, tubes, or transistors, it's trouble.

Original TankGirl wrote:
Not only are OTA receivers hard to find ...
a lot of them have major shortcomings. For example,
according to consumer reviews on the web:

SAMSUNG
No longer produced or supported. All models have
horrendous reviews on the web. And, "gray" side bars
instead of black (makes center picture appear "sunken",
at least to my eye)

The Samsung SIR-T451 is still listed on the Samsung website and is
listed on various retailer websites as well. I have the Samsung T451 and
it works just fine for Over the Air reception. I have not read a bad
review of it.

ATSC receivers have become hard to fine because I think that there has
been an increase in demand due to rising HD monitor sales and the
manufacturers & retailers have yet not caught up with increased demand.
We may also have some manufacturers holding off on introducing new
models until cable card 2.0 hardware is available because they could
then promote the QAM capable models for the digital cable market.

ALan

"Original TankGirl" wrote:
Not only are OTA receivers hard to find ...
a lot of them have major shortcomings. For example,
according to consumer reviews on the web:

LG - OTA/DVD combo
problems playing DVD's on Syntax monitors
-------------------------
HUMAX
takes over video processing from more capable monitors
-------------------------
SAMSUNG
No longer produced or supported. All models have
horrendous reviews on the web. And, "gray" side bars
instead of black (makes center picture appear "sunken",
at least to my eye)
-------------------------
RCA ATSC11
again, "gray" side bars on 4:3 broadcasts
-------------------------
PRO BRAND (Also sold as DIGITAL STREAM)
I own one and it's buggy. Read my previous posts.
-------------------------
MOTOROLA HDT-101
No DVI nor HDMI. "Lots of bugs". "Still buggy".
-------------------------
VOOM
New receivers will not work. Must be used, having
been "activated" and working. Must have card & remote.

-TankGirl

Is that you, Lori Petty? ;-)

Chip

--
-------------------- http://NewsReader.Com/ --------------------
Usenet Newsgroup Service $9.95/Month 30GB

Original TankGirl wrote:
And, "gray" side bars
instead of black (makes center picture appear "sunken",
at least to my eye)
-------------------------

I was under the impression that the "side bars" is generated by the TV station
when 16x9 material is not available. That is... the TV station generates a 16x9
image which includes the "side bars". I have one local station that uses these
"gray side bars". I'm guessing it's their attempt to lessen burn-in.