Are all digital receivers created equally?

wrote:
I see you can get low-res TV's, Hi-Def TV's, and VCR/DVD combos at the
local Big Box Marts with digital receivers built in. In fact, they no
longer sell analog only TV's.

1. Do the digital receivers all function the same way or are there
different features/functions to be aware of? Any receiver brands that
are clearly better than others?

2. Is there any "next big thing" on the horizon that will make them
obsolete and useless or is the current digital broadcast standard
going to be in place until the sun burns out?

3. Assuming many of the VCR/DVD combos are cheap POS units, is it
possible/practical to cannibalize the digital tuner from them?

Can I sub "digital tuner" for "digital receiver" above? If so...

I'm not well-versed in typical digital tuner design, but I would
venture a guess that, since the digital channels are carried by
traditional UHF channels, that the first thing an antenna signal
encounters after it enters a digital tuner is an RF amplifier stage
(an analog amplifier.)

If I'm right, then I would further guess that some 1st stage RF amp
designs will be better than others in terms of gain, noise, etc.

I haven't investigated to see if manufacturers quote numbers like
these in their specs, but that'd be the first thing I'd want to
compare if I were choosing between different tuners.

All this assumes you'd be using an antenna for your source, as opposed
to cable/satellite/fiber/whatever.

On Jan 3, 9:52*am, "Tom Duwe" wrote:

William, would you mind telling us which of the cross-posted groups you were
reading when you replied? *If not a.t.t.hdtv, perhaps there is another group
for me to subscribe to.
Tom in Bristol - (disregard dangling participle!)

A lot of these questions are being asked on rec.arts.tv

and thus inscribed ...
On Jan 2, 7:58 pm, wrote:
3. Assuming many of the VCR/DVD combos are cheap POS units, is it
possible/practical to cannibalize the digital tuner from them?
You can get digital tuners on the surplus market (ebay),. A friend has
a Samsung that had HDMI, but also can drive a standard PC monitor.

On my computer I use the Hauppauge USB HD tuner, it ran for about $75 last year, and it works great at pulling both HD and SD feeds. I use it on my computer which is also hooked up to my large LCD tv, so it's fine to watch.
--
"... respect, all good works are not done by only good folk. For here, at the end of all things, we shall do what needs to be done."
--till next time, Jameson Stalanthas Yu -x- poetry.dolphins-cove.com

On Jan 3, 10:38*am, "Mr. Land" wrote:
wrote:
I see you can get low-res TV's, Hi-Def TV's, and VCR/DVD combos at the
local Big Box Marts with digital receivers built in. In fact, they no
longer sell analog only TV's.

1. Do the digital receivers all function the same way or are there
different features/functions to be aware of? Any receiver brands that
are clearly better than others?

2. Is there any "next big thing" on the horizon that will make them
obsolete and useless or is the current digital broadcast standard
going to be in place until the sun burns out?

3. Assuming many of the VCR/DVD combos are cheap POS units, is it
possible/practical to cannibalize the digital tuner from them?

Can I sub "digital tuner" for "digital receiver" above? *If so...

I'm not well-versed in typical digital tuner design, but I would
venture a guess that, since the digital channels are carried by
traditional UHF channels, that the first thing an antenna signal
encounters after it enters a digital tuner is an RF amplifier stage
(an analog amplifier.)

If I'm right, then I would further guess that some 1st stage RF amp
designs will be better than others in terms of gain, noise, etc.

I haven't investigated to see if manufacturers quote numbers like
these in their specs, but that'd be the first thing I'd want to
compare if I were choosing between different tuners.

All this assumes you'd be using an antenna for your source, as opposed
to cable/satellite/fiber/whatever.

Agreed...I too am very interested in the sensitivity spec for
receivers...which I have not seen published.

TMT

"Tom Duwe" wrote in message
...
"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message
...
1. Do the digital receivers all function the same way or are there
different features/functions to be aware of? Any receiver brands
that are clearly better than others?

When you say "digital receiver", I can't help but think of an audio
component. You mean a "TV set", I assume.

excellent reply snipped

William, would you mind telling us which of the cross-posted groups you
were reading when you replied? If not a.t.t.hdtv, perhaps there is
another group for me to subscribe to.

--
Tom in Bristol - (disregard dangling participle!)

I'd guess sci.electronics.repair since I see him around here regularly.

On Jan 3, 7:02*am, "William Sommerwerck"
wrote:
1. Do the digital receivers all function the same way or are there
different features/functions to be aware of? Any receiver brands
that are clearly better than others?

When you say "digital receiver", I can't help but think of an audio
component. You mean a "TV set", I assume.


A unit that receives and processes a broadcast digital signal, whether
standalone or integrated with a tv or VCR/DVD player. I don't know if
it would be more common to refer to it as a "tuner" since I've also
seen radio units referred to as "tuners".

"Mr. Land" wrote in message
...

snip


I'm not well-versed in typical digital tuner design, but I would
venture a guess that, since the digital channels are carried by
traditional UHF channels, that the first thing an antenna signal
encounters after it enters a digital tuner is an RF amplifier stage
(an analog amplifier.)

If I'm right, then I would further guess that some 1st stage RF amp
designs will be better than others in terms of gain, noise, etc.

I haven't investigated to see if manufacturers quote numbers like
these in their specs, but that'd be the first thing I'd want to
compare if I were choosing between different tuners.

All this assumes you'd be using an antenna for your source, as opposed
to cable/satellite/fiber/whatever.

The relevant tuner spec is "noise figure" or NF. It is expressed in
decibels, the lower the better. In the receivers, I haven't seen the spec
much myself, but the mast-mounted preamplifiers practically always quote it.

If you have strong local signals, a poor NF isn't going to hurt you much.
If you use a low-noise preamp it will establish the system NF adn overcome a
poor receiver noise figure. Warning: some low-noise preamps can be
overloaded by strong local signals. Sorry ... there is no one, perfect
situation.

1. Do the digital receivers all function the same way or are there
different features/functions to be aware of? Any receiver brands
that are clearly better than others?

When you say "digital receiver", I can't help but think of an audio
component. You mean a "TV set", I assume.

My understanding of the term is that a "digital receiver" is a
digital TV *tuner*. It doesn't (or at least might not) include a
monitor. It takes a video signal (ATSC, cable, or satellite, or
some combination of them) and converts it into something a TV set
or DVR can accept (S-Video, component video, DVI, HDMI, etc.) It
might be able to downconvert (so an old analog TV set can display
HD signals, although with less resolution) or upconvert.

I would not expect an audio digital receiver to include speakers.

wrote in message
...
I see you can get low-res TV's, Hi-Def TV's, and VCR/DVD combos at the
local Big Box Marts with digital receivers built in. In fact, they no
longer sell analog only TV's.

1. Do the digital receivers all function the same way or are there
different features/functions to be aware of? Any receiver brands that
are clearly better than others?

snip

I can't answer the question but I'll be looking to acknowledged experts like
Doug Lung
(samples at http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0001/t.p0001.html) for
some hints.

Locally to this NG, Kirk Bayne is hot stuff in the info-gathering field. Is
a free plug OK?
http://www.geocities.com/lislislislis/avdtv.htm

My interest is in the so-called fifth-generation chipset from LG, tested a
few years ago and adjudged to be a significant improvement. I heard LG was
only going to put it in their own products, then I heard they would license
it. Heck, I don't know!

"Sal"