Where can I buy an external digital tuner for my analog VCR?

On Wed, 2 May 2012 10:11:41 -0400, Michael Black wrote:

On Tue, 1 May 2012, AJL wrote:

On Tue, 01 May 2012 16:21:30 -0400, "(PeteCresswell)"
wrote:

25 years, over a hundred thousand times the storage for less than
10 percent of the price....

Sheesh!

My first 6 transistor portable AM radio was near $300. My first LED
wris****ch (the one you had to push the button to read) was near
$200. Now you can find either at the dollar store...

You can find LED watches at the dollar store? There's a reason they
disappeared, leaving only a few traces.

Yes, I realized after I posted it that I probably would be taken to
task by some technical perfectionist for using "LED" instead of
"digital" to describe the wris****ch. But my point was just to confirm
the OPs amazement at how cheap some electronics has become over the
years and not to be perfectly exactly technically correct.

There's an Alistair Mclean book
where the hero presses a button to check the time, I think the watch may
have even been specified as a "Pulsar", and anyone reading that book who
was born a few years later wouldn't get the reference.

Yes that's the kind of watch. You had to push a button to light up the
LED display. I had one, though I don't remember the brand. We used to
call them Polish watches since it took two hands to read one. Went
along with the Polish jokes of the day. Of course all that is
politically incorrect these days...

But it's not quite the same thing. We kind of expect things to drop in
price.

Not all things drop in price. I could buy a new car for around US$2K
in those days. A Coke was still a nickel a bottle.

But both RAM and hard drives, even computers for that matter, have
dropped in price but improved dramatically. .

I was talking little longer time frame. I remember working on those
old original color TVs that were the size of a washing machine and
cost nearly as much as a car (late 50s). Now I can buy the same
(screen) size TV for a fraction of the cost and carry it out under my
arm.

It's the improvement that is
significant, and then the price drop is icing on the cake

And that would be subjective. IMO it's both.

On Wednesday, May 2, 2012 2:58:48 AM UTC-5, G-squared wrote:
....
Intentionally down converting HD to SD just bugs me. I _like_ HD TV.
But if you're happy, enjoy.

G²

Of course, that's why I use my 2 OTA, non-subscription, HD DVRs. } This was in response to the Original Poster who was looking for a way to use his *VCR*. DVD recordings should be a considerable improvement for *him*.

Dan (Woj...)

On Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012, at 09:27:40h -0700, AJL wrote:

Yes that's the kind of watch. You had to push a button to light up the
LED display.

If I recall correctly, Kojak had one.

"AJL" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 2 May 2012 10:11:41 -0400, Michael Black wrote:


snip

Yes, that's the kind of watch. You had to push a button to light up the
LED display. I had one, though I don't remember the brand. We used to
call them Polish watches since it took two hands to read one.

I remember. But later, The Great Advance of the Era was a sensor in some
watches, which, if you flicked your wrist a certain way, the LEDs came on
for a second or two enabling you to read the time and leave the other hand
free to hold onto your burger or steering wheel or girl friend ... whatever.

"Sal"

On May 1, 10:56*pm, "Adam H. Kerman" wrote:
Al 2048 wrote:
However, the idea of a DTA or a set top box that can change channels
based on a timer is an excellent idea. Does anyone know where I can
buy such a DTA or set top box?

Comcast set-top boxes without DVRs have been able to change channels at
the start of programs for years, even back in the days of analogue
descrambler boxes.


Well, that's a good start. But I would prefer for the set top box to
change channels based on a timer. What if I want to start recording at
a program's halfway point? I may not want to record an entire program.

Any other boxes or DTAs that can be programmed to change channels?

As for DVRs, are there any DVRs that do not require a monthly fee?

Regards,

Alex K.

Al 2048 wrote:
On May 1, 10:56 pm, "Adam H. Kerman" wrote:
Al 2048 wrote:

However, the idea of a DTA or a set top box that can change channels
based on a timer is an excellent idea. Does anyone know where I can
buy such a DTA or set top box?

Comcast set-top boxes without DVRs have been able to change channels at
the start of programs for years, even back in the days of analogue
descrambler boxes.

Well, that's a good start. But I would prefer for the set top box to
change channels based on a timer. What if I want to start recording at
a program's halfway point? I may not want to record an entire program.

What do you care how early the channel changes as long as the channel
has been changed before you start recording on the VCR?

In any event, there are options. You can use the listings and have the
channel changed a few minutes before the start of the program. Or, you
can not use the listing and set it to change the channel at a specific
time.

Any other boxes or DTAs that can be programmed to change channels?

This is not a feature of a DTA. You'd have to rent the non-DVR set-top box.

As for DVRs, are there any DVRs that do not require a monthly fee?

Sure, if you don't want to subscribe to Trib listings (used by TiVo) or
TV Guide listings (used by Comcast). But these devices are painful to use
without a listing service.

'tis on this 4/30/2012 3:22 AM, wrote Bruce Esquibel thus to say:
In alt.tv.tech.hdtv Al wrote:
So, I want to get rid of the DTA and to have a VCR that can record
digital channels. That means that I have to buy a VCR with a digital
tuner or an external digital tuner for my current analog VCR.
I don't think anyone ever made a VCR with digital tuners, they were just
about dead and buried when OTA digital took over.

I still have vcr tapes of movies that I haven't bought their dvd version. And my vcr has a digital tuner.
--
"... 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, consul -x- poetry.dolphins-cove.com

'tis on this 5/1/2012 6:47 AM, wrote (PeteCresswell) thus to say:
Per G-squared:
It doesn't take much of a
computer to record HDTV. I've been doing that for 7+ years starting
with a very modest AMD Sempron 2500, 512 megs RAM and ATI tuner and
video card.
What application do you use to record the TV?

I personally have been using my happauge usb tv tuner for at least 5 years. I use their tuner to decode the OTA signal, but since Win7, I've been using Media Center to set up the recording times/channels. Works perfectly.
--
"... 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, consul -x- poetry.dolphins-cove.com

On May 1, 11:56*pm, "Adam H. Kerman" wrote:
Al 2048 wrote:
However, the idea of a DTA or a set top box that can change channels
based on a timer is an excellent idea. Does anyone know where I can
buy such a DTA or set top box?

Comcast set-top boxes without DVRs have been able to change channels at
the start of programs for years, even back in the days of analogue
descrambler boxes.

Not every area has Comcast, do they?

N.

Nancy2 wrote:
On May 1, 11:56 pm, "Adam H. Kerman" wrote:
Al 2048 wrote:

However, the idea of a DTA or a set top box that can change channels
based on a timer is an excellent idea. Does anyone know where I can
buy such a DTA or set top box?

Comcast set-top boxes without DVRs have been able to change channels at
the start of programs for years, even back in the days of analogue
descrambler boxes.

Not every area has Comcast, do they?

The O.P. told us he's a Comcast subscriber.