QAM and OTA tuner

Of course. There used to be adapters that allowed digital broadcasts to be viewed on analog sets. Aren't they still available?

These were for OTA. I don't think they'd work for cable, because cable systems (at least Comcast) have switched to digital transport, even for local signals.

I have an unused Zenith I'd be willing to sell.

There were OTA convertors available for a nominal fee just before the forced conversion to digital. I have two units sitting in my garage that I use to power an old conventional tv, for OTA signals.

My cable company (COMCAST) provides convertors at no cost for the first three convertors to use the cable with old tv sets set to channel 3 or 4.

I'm not in the US, so I have to web search them, but WalMart has them for $30, and some in stores supposedly (you have to go to the store to get the exact price) for less.

They will work for OTA signals and may work for cable too, if the cable company is sending the signals using uencrypted ATSC.

As I see it there is a lot of financial incentive to send them encrypted, not only do you have to rent a box from them, but it reduces, if not eliminates piracy.

Geoff.

Well I've been looking for that too. With no luck. Actually, if you want to watch TV on your computer, there are a variety of PCI slot cards, and even usb devices, that include clear QAM tuners. for as little as $20. But a stand-alone QAM tuner? Nothing that I've found.

In theory, a DVR should include such a tuner. But you'd have to find one that still has analog outputs for the old tube TVs. And then you might still have the monthly subscription fee for the DVR.

Please post here if you find an inexpensive solution to this problem.

As mentioned, you should hvae no problems finding a "Digital TV Adapter", as there were tons sold during the OTA changover. You can probably find many used ones at garage sales and elsewhere for real cheap. I like the Zenith DTT series (Best Buy also sold a rebadged version under their Insigia label), as they work well. Even though I have a digital TV (and cable), I use a DTT to play around and see what is going on OTA, even do some DX'ing. Unlike many built-in TV tuners, it will keep trying to tune a signal, even if it can't initially pick it up. Many TV's drop to analog on a signal after a second or so of trying digital, unless it's already mapped in it's memory.

As for cable, check with their cable company. Many should offer very- low-cost or even free 'DTA' adapters. For Comcast, you can typically get two DTA's for free. They are typically programmed to get the Digital Starter tier (bsaically the old expanded basic plus a few extras.) I guess they may also be available to be programmed with just basic cable in areas where all analogs have been deleted.

I checked with Cox Cable, my cable company, and the cheapest alternative they quoted me was $10 a month for QAM reception. I have an adapter from the change-over time, but it's only OTA. What I need is a clear QAM tuner that produces analog output. Haven't found one yet.

Here's a list of atsc/qam tuners. But, they were originally designed for HD displays. And, they run between $100 and $200. You will probably also need a ch. 3/4 modulator.

Your guys should have gotten the "free" OTA decoder boxes at the time of the DTV transition, and bought an antenna instead of cable. The cable companies left the old folks high and dry when they switched from analog to digital, pricing formerly "basic cable" channels way out of reach.

Further, while I seldom read anything on the avs forum, I get the impression that n future, all cable channels will be digitally encrypted, making set top boxes mandatory. Gramps will just have to decide between watching tv and buying his water pills.