OTA HDTV and Analog Cable: Is Harmony Possible?

[microchip]

We've got one HDTV TV in our house.

Here's what I want:
The ability to get all analog cable channels(or a fair amount, IE, ESPN and such, in crappy analog)
The ability to get all the OTA HDTV that we can(which is a fair amount, but not ESPN and such).

Is this possible? It'd basically be hooking up Cable and the Antenna to the TV at the same time.
I've been fiddling around with adapters and the TV menu, as well as the Friendly Google but haven't come up with anything.

If all else fails we've got a cable switch box and we'll just have to reprogram the TV whether we want to watch some OTA HDTV or Analog Cable.

TiA!

[NewtonMP2100]

. . .on my tv it works but it has OTA tuner and a connection for cable. . .so I can have both. . .

[mikebw]

If you have a external tuner for either then just send the video output from that device to an AV input on the TV, switch from one to the other as needed.

[Gareth]

A VCR can be used as an analog tuner, should you still happen to have one of those.

[olnacl]

Your question is covered in the replies above, but I'll summarize (with your permission):
You didn't mention what tuner your TV has (analog or digital) and whether you have 2 antenna inputs (cable and OTA).
If you have a digital tuner and separate inputs for antenna and cable, you are set. Just connect the antenna to the OTA tuner connection (usually labeled "antenna" ) and the cable feed into the other (usually labeled "cable" )
If your TV has an analog tuner (and probably only one RF input), then you'll need an external digital tuner, which you can connect as described above by composite, S-Video or component (depending on your tuner and TV inputs - quality goes up from the first mentioned to the last, component giving you the best picture).
If you have an HDMI connector on the TV and on the Digital tuner, that would be about equivalent to component for quality with fewer wires

[microchip]

Both tuners are in the TV and I only have one input ANT/Cable.

Right now the VCR idea is looking like the best one.

Thanks!

[olnacl]

microchip wrote:
Both tuners are in the TV and I only have one input ANT/Cable.

Right now the VCR idea is looking like the best one.

Thanks!

The VCR will work, but the next question is whether the TV tuner is QAM. If so, you can get the local HD channels from the cable feed without adding an antenna or using the VCR. Here's a brief "How To" I found by googling - it was on Amazon - there are many explanations out there if you search. I've used my TV in this fashion with success.

I bought this TV and here is what I discovered. I had only analog standard (not basic) cable through comcast. I hooked up the cable directly from the wall to the coaxial cable input (not air) on the back of the TV. Then I started the process to search for all channels on the cable connection. After it found all the channels (this took 20 minutes or so) it deleted any scrambled channels. What I was left with was my normal standard cable channels (3-70 non-digital) and a handful of HD and digital channels such as ABC NBC and PBS. I ended up switching to an HD DVR because I wanted all the sport HD channels and these were all scrambled. So in closing, yes, this television will allow you to watch unscrambled HD channels and to watch them you need to "find" them on channels like 3.1 or 44.9 (use the little "-" sign on the remote for the "." Again though this needs to go straight from the wall, or a digital cable box. If the cable is coming out of an older TIVO I do not believe it will display the HD channels (just a guess). Hope this helps.

Bear in mind though, the cable signal will be compressed. OTA signals (if you are near enough to get them) will be better.

[Bill in NC]

I subscribe to analog cable, BUT here TWC also transmits the broadcast channels in HD (clear QAM) and I also get the subchannels.

So NBC in HD is 90-1, 90-2 is 24 hour weather, etc.