05-29-2009, 10:56 PM
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.