Looking for a decent digital tuner--and one with "Add Digital Channels" feature

[andy]

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[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by andy

The Samsung SIR-TS360 is a good tuner that shows up at thrift stores a lot. It's a DirecTV box that also has an ATSC tuner. It can be used without a DirecTV subscription (just change the dish type to none). It's only negatives are lack of clear QAM, and no RF modulator.

Why was it designed not to receive clear QAM? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me unless this box was designed for satellite/cable standards of the '80s or early '90s, which of course are now long since obsolete. Because it doesn't receive that type of signal and may not receive standard QAM either, it will probably be useless on many cable systems since most cable signals today (except broadcast channels) are transmitted as QAM. That this box does not receive clear QAM signals means you will not see your area's broadcast signals. Because the FCC requires all broadcast TV signals to be carried on cable in the clear, this box will be next to useless for anything if it is used as an ATSC->NTSC converter, unless it has a pass-through function for broadcast stations. This box may have been designed long before there was such a thing as QAM/clear QAM; that or else these standards do not apply to satellite TV.

If the box is used as an ATSC->NTSC converter, however, the lack of clear QAM may not be an issue since broadcast signals received over an antenna are not subject to QAM-clear QAM transmission regulations. The lack of an RF modulator may be compensated for by an external modulator, such as the type used with DVD players.

[mstaton]

Originally Posted by andy

The Samsung SIR-TS360 is a good tuner that shows up at thrift stores a lot. It's a DirecTV box that also has an ATSC tuner. It can be used without a DirecTV subscription (just change the dish type to none). It's only negatives are lack of clear QAM, and no RF modulator.

You need to have the card or you cannot disable the satellite dish antenna on those boxes. I have 2. They tend to lose channels from time to time even with a good outdoor antenna.

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by mstaton

You need to have the card or you cannot disable the satellite dish antenna on those boxes.

I had forgot about issues with using the DirecTV/OTA combo tuners without access cards (because I always had cards in mine). Can you put in a card long enough to change the setting(s), then remove the card? If so, you could probably borrow a card from a friend with DirecTV long enough to do so. (DirecTV boxes also have error messages about incorrect cards, but that should not be a problem just to get into the menus if I remember right.)

[andy]

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