Pursuit of The Holy HD Grail

Q2U

Standard Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2008
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Ladies & Gentlemen...

First, I have done much research on my issue and all Google) roads lead to AVForums.com. So I bestow upon AVForums.com, and its members, my highest compliments. This be a GREAT GREAT place. I have learned much here. It is greatly appreciated.

Next, my issue into which I have placed much time and energy but remain stymied...

A friend gave me a Zenith L30W36 HD monitor. This is a 30" LCD flat panel which supports 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i modes. The panel is like new and it presently is mounted on my bedroom wall
at the foot of my bed ready to display American football collisions.

My goal is to spend as little as is possible ($12.00 to date!) to get this puppy functioning as I want it to function.

This display has connections for analog RGB with a D-sub connector, component (Yipper), sVideo, and a DVI-D connector which includes HDCP support. However, it has no cable TV (RF) input because -- unfortunately -- this unit does not contain ATSC, NTSC, or QAM tuners. It took me a while to learn that. :-( Doh.

Note: to date I have not been able to get the component (Yipper) inputs to work on this L30W36…they have be malfunctioning connectors (but the sVideo and the DVI-D works good)

My content is current being delivered by Long Island (Brookhaven) Cable, whom I hate.

To date I have...

(1) Hooked up a Phillips DVR with a built-in tuner ($178.00 @ Walmart - but it's gonna be returned) via a HMDI to DVI-D adapter cable - which worked pretty darn good.

(2) Tried a Samsung DTB-H260F HDTV digital terrestrial tuner ($152.00 @ BestBuy but it also is going to be returned) via the same HDMI to DVI-D adapter cable - which also worked pretty darn good, except that the QAM channels are all over the place (but that's neither here nor there.

(3) Tried my Scientific Atlanta 4250HD box (with cable card) from downstairs via the same HDMI to DVI-D adapter cable which -- also -- worked very good.

So what's the issue, you may ask? Well I am a cheap SOB and I don't want to give BestBuy $152.00, I don't want to give Walmart $178.00, and I damn well don't want to give Cablevision another $8.50 per month for another 4250HD & card. I hate Cablevision.

I know you've read this before: What I would like to do is use my existing downstairs Scientific Atlanta 4250HD box for theL30W36 in my bedroom and I can except that the same channel will be running at both locations. I can use the one existing remote by using some type of IR over Cat5 (the entire house is wired for Cat5e) or IR/RF injection device (the entire house is wired for cable TV)…or one of those radio wave IR extenders.

But my problem is how do I split the signal out of the SA 4250 HD box? I originally thought I would use the RF/Cable out on the 4250 box and run a coax cable up to the bedroom…until I realized that the cable out on the 4250 is probably a straight pass-through cable and (besides) even if it wasn't I would end up with cable coax going into a L30W36 that doesn't have an RF Cable F input.

How can I best split the signal coming out of the SA 4250 HD box so that I can get it into the L30W36 upstairs and watch scrambled Cablevision channels that I subscribe to?

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Any alternatives I have not yet considered or tried would also be most appreciated.

And remember…my goal is to remain the a cheap SOB and spend as little as is possible.

Thanks in advance.

Q2U
 
P.S. I have probably already spent 10 hours researching, learning, driving around buying stuff (all of which will be returned), and installing. After I am done with all this I probably would have benn better off going to costco and buying a new 30" LCD TV with a built-in tuner! What the heck...it's been fun...absorbing...and I've learned an awful lot about HDTV and tuners!
 
Q2U. This mainly a EU/UK based forum. You may be better off asking your question on the AVSFORUM , which is similar to this but US based.
 
Q2U. This mainly a EU/UK based forum. You may be better off asking your question on the AVSFORUM , which is similar to this but US based.

Oh shoot...I thought that is where I registered. I take back all the nice stuff I said about you guys! ;)

Thanks brother.
 
Oh shoot...I thought that is where I registered. I take back all the nice stuff I said about you guys! ;)

Thanks brother.

As you said in your original post, there is much knowledge here :) However given your geography you would find more region-specific advice on AVS.

Good luck with everything!
 

The latest video from AVForums

TV Buying Guide - Which TV Is Best For You?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom