Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

confused how to hok up plasma without coaxial.

Dec 20, 2010 8:05AM PST

just bought my friends old plasma for cheap. i have tried searching and came up with a 2 answers but not sure if they will work. im looking to hook up a plasma tv that doesnt have a coaxial hook up to basic cable. i found the following answers that might work, connecting to an old vcr (cant try it out cause i dont own one so i would have to buy one) or an rf modulator. thought i would ask before i go out and spend more money on something that probably wont work. if i cant figure it out i guess ill have to buy the hi def tv or whatever my friend had, thanks alot.

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
(NT) Make? Model? What connections?
Dec 20, 2010 8:08AM PST
- Collapse -
make model
Dec 20, 2010 8:22AM PST

hitachi 55hdm71 i have the regular cable cord coming out of the wall i think its called coaxial, my plasma only has s video and the red,white,yellow i think there called rca. im just looking for a way to get my basic cable which is coming through a coaxiaL wire to connect to this plasma tv that doesnt have the regular cable coaxiaL hook up.

- Collapse -
What used to work?
Dec 22, 2010 6:23AM PST

I have to GUESS and may guess badly that the cable company is still sending RF channels 1 to something over the coax. If so, ANYTHING with a tuner that outputs composite signals.

http://reviews.cnet.com/flat-panel-tvs/hitachi-55hdm71/1707-6482_7-31236561.html notes it has HDMI so that's NOT AN OLD SET UNWORTHY OF OWNING.

I'd get the cable co's decoder box with it's usual HDMI for the best results.

Here's another player with cable TV in and HDMI out -> http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-DR570-Recorder-Built-Tuner/dp/B001TOD3KK

Bob

- Collapse -
Same problem. Did u fix yours?
Apr 9, 2011 6:55AM PDT

Hey Mike... I have this same exact problem with my huge 55hdm71 Hitachi tv. Did you find a way to hook up basic cable to it? I bought an RF modulator & can't figure this out :/