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

HDTV Tuner and Antenna Help

Nov 8, 2004 1:26AM PST

Hi all,

do I need to have a HDTV compatiable TV to view HD channels if I have a HDTV Tuner and Antenna??

Thanks

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Re: HDTV Tuner and Antenna Help
Nov 12, 2004 11:11AM PST

Not to just see the channels but to get the quality of signal that is available you do need to get a higer resolution TV. One that says HDTV compatible should do the trick. The key is the number of lines of resolution that the screen can display.

- Collapse -
Re: HDTV Tuner and Antenna Help
Nov 14, 2004 2:02AM PST

The good news is you don't have to upgrade to DTV all at once.

You can view a DTV source -- on an analog TV by -- connecting the set-top-box like a Samsung HDTV receiver to an outdoor antenna.

With over-the-air DTV reception, you don't pay a monthly or per-program charge to watch TV - the broadcasts are free!

- Collapse -
Re: HDTV Tuner and Antenna Help
Nov 16, 2004 1:27PM PST

Just so there is no confusion. To see true HDTV you need the following.

1. Source (HD antenna, cable company, or sattelite)
2. Decoding device (can be either inside the TV "HD ready" or you need a seperate box "HD compatible"
3. An HDTV that has a "native resolution" of 720p (the resolution at which HDTV is broadcast).

Anything else is converted or altered in some way.

- Collapse -
tuner help
Jan 14, 2005 4:28PM PST

Yes you still need an HDTV compatible TV even if you have the tuner and the antenna. You can use an S Video feed and get a less than great picture but still better than with standard RCA composite jacks.