Still waiting for my guvamint coupons, as well as a new TV antenna
later today, but in the meantime .... I assume that if I want to
program & record a show, the converter box should be attached to the
VCR for recording, and if I want to watch a program thru the TV itself
rather than watching thru the VCR, the converter should be attached to
the TV. Is that your understanding?

On Apr 15, 9:41 am, Windswept@Home (Jack) wrote:
I assume that if I want to
program & record a show, the converter box should be attached to the
VCR for recording, and if I want to watch a program thru the TV itself
rather than watching thru the VCR, the converter should be attached to
the TV.

I think most people will just run the antenna/cable through the
converter to the tuner/VCR to TV full time, but your way will also
work.
-----

- gpsman

gpsman wrote:
On Apr 15, 9:41 am, Windswept@Home (Jack) wrote:
I assume that if I want to
program & record a show, the converter box should be attached to the
VCR for recording, and if I want to watch a program thru the TV itself
rather than watching thru the VCR, the converter should be attached to
the TV.

I think most people will just run the antenna/cable through the
converter to the tuner/VCR to TV full time, but your way will also
work.
-----

- gpsman

Just remember one important fact, the converter box will only tune ONE
channel at a time so your ability to record one show while watching
another will NOT be possible unless you have TWO convert boxes. I
will also caution that unless substantial improvements have been made
in the antenna and converter boxes in the last year, your reception is
likely to be spotty. When you get a good signal, the picture is great
but getting a good signal isn't guaranteed. I used one of the
converter boxes with a 27in HD monitor and was anything but happy with
the results. Living in the middle of the DFW Metroplex and was only
able to pickup about 1/2 the local digital signals.

Windswept@Home (Jack) wrote in :

Still waiting for my guvamint coupons, as well as a new TV antenna
later today, but in the meantime .... I assume that if I want to
program & record a show, the converter box should be attached to the
VCR for recording, and if I want to watch a program thru the TV itself
rather than watching thru the VCR, the converter should be attached to
the TV. Is that your understanding?


you can feed the converter into the VCR and the VCR output into your TV.
Then you can record a program,but you can't watch a different channel on
the TV. If you want to record one channel while watching another,you need
TWO converter boxes,one for the VCR and one for the TV.

AND,AFAIK,no converter now on the market can be programmed to turn on and
tune to a programmed channel;they have to be set up and left ON until the
program is over. The Echostar TR-40 is alleged to have programmability,but
it will not be for sale until June or July.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

wrote in
:

On 15 Apr 2008 16:14:42 GMT, Jim Yanik wrote:

AND,AFAIK,no converter now on the market can be programmed to turn on
and tune to a programmed channel;they have to be set up and left ON
until the program is over.

A lot of VCR/DVD recorders have a "blaster" that will send IR codes to
a set top box or converter.


but will the DTV converter respond to those codes?
I have a fairly recent universal remote that won't talk to my Magnavox DTV
box.(TB100MW9)
also a Hitachi VCR with the "blaster",but I haven't tried that with the DTV
box yet.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

"Jim Yanik" wrote in message
...
wrote in
:

On 15 Apr 2008 16:14:42 GMT, Jim Yanik wrote:

AND,AFAIK,no converter now on the market can be programmed to turn on
and tune to a programmed channel;they have to be set up and left ON
until the program is over.

A lot of VCR/DVD recorders have a "blaster" that will send IR codes to
a set top box or converter.


A digital Personal Video Recorder (PVR) can be programmed just like a VCR to
turn on, change channels and record the desired program. They have two
tuners so you can watch a different channel if you like or you can record
two programs at the same time.

--
Ron P

If we are what we eat then: I'm fast,
cheap and easy

"Worn Out Retread" wrote in
:



"Jim Yanik" wrote in message
...
wrote in
:

On 15 Apr 2008 16:14:42 GMT, Jim Yanik wrote:

AND,AFAIK,no converter now on the market can be programmed to turn
on and tune to a programmed channel;they have to be set up and left
ON until the program is over.

A lot of VCR/DVD recorders have a "blaster" that will send IR codes
to a set top box or converter.

Has anyone been successful at doing this with a coupon-worthy DTV converter
box?
I know the DTVboxes have only been available for a short time.
I'm wondering if the IR codes the VCR/DVD recorders use are current enough
for the newer DTVboxes.My Hitachi VCR has the IR 'blaster',but I haven't
gotten the manual out to see if it will set up the DTVbox.



A digital Personal Video Recorder (PVR) can be programmed just like a
VCR to turn on, change channels and record the desired program. They
have two tuners so you can watch a different channel if you like or
you can record two programs at the same time.


so what's that got to do with DTV converter boxes?
Of course,you could buy one of those PVRs instead of 2 converters,but
probably at a much higher price.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

wrote in message

On 15 Apr 2008 16:14:42 GMT, Jim Yanik wrote:

AND,AFAIK,no converter now on the market can be programmed to turn
on and tune to a programmed channel;they have to be set up and left
ON until the program is over.

A lot of VCR/DVD recorders have a "blaster" that will send IR codes to
a set top box or converter.

But since the TV, VCR, DVD, cable box, each have unique codes, the converter
probably does too, and existing VCRs probably wouldn't know the codes.


--

Reply in group, but if emailing add another
zero, and remove the last word.

"Tom Del Rosso" wrote in
:


wrote in message

On 15 Apr 2008 16:14:42 GMT, Jim Yanik wrote:

AND,AFAIK,no converter now on the market can be programmed to turn
on and tune to a programmed channel;they have to be set up and left
ON until the program is over.

A lot of VCR/DVD recorders have a "blaster" that will send IR codes
to a set top box or converter.

But since the TV, VCR, DVD, cable box, each have unique codes, the
converter probably does too, and existing VCRs probably wouldn't know
the codes.



My Magnavox TB100MW9 DTVbox manual mentions using "set top box" codes used
by satellite or cable boxes to control the DTV converter,but a fairly new
(yr old) universal remote(non-"learning") I have would not talk to the DTV
box.Perhaps newer universals,particularly the more expensive ones,would
talk to the DTVboxes,and be programmable.

My much older Hitachi VCR has the "IR blaster" feature,but I have not yet
tried to use it to activate and control the DTV box.
I suspect it too will not talk to the DTVbox.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Jack wrote:
Still waiting for my guvamint coupons, as well as a new TV antenna
later today, but in the meantime .... I assume that if I want to
program & record a show, the converter box should be attached to the
VCR for recording, and if I want to watch a program thru the TV itself
rather than watching thru the VCR, the converter should be attached to
the TV. Is that your understanding?

Has anybody received coupons yet? I requested ours about 2 months ago.
Paul MR

On Apr 17, 12:24*am, Paul MR wrote:

Has anybody received coupons yet? *I requested ours about 2 months ago.
Paul MR

Requested mine as soon as they started taking applications. Received
about 3 weeks ago. With the coupons was a short list of stores,
complete with addresses, that should be selling the boxes. Went to the
corner Walmart and redeemed for 2 of whatever was in stock (believe it
was RCA). Tax is charged on the pre-coupon price. Final cost was ((2x
$50) + 8% tax)-$80 = $28 for the 2 boxes.

Have heard that there will be some $40 boxes coming out in the summer,
which makes the box cost ~$3.20 after tax.

You have a 90 day window to use the coupons. So, you might want to
hold on to your coupons for a month or so after you get them, see if
you find any of those $40 boxes.

Jerry