# Ditching the "BOX" going OTA How too?



## olddog (Dec 21, 2008)

Hey Folks
Your suggestions are more than welcome.I have a Denon 2808CI running 5.1 and a Samsung 58 HD Plasma in the living room and a old CRT hooked up through my Carver C1 and Carver TFM25 in the bedroom both currently using FIOS TV box's(HD in the living room and Standerd in the bedroom). I want to get rid of the 90.00+ a month for the TV and keep the internet and FIOS phone, so I'm going OTA. From the looks of things I can just plug the 75ohm cable into the Plasma and take the 2 audio outs from the Plasma and run them to the Denon, and it should do the 5Ch processing? In the bedroom however I guess I am going to have to get either a converter box(any suggestions?)or a new TV?
PS I did look for a previous dicourse on this subject and read the sticky how to's
EDIT
Could I use my old Sony RDR GX300 as a recorder and as a converter box for the old CRT bedroom TV?
http://www.docs.sony.com/release/RDRGX300revision.pdf


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

I have dropped cable and went OTA... I am using a PC card for a tuner (not sure if I am going to keep it or go with a HDHomerun), and I get 5.1 from the OTA signal going from my PC to the 4520ci.


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## olddog (Dec 21, 2008)

Thanks for the input but I'm not ready to start using my computer for TV input yet. I think I can do a good job with what I have but was still wondering if that Sony dvd recorder with a built in tuner would save me bucks by using it in the bedroom for dig reception. The main TV audio outs to the Denon should give me 5.1 on HD channels I think.


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

You can hookup the antenna directly to your TV if you don't plan on recording or you could always go with a Tivo box and be able to record. I just ordered a HDHomerun for my setup... If it works out I will be ordering one more.


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## olddog (Dec 21, 2008)

Thanks again but I already have the Sony RDR GX300 and was wondering if it would work as a converter box also thus avoiding me the expense of buying something else as I am a oldster on a fixed and small income. That's the reason I am ditching the box.
here is the info on the RDR GX300 
http://www.docs.sony.com/release/RDRGX300revision.pdf


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

I just browsed through the manual and it looks like it will work to me for analog stations... If you are looking for HDTV channels (ATSC) I didn't see any mention of them so I would say no to HDTV channels. Where you planning on HD or analog?


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## olddog (Dec 21, 2008)

Thanks for the input.
Well this old set is only going to play analog as it is not a HD set so analog I guess.
The old CRT has an S-video input so if I have to by a converter box I thought(after some serious looking around) that the Channel Master CM700 would or could be a good choice?


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## WooferHound (Dec 8, 2010)

I was doing Over The Air TV for awhile. I hooked to coax to the TV. In the TV menu I selected 'antenna' instead of 'cable', then Rescanned the channels. I took the coaxial audio out from the TV and fed that to my 5.1 sound system and it worked great.

You do Not need a special HD, Digital or ATSC antenna, all of that stuff is marketing hype. The new digital channels use the same frequencies that the old UHF channels used, so any old UHF antenna will work. Here is a nice inexpensive UHF antenna with a 45 mile range . . .
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...ase&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=google_base

I looked at the instructions for your Video recorder. In the Specs it says that it's NTSC only, so it will not work on a digital signal.


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## olddog (Dec 21, 2008)

Went on the Gov. site-got my ant-pre-amp splitter everything ordered. It's just the older 36" CRT I am trying to deal with. The 52" Plasma HDTV should be a no brainer.


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## cavchameleon (Jan 7, 2008)

WooferHound said:


> You do Not need a special HD, Digital or ATSC antenna, all of that stuff is marketing hype. The new digital channels use the same frequencies that the old UHF channels used, so any old UHF antenna will work. Here is a nice inexpensive UHF antenna with a 45 mile range . . .
> http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...ase&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=google_base
> 
> .


Agreed! The one I showed from Antennas direct is just more compact (not much larger than a 'Dish') and works very well. In an attic, it's a moot point, but out in the open some antennas can be an eye sore. We put one up at my brother's house also and they have codes for their neighborhood that do not allow large antennas -they have to be about the size of a dish and cannot be ugly (not sure who decides what is 'ugly' though). They're not even allowed to put up a shed without Association approval and it has to match the house (outside walls and roof).


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## WooferHound (Dec 8, 2010)

There are laws that allow you to put up a TV antenna or dish almost anywhere . . .
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-reception-devices-rule


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## cavchameleon (Jan 7, 2008)

Understood - the association that my brother belongs to (or the neighboorhood) is fine as line as it doesn't look unslightly. All the roofs are flat tops, so most antennas/dishes can be mounted so that none are actually seen from the neighbors or from driving around. I'm fortunate to live in a neighborhood that does not care - it's older and everyone pretty much let's anything go (most have decent tastes, so it does not ruin the area).


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## adamdivine (Jul 31, 2009)

You could get a Zenith DTT901 used for around $30.00 that would do the trick for the CRT TV. It is pretty simple, but pulls in the channels well. Just be ready to be really pissed at the cable company when you see how good TV looks OVA. I remember when I first switched to an OVA signal and everyone thought I had upgraded to an HD set (this was back when HD sets were new). It was just an old Sony CRT putting out the same 480P as before; but the signal is so much cleaner when you get it directly from the source that it had everyone fooled!


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