# Options for OTA Tuner/Receiver?



## DuggII (Nov 28, 2013)

I've joined the cord cutting movement and started to look for a OTA receiver.
The IP's overcharge and promote 1000/1000mbs plans when not needed. E.g. just signed up for 200/200 plan which works just as good as the expensive plan and saving about $100 per month.

Next, I setout to find a good quality OTA Tuner, but all I could find were the less than $40 models. I did buy/install one with the best Amazon reviews, and it does work, but the image/sound are about 80% where I think it should be. I say that because I had a VOOM box installed and the picture (720p) was very nice, but there were other problems with memory, signal strength, etc.

I've looked for a while now, it doesn't add up that our 4k TV can pick up 75 channels (OTA) with excellent picture quality [point being the broadcast system works] but there are no mid-range OTA Tuner/Receivers on the market.

Any advice on a antenna STB 720P/1080i for a ceiling mounted projector?

Thanks!


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Stand-alone TV tuners have always been a rarity. TIVO is probably the best option for that.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt


----------



## DuggII (Nov 28, 2013)

Thanks Wayne,
Well maybe better luck with a stand alone box in the near future with NextGen and hopefully the video setting can be lowered to 1080P. Or maybe time to upgrade 5030 Epson, but it is still working fine.
That said, how long before the stations upgrade the broadcast stations to 4k, that could take years!


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Shoot, when we moved from Houston to Corpus Christi a few years ago we found that all the local stations are only broadcasting two-channel, not 5.1. That made it pointless for us to keep the TIVO when we can just as easily stream the shows and only get two-channel. So, 4k? I agree, not anytime soon!	

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt


----------



## dschlic1 (Mar 15, 2013)

What is your intended use for the OTA receiver? If going into a computer Haupptage has some good cards. Silicon Dust just announced an ARSC-3 tuner that is network based. If you want HDMI out, then some kind of DVR will be your best bet.


----------



## DuggII (Nov 28, 2013)

dschlic1
OTA for Epson projector.
Thanks for the computer/card idea, I did see there are some options there. I don't think I can add any more hardware in the HT rack without going crazy with wires and devices.
I guess I can limp along with the $39 HW-150 for a while, It would be nice to record some shows, so will try that soon with a USB. 
Also just picked up a new Amazon cube, the Cube better image/sound. [cube sits on a AVM60]


----------



## DuggII (Nov 28, 2013)

Just thinking out loud here, but since 4K TV(s) using OTA have amazing images, they sound follow that model with a 4K projector with built in tuner.


----------



## Da Wiz (May 8, 2019)

I'm not sure where you got the idea that broadcast UHD is "amazing" -- because it is NOT particularly amazing. There is still a huge amount of compression with visible compression artifacts. The hierarchy of video quality goes something like this:
SD Broadcast 720x480 - image quality - "2"
broadcast 720p - image quality "4"
broadcast & streamed 1080i/1080p - image quality "5" (assumes "modern" de-interlacing from the last 5 years or so)
Blu-ray disc 1080p - image quality "7.5"
broadcast & streamed 2160p - image quality "8.5"
UHD/HDR disc or lossless streaming service like Tidal - image quality 10.0 (best we have right now other than "experimental" 8K sources)

How do we know this is true... just look at file sizes... a UHD/HDR movie 2 hours long with typical blockbuster/action movie images are around 70-80 GB with lossless audio and video. Stream or save a movie from broadcast or a streaming service, and even though they SAY it is 2160p it is CLEARLY nowhere near the quality of the disc. This is because of compression and other poor handling of the content (like dropping color resolution from 10-bits to 9- or 8-bits, introduce contouring/banding and limit the range of colors that can be displayed. The streamed or broadcast version of the movie, even though it claims to be 2160p will be between 5 and 15 GB depending on the streaming service... that is FAR less information than the UHD/HDR disc that contains 70-80 GB of blockbuster movie. Something has to give, and it is video and audio quality that suffer... even though the video claims to be 2160p... it sure doesn't look like it, compared to what we have on disc.


----------



## DuggII (Nov 28, 2013)

DaWiz,
Yes very helpful but on occasion the OTA broadcasted image is hard to believe.
E.g. 12/25/20 OTA football game Minnesota vs Saints on FOX.
I guess they forgot or couldn't compress the signal but it was was like looking through German produced, museum quality, artisan glass.
My guess it's all a conspiracy anyway for all of us to keep buying/upgrading different formats to sell us the same thing.

The TV? I ran/picked at the local Best Buy is a 2018 Samsung 55" Q6F, happy we bought that. No research, just a quick look and said I'll take that one.


----------



## Lemoncadillac (May 6, 2020)

I was an $80+ dollar a month early adopter Direct TV fan for 20 years. 8 years ago or so DT raised their prices and my normal call and get a reduced rate did not work. I had had enough. I "cut the cord" and never looked back. Silicon Dust HD Homerun Dual tuner has been my choice with my computer as my DVR. Our computers are the future of most media. I have been thinking recently about the 4 tuner models at a little over $100 as my next change. Buy a $100 rooftop antenna with a $100 rotator and be done with it. Late-night FM radio has never been better, as a side benefit. My 2 cents


----------



## DuggII (Nov 28, 2013)

Lemoncadillac,
Sorry for the late reply, good advice on computer recording.
We have a den with computers, and using a 70" 4k monitor (Vizio) not sure if that's a good idea and might get something smaller.
It is not helping my eyes, new eyeglass prescriptions are not working but old glasses work better...ugh idk

Anyway, I don't use the TV tuner mounted on the projector much, using a Amazon cube, or the Oppo103. 
Went to Costco last week, eye popping deals on 86" TVs, maybe remove the projector and mount one where the screen was.

Well a lot of choices these days!


----------



## Lemoncadillac (May 6, 2020)

Lemoncadillac said:


> I was an $80+ dollar a month early adopter Direct TV fan for 20 years. 8 years ago or so DT raised their prices and my normal call and get a reduced rate did not work. I had had enough. I "cut the cord" and never looked back. Silicon Dust HD Homerun Dual tuner has been my choice with my computer as my DVR. Our computers are the future of most media. I have been thinking recently about the 4 tuner models at a little over $100 as my next change. Buy a $100 rooftop antenna with a $100 rotator and be done with it. Late-night FM radio has never been better, as a side benefit. My 2 cents


Update 3/21 I did buy a 4 tuner HD Homerun. I also picked up a used Tablo QUAD recorder. With a 2TB hard drive, I already owned, the $50 Tablo with the OTA 4 tuner HD Homerun gives me everything I want for my OTA system. I have in a box with a new rotator. Later in the spring, when all the snow is gone I will pick up a 1 1/2" pipe and mount an outside antenna with the rotator.


----------



## DuggII (Nov 28, 2013)

There's an update here,,, maybe this just came out but Amazon has this now:
*Fire TV Recast, over-the-air DVR, 500 GB, 75 hours, DVR*
I wonder if there is a catch, like a monthly charge!


----------



## Lemoncadillac (May 6, 2020)

Seems very similar to Tablo. 4 tuner OTA DVR used for under $100. No fee's only options. And supply a hard drive is the cheapest way to buy. $125 with a 1TB hard drive used online.


----------



## DuggII (Nov 28, 2013)

Lemoncadillac said:


> Seems very similar to Tablo. 4 tuner OTA DVR used for under $100. No fee's only options. And supply a hard drive is the cheapest way to buy. $125 with a 1TB hard drive used online.





Lemoncadillac said:


> Seems very similar to Tablo. 4 tuner OTA DVR used for under $100. No fee's only options. And supply a hard drive is the cheapest way to buy. $125 with a 1TB hard drive used online.


----------



## DuggII (Nov 28, 2013)

Lemoncadillac,
Thank you; surprised I didn't find the Tablo when I was looking at OTS's
Like the Amazon STB, no HDMI out, I wonder what is the issues is, not sure I want to tap into my router.
I do some AV installing once in a while, my last project was a wall display with 4 TVs 
My buddy has been telling me to use commercial rated TVs,,, Ok Ok Ok I bought Samsung commercial this time. I did and they were not that more expensive then home-use.
Well the reason I'm going into this was there a lot of ports on the back, including USB and many others. I didn't have time to look at them all, and only needed HDMI. 
I'm curious if a Tablo/Amazon box would be a direct one-to-one connection.


----------



## Lemoncadillac (May 6, 2020)

Most equipment you purchase will need an ethernet line, to connect your Home Network. A computer connected to your Home Network. Future proof your equipment. The future arrived 10 years ago, lol. I picked up a used Netgear 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch to add ports to my modem/router ($15 shipped on Ebay). Tablo has Ethernet and USB ports also 1 antenna port for the 4 OTA tuners. As many cables as I try to eliminate cables are always an issue. There is no standardized ethernet system set up yet. I believe ethernet can handle audio, video, and the internet it is not a standard. One day perhaps 1 cable may replace all the cables still needed today.


----------



## DuggII (Nov 28, 2013)

Mystery solved! ATSC 3.0 Wash DC kicked off back in Dec 2021, that is why we were receiving unusually clear reception on a 4K TV.  Wash DC has 5 ATSC 3.0 stations now; yesterday's NFL playoff games on Sat 22 were crystal clear (could have counted the people in the stadium bleachers lol).

No update on the projector tuner, still using the box store $35 unit, its ok for now.


----------

