Home audio & video forum: HDTV without Comcast Box?

To get cable HD you will have to pay them for the service, and get the box.
There are some indoor antanns, Radio Schack has some. You should be able to pick up the OTA HD channels.

ALL off-air HDTV channels are free, and in fact the vast majority of HD channels are off-air (free). You don't need to pay Comcast or any other service to receive them unless you live way out in boondocks where you don't get off-air reception. If your system already has a HD tuner (NTSC/ATSC) built-in, all you need is an HD antenna. You can buy it from your local electronics store, like bestbuy or Circuit City). I'm using Terk antenna (www.terk.com) which I bought from Circuit City. Terk website also has an antenna selector where you just enter your zip-code and it shows you available channels as well as a good antenna for them). Best reception is with an out-door antenna: Higher the out-door antenna, better the reception. If you can't install the antenna on a outside wall then you could get a tripod from Radioshack, install antenna on it and put it on your patio. There is a federal law (FCC ruling) which says that no one can stop you from receiving a signal. Also, note that HD signal seems to be quite directional unlike analog signals. Indoor antenna might not give you as many channels unless if you're within 10~15 miles of the transmission towers.

It's not worth paying for the basic Comcast service unless if it makes sense due to a cable-modem service with it. Pretty much every channel worth watching is aired (free). Best channels are PBS (yep- the Public Broadcasting has the most HD content including nature shows which look best in HD!), CBS, NBC and ABC.. in the order of HD content.

I hope that helps.

(And Off-air channels are NOT scrambled, you just need a HD tuner for them. Samsung is one of the cheaper ones if a tuner is not already built-in your system.)

I bought the dell W-3706MC with built-in HDTV tuner. My understanding was that I would be able to plug my cable wire into the HDTV coax input and I would see HDTV channels that are available OTA. I'm not seeing anything other than standard definition. Is this correct? Should I be doing anything else? I also noticed that I see quick burts of lines of static when I'm using the HDTV/ATSC input from my cable.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Yes, a set-top box, cable card are needed if I don't have a QAM tuner.

I thought I did enough research and would be able to plug my 37" Dell into my "antenna service" from the cable company and receive HD signals. This unfortunately is the first time I heard of a QAM tuner. I bought the Dell TV through CostCo which has one of the best return policies. While I love certain things about the Dell (price, inputs, detachable speakers, swivel stand, appearance and 2-year warranty when bought through costco) I was really set on getting HDTV without a set-top box and without paying the cable company more than the $14 a month I'm currently paying for "antenna service".

Does anyone have any suggestions on a 37" TV similair to the Dell in term of price, inputs, detachable speakers and swivel stand that has a QAM tuner?

I'm 30-50 miles from the signals and live in a condo that will not allow an outside antenna. Considering these factors, I don't expect to have much success. I will try an antenna and see what happens. I heard the Zenith HDTV1 is a good one. I want to get one today and no one sells that model near me. I'm going to try a Terk indoors for now.

Thanks in advance!

I greatly appreciate all of your comments BONSPEED. I bought a Terk HDTVi indoor antenna today. I wanted the Zenith HDTV1 because I heard many good things about it. I hooked up the Terk HDTVi and at first was very displeased with the results. After a little playing around and having the TV auto-program channels I was finally successful. As of this moment I am THRILLED with the results.

The biggest problem with the antenna was MY IGNORANCE. While I used antennaweb.org and checkhd.com I really didnt understand what I was doing. It also didnt occur to me that I only needed to extend the 42 rabbit ears to get the channels I wanted it. I am fortunate. All of the channels I am interested in are UHF and at the same compass orientation with the exception of one which is only 2 degrees off. I currently get in all stations up to blue antenna type range which are in same compass orientation and that includes the one which is two degrees off. Today is an overcast day which I would assume (could be wrong, again) would make it more difficult to get a signal in. Nonetheless, the picture is perfect and I now have a handing channel guide.

So the answer for me was simple, even though getting there was not. Here is what I learned about getting OTA HDTV channels on a TV with an HDTV/ATSC tuner.
1) Buy an external antenna.
2) Make sure its pointed in the right direction.
3) Auto-program the channels
4) Remove any non-digital (non .1) channels
5) Enjoy HDTV channels without paying extra to the cable company

While the reception is stunning, I still may try an attic mount so that I dont have this funny looking antenna near my TV.

Thank you to everyone who provided input.

I think this is because you have a QAM tuner. I bought a TV with only an ATSC tuner which does not get OTA HD channels on the $11 (in my case $13) a month service. Also, if you are paying for "antenna service" than you should get only those channels distributed OTA. That is of course assuing they took the effort to install the filter and that you did not remove said filter.

I'm using DB2 antenna in my attic and I get in all OTA channels within 40m. I had a cheapo indoor antenna and got similar reception but with some dropout in bad weather adn when I walked in front of it.. Why pay extra to the cable company and use a STB? Get a QAM tuner and you get it all for $11-14 a month. Get an ATSC tuner and external antenna and avoid paying altogether...but you only get OTA channels.

FYI: digital over antenna or cable look perfect. Digital TV is an all or nothing thing. Don't worry about static.

I hope this helps someone!

SINCE YOU ALREADY HAVE CABLE, THE BASIC COMCAST HD PACKAGE IS ONLY EXTRA $5/$10 (AT LEAST IN MY AREA). THIS PACKAGE WILL GIVE YOU THE 5 LOCAL LIMITED HD CHANELS (FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS), AS WELL AS 4 ALL HD CHANELS (INHD1, INHD2, DIS, ESPN). IF YOUR WILLING TO DROP A PRETTY PENNY ON A LCD TV, $10 MORE FOR 9 HD CHANELS IS A SMALL PRICE TO PAY. BESIDES, DIDNT WE ALL SWITCH AWAY FROM THE ANTENNA AND IT'S RECEPTION PROBLEMS YEARS AGO.

I'VE HEARD THE CLAIM ''I DONT WATCH TV MUCH '' FROM FRIENDS AS WELL AS FROM OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS FORUM. HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT WONT CHANGE ONCE YOU GET A TASTE OF HD. FOR ME, I SOMETIMES CATCH MY SELF WATCHING A PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S IN HD, RATHER THEN IT BEING INTERESTING. AT THE VERY LEAST, I'M MORE OF A WILD LIFE FAN THEN BEFORE.

Yes, the cost of cable keeps going up and it makes me so mad, but I still use cable because for $62/mo, I get cable to 5 TVs, two of which get HD via HD tuners (about 12 HD channels including local HD) and of course, HBO and Cinemax. I'm not sure how I would do this with satellite for the same cost. And even though I use my phone company (SBC/ATT) for DSL, I can always easily fall back to my cable company for DSL that's really FAST. For me, it comes down to having cable on FIVE TVs for a reasonable price.

Does not allow Sat. Dishes, period. I'm waiting for Verizon to get here with their FIOS television lines.
I'm stuck with ComCast. What should I do ???

There are 4 condos on my block and 90% have Dish network satellities on there patios And in my mobil home park they just wired up comcast cable boooo an almost all mobil homes have a dish network system on there roof, WHY? Service is about 35% cheaper and the hi-def quality is outstanding. Also if you get there new 211 system all your local hi-def netwrok stations will be free