[mclasser]

Hello everyone,

I want to know if there are converters/adapters on the market that have a coaxial input for normal television, and can output that signal into AV or component video. My 10 year old projection TV is on the fritz; when the weather warms up a bit and we're watching cable, the TV begins flickering. My guess is the circuit board handling the coaxial input is overheating or something. Yet when in AV or component modes, everything is fine. If I can convert the coaxial input to AV or component, I can use the TV for a bit longer without having to retire it. Thanks for any assistance in advance.

[smax013]

mclasser, on 28 July 2011 - 10:03 AM, said:

Hello everyone,

I want to know if there are converters/adapters on the market that have a coaxial input for normal television, and can output that signal into AV or component video. My 10 year old projection TV is on the fritz; when the weather warms up a bit and we're watching cable, the TV begins flickering. My guess is the circuit board handling the coaxial input is overheating or something. Yet when in AV or component modes, everything is fine. If I can convert the coaxial input to AV or component, I can use the TV for a bit longer without having to retire it. Thanks for any assistance in advance.

Yep, it is called a cable box from your cable company.

You have to keep in mind that the coaxial cable from your cable company does not just have a raw video input feed like composite video input or component video input...it has a feed that needs to be "tuned". So, you need a tuner attached to that coaxial input, which every TV has (the exception were some early HDTVs that were labeled as "monitors"...they did not have any built-in tuner).

So, you will need to contact your cable company and get a cable box if you want to use composite or possibly component video inputs.

The possible downside is that you might need to pay "rent" for the box depending on how your cable provider operates. Some cable companies will include one "free" cable box with your service, but not all might.

Once you get it and install it, you will now use the cable box to "tune in" the channels. So, there is a good chance you will be using the cable box remote to change channels rather than the TV remote...unless your TV remote has some ability to control the cable box by some "universal remote" function.

Edit: You will likely also have the option of getting that cable box with a built-in DVR. If you go that route, you will almost DEFINITELY be charged extra for the DVR part of it (cable companies tend to LOVE THEM FEES).

And if you want to use component video inputs, then you will need to make sure that the cable box that you get is an HD box. Generally speaking, non-HD boxes will only tend to have a coaxial (if you use that, then your TV typically needs to be tuned and left on either channel 3 or 4) and composite (the little yellow connector) outputs.

This post has been edited by smax013: 28 July 2011 - 10:43 AM

[mjd420nova]

One approach to this would be to use the old and possibly still functioning and not tossed in the trash VCR. They have coax inputs and AV or coax outputs. You'd have to use it as the tuner to select the source and the AV outputs into the PC. A PC tuner card would also work. One thing to remember is that these devices are analog. If you use an analog to digital converter to receive transmitted signals, then the VCR would have to be on channel three or four and the output could them be routed to the TV. The new standard for AV has now become the HDMI interface. It functions much the same and is also HD capable where AV is but not the preferred method nor would provide the best picture quality.

[LiveBrianD]

mjd420nova, on 28 July 2011 - 11:49 AM, said:

One approach to this would be to use the old and possibly still functioning and not tossed in the trash VCR. They have coax inputs and AV or coax outputs. You'd have to use it as the tuner to select the source and the AV outputs into the PC. A PC tuner card would also work. One thing to remember is that these devices are analog. If you use an analog to digital converter to receive transmitted signals, then the VCR would have to be on channel three or four and the output could them be routed to the TV. The new standard for AV has now become the HDMI interface. It functions much the same and is also HD capable where AV is but not the preferred method nor would provide the best picture quality.

But those can't deal with scrambled channels and they don't support HD; most just have old yellow composite video. The picture quality won't be great this way, but it should work as long as the channels aren't scrambled.

[mjd420nova]

It doesn't matter what the input to the VCR is, either coax from a cable box, antenna or satelite box. Set the VCR to channel three and take the video/audio output to the TV. No, this doesn't support HD and HDMI is recommended for all HD signals to maintain picture quality. Back in the early days of computers, VIDEO MODULATORS were needed to convert the video outputs un top of a channel three signal so your standard TV could display it. The original PONG game had its own built in modulator while many after had to have a seperate piece of hardware to do the job.

[smax013]

mjd420nova, on 28 July 2011 - 11:49 AM, said:

One approach to this would be to use the old and possibly still functioning and not tossed in the trash VCR. They have coax inputs and AV or coax outputs. You'd have to use it as the tuner to select the source and the AV outputs into the PC. A PC tuner card would also work. One thing to remember is that these devices are analog. If you use an analog to digital converter to receive transmitted signals, then the VCR would have to be on channel three or four and the output could them be routed to the TV. The new standard for AV has now become the HDMI interface. It functions much the same and is also HD capable where AV is but not the preferred method nor would provide the best picture quality.

mjd420nova, on 28 July 2011 - 05:08 PM, said:

It doesn't matter what the input to the VCR is, either coax from a cable box, antenna or satelite box. Set the VCR to channel three and take the video/audio output to the TV. No, this doesn't support HD and HDMI is recommended for all HD signals to maintain picture quality. Back in the early days of computers, VIDEO MODULATORS were needed to convert the video outputs un top of a channel three signal so your standard TV could display it. The original PONG game had its own built in modulator while many after had to have a seperate piece of hardware to do the job.

It does matter what the input is.

First recall that the original poster mentioned cable. So, unless this was mistake or some "generic" term meaning a coax cable coming from an antenna, we are dealing with a cable TV connection, not antenna or satellite TV.

If the cable is digital cable, then either the VCR will need to have a digital tuner (which is rather rare...thus, not likely) or the original poster would need a cable box, which then kind of defeats the purpose of having a VCR since the cable box will have a tuner and most cable boxes these days have at least composite video output in addition to the coax output...i.e. why going both from the cable box to the VCR just to watch TV (yes, it would be useful if you wanted to record something, but that was not part of the original question) when you can have the cable box just go directly to the TV by way of at least a composite output typically. Now, admittedly, a 10 year old TV is not too likely to have a digital tuner and thus it is not too likely likely that the original poster is dealing with digital cable (i.e. if the cable is currently working with the TV's tuner and the tuner is not digital, then it must be analog cable).

If the cable is analog, then you are correct that a VCR could be the other way to go instead of a cable, assuming that HD is not in the mix. The exception to this would be dealing with scrambled stations, but since it appears the original poster might be using a direct cable connection (without a cable box) right now, scrambled stations should not be an issue.

[LincolnSpector]

LiveBrianD, on 28 July 2011 - 03:11 PM, said:

mjd420nova, on 28 July 2011 - 11:49 AM, said:

One approach to this would be to use the old and possibly still functioning and not tossed in the trash VCR. They have coax inputs and AV or coax outputs. You'd have to use it as the tuner to select the source and the AV outputs into the PC. A PC tuner card would also work. One thing to remember is that these devices are analog. If you use an analog to digital converter to receive transmitted signals, then the VCR would have to be on channel three or four and the output could them be routed to the TV. The new standard for AV has now become the HDMI interface. It functions much the same and is also HD capable where AV is but not the preferred method nor would provide the best picture quality.

But those can't deal with scrambled channels and they don't support HD; most just have old yellow composite video. The picture quality won't be great this way, but it should work as long as the channels aren't scrambled.

mclasser is asking about converting coax to AV or S-Video. They don't support HD, either.

Lincoln

[smax013]

LincolnSpector, on 29 July 2011 - 07:45 AM, said:

mclasser is asking about converting coax to AV or S-Video. They don't support HD, either.

Lincoln

Actually, it was "AV or component". I assumed AV meant composite video, but it could mean S-video. But, component, however, can definitely handle HD and can basically do it just as well as HDMI for TV broadcast since they are only 720p or 1080i.