Antenna to Tv Tuner (PC). Digital TV Box Needed?

Ronzalpha · Jul 25, 2013

I live in NYC and want to get access to some of the free broadcasted channels on my pc. The only way i would do so is to get an antenna and a TV Tuner adapter (the component I have yet to get). However, to access those channels, I heard that a digital converter box is needed. Does that only apply for standard TV's, or does that apply to PC and Windows Home Media as well? I don't want to invest $70 on a decent box only to find out I don't need it, so I'd like to ask your help.

All the threads on google I've read about this did not mention about that converter box, since they were prior to the digital shift. Any help is greatly appreciated.

SNA3 · Jul 25, 2013

Ronzalpha :

look here

http

/www.hauppauge.com/site/products/prods.html

thee_prisoner · Jul 25, 2013

To answer your question, no you won't need a digital converter box. You are probably confused about when the broadcast companies switched from analog to digital. Then you would need that box.

The link that SNA3 provided, look at the internal and external TV tuners. They should have the digital converter built in like Wolf said. Edited for bad typing and incoherent thinking...

Happy viewing, the Prisoner...

Wolfshadw · Jul 25, 2013

Just to clarify a bit. Your concern is about the transition of Free Over-The-Air (OTA) broadcasts of local television. Several years ago, local broadcast channels transitioned from an analog (NTSC) signal to a digital (ATSC) signal. For anyone that had a television that did not have a digital (ATSC) TV tuner, they were required to purchase a digital to analog converter (DTA). For anyone who requested it, the government provided a $40 coupon for a $40 DTA converter.

The same does apply to PCs. However, since you're adding the TV Tuner to the PC, you just need to make sure that the TV Tuner card you purchase includes a digital (ATSC) tuner. As long as your PC TV Tuner card includes a digital (ATSC) tuner, just like newer TVs, you do not require digital to analog set top converter box.

-Wolf sends

thee_prisoner · Jul 25, 2013

Wolf, thanks for clarifying that. I wrote cable instead of broadcast. I assumed any PC TV Tuner card sold, at least in the US,would have a digital(ATSC) tuner.

Wolfshadw · Jul 25, 2013

Prisoner - Most do, but there are still a few out there with only NTSC (analog) or analog/cable (NTSC/ClearQAM) tuners. As long as the tuner card has an ATSC tuner (or two), the OP will be fine.

-Wolf sends

thee_prisoner · Jul 25, 2013

As a person that has used TV tuner cards since I don't really remember when I bought my first one(1995?), they are/were a great addition to a PC with OTA channels back then.

Checking the hauppauge site they didn't have any without ATSC so the OP should be safe. hehe

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Antenna to Tv Tuner (PC). Digital TV Box Needed?

Ronzalpha

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SNA3

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thee_prisoner

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Wolfshadw

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thee_prisoner

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