Stand alone HDTV tuners for LCD computer monitors?

Question

Where can I find a HDTV tuner that will convert HDTV broadcast and or cable input into something I can view on my LCD monitor without having to turn on my computer? I know they make them, I've seen them when I didn't need one. Now that I want one the store I saw it at no longer carries them and the store employees are no help. I've tried searching on line but have not had much luck. I am moving into a much smaller place and had to get rid of the plasma. I have already gotten rid of my old tvs so buying a DTV to Analog box won't help. I am not even sure what to call it exactly. I just want a box that I can hook up to an antenna or cable which has an output for my monitor period, end of story. I can buy a tuner that goes inside my computer but that would require turning it on and I would like to avoid wasting energy like that. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Below is a reasonably thorough and up-to-date list of ATSC tuner/receiver set-top boxes for the North American market; any of these units should work for your application. (I believe most, if not all, include an integrated QAM tuner for cable TV subscribers.)



Please be aware that some units will be better than others - sometimes in performance, sometimes in user friendliness and sometimes both. For what it’s worth, the V-Tune Pro HD HDTV/DTV Tuner from Aurora Multimedia will likely provide better performance than the other DTV set-tops listed below, however it is also well beyond the price range that most people are willing to pay for an off-air DTV tuner/receiver. I highly recommend reading through several forum discussions on the leading A/V forums in order to weed-out those brands and models that are more likely to under-perform when compared to the competition.



On a related note..., it is also important to keep in mind that if you’re going to use an antenna for off-air DTV reception you will need to choose your antenna and related equipment very carefully as terrestrial digital TV can be very unforgiving. The Digital Home and AV Science forums along with Ken Nist’s HDTV Primer Website are three of the very best resources you’ll find on these particular topics.



######################## RESOURCES ########################



Aurora Multimedia V-Tune Pro HD™

http://auroramultimedia.com/click/?id=vtphd

http://auroramultimedia.com/?section=products&id=107

V-Tune Pro HD™ Presentation

http://auroramultimedia.com/click/?id=vtphd-presentation



Digital Stream HD5150 DTV Set-Top Box

http://www.dstreamtech.com/english/product/product_list.asp?prtdvn=PRT0030001



DISH Network DTVPal DVR

http://www.dishnetwork.com/dtvpal/dvr.shtml



Good Mind Innovation Model 8504 ATSC HD/SD TV Tuner

http://www.goodmindinnovation.com



HUMAX Digital Set-Top Boxes

http://www.humaxdigital.com/global/

For Consumers in the United States:

http://www.humaxdigital.com/usa/



KWorld Computer

http://us.kworld-global.com



Panarex Electronics

http://www.pansatusa.com/receiver.htm



PrimeDTV

http://www.primedtv.com

ePVision

http://www.epvision.com

PrimeDTV PHD-101 / PHD-200 / PHD-205 ATSC/QAM Tuner Official Thread

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=638769&pp=60



Samsung DTB-H260F HDTV Tuner

http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=audiovideo&type=digitalsettopbox&subtype=hdtvtuners&model_cd=DTB-H260F/XAA

Samsung SIR-T451 Digital TV Set-Top Box Owner’s Manual

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/download/supportDown.do?model_nm=SIR-T451&mType=UM&vType=L&disp_nm=SIR-T451



Tivax LX1000 HDTV Receiver

http://www.tivax.com/converter.htm



Winegard Digital Receivers and Converter Boxes

http://www.winegard.com/dtv/dig_r.php



################## ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ##################



Digital Home Forum: ATSC Tuner & Converter Boxes (Non-Recording)

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=42186

OTA Antenna Chart (Version 5.1 March 29, 2009) - Digital Forum

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=97121

Digital Home Over-The-Air (OTA) Digital Television

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=81

Digital Home Forum: OTA Knowledge Base & FAQ

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=41102



AVS Forum: ATSC Converter Box Comparisons

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=980052&pp=60

AVS Forum: The Official AVS Antenna Topic!

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=381623&pp=60

AVS Forum: Rabbit Ears Alternative Advice

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=874258&pp=60



Help with finding a good HDTV antenna?

https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20090209141100AAZSR5n



Antennas and Digital Television

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/dtvantennas.html

The Digital TV Transition: DTV Reception Maps

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/



AntennaWeb - Frequently Asked Questions

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/info.aspx?page=FAQ



About TV and FM Antennas

http://kyes.info/antenna/antennadex.html



Antennas for DTV Reception

http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/printableView.aspx?contentid=11584



Erecting a TV Antenna (very comprehensive Website)

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ISSUES/erecting_antenna.html

Comparing Some Commercially Available Antennas

http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/comparing.html



hdtv.forsandiego.com Discussion Forum: General over-the-air (OTA)

http://hdtv.forsandiego.com/messages/1/1.html

 

Answer 2

Standalone Qam Tuner

Answer 3

TV On Demand. people will find it difficult to give up the big TV's. It isn't difficult, with the way cable and satellite are broadcast, for your subscription to channels to give you the choice of shows to watch. Charter Digital cable already has the system in place for TV to be sent (for all intents and purposes ) over the Internet, but still wind up on our fancy HDTVs and in HDTV quality. oh, and my friend, because he edits movies, has a tower with a nice flatscreen on the wall for a monitor so even if we don't keep a specific "TV" system, it isn't difficult to set that up. just wait for mass take on of N wireless networks. IT boasts 180 mbps (with a ethernet wire, it is 100 mbps. high end wireless right now cranks out at 54 mbps)