# Flat Screen TVs without HD **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 11, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flat-screen-tvs-without-hd/796098 "2017-09-11T22:55:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flat-screen-tvs-without-hd/796098/61 "2017-09-13T01:06:14Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Stay with cable. It’s the only easy way for you to easily get all those channels. While there are streaming options for some news channels, they are separate and are clunky to switch between. Some of those channels do not have independent streaming options at all. If you want to have easy access to all the news channels, you should stay with cable. > > The over-the-air antenna is just a normal TV antenna like we all used to use a long time ago. It will pick up whatever local stations are being broadcast the same way your car radio picks up local radio stations. There will not be a news channel over the air. It will just be whatever your local ABC, NBC, whatever stations show in their regular programming. What about dish? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flat-screen-tvs-without-hd/796098/62 "2017-09-13T01:49:45Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > What about dish? Please equate “dish”, “cable” and “satellite” for the purposes of this thread. The point is that OTA (“Over The Air”) is not going to include CNN and MSNBC. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flat-screen-tvs-without-hd/796098/63 "2017-09-13T04:30:17Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > What about dish? Yeah, what they said. You can get over-the-air news from your local stations, but if you want news-only stations like CNN, you need cable and/or dish. Functionally equivalent in terms of TV (they differ in Internet packages, primarily). If you have a cable box like you said, check the back. Does it have a HDMI output? It should look like #12 on this diagram: [http://comcastsupport.i.lithium.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/14107iC6ECA91EE9E4569E?v=1.0](http://comcastsupport.i.lithium.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/14107iC6ECA91EE9E4569E?v=1.0) If so, you might be able to just buy a HDMI cable from Amazon / a local store and use that to connect your TV to your cable box and get much higher quality. It’s worth a shot. If it works, it’ll be a $10 fix. Edit: Your new LG TV might’ve even come with one. Check the box. It should ultimately go like this: Wall outlet -\> Coax (screw cable with wire in the middle) -\> Cable box -\> HDMI Out -\> TV’s HDMI in ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2017, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flat-screen-tvs-without-hd/796098/64 "2017-09-13T22:54:27Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > I have cable. I have a cable box. The signal goes from the wall to the box to the TV. Ok, do you know what connectors are on the back of the box? Are any of them HDMI connectors? HDMI cables look like this: [https://i.imgur.com/feYphcZ.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/feYphcZ.jpg) If so, the only thing you lack might be the correct cable. Buy/borrow a HDMI cable and see if that improves things. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flat-screen-tvs-without-hd/796098/65 "2017-09-14T00:59:45Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > Ok, do you know what connectors are on the back of the box? Are any of them HDMI connectors? > > HDMI cables look like this: [https://i.imgur.com/feYphcZ.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/feYphcZ.jpg) > > If so, the only thing you lack might be the correct cable. Buy/borrow a HDMI cable and see if that improves things. And buying one should only set you back a couple bucks. You can get 2 for $8 on Amazon, but the $100 ones aren’t any better. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flat-screen-tvs-without-hd/796098/66 "2017-09-14T01:40:26Z")
The box is too old to have that thing in it. No , I’ll be getting a new box soon etc. I’m not fighting it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flat-screen-tvs-without-hd/796098/67 "2017-09-14T07:19:36Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > If you just want news, cancel Comcast and plug in an over-the-air digital antenna (not one of the old TV ones, but one made for HDTVs). You’ll get HD news over the air. Some stations will look better than others. The term “HDTV Antenna” is just a marketing ploy. There is no difference between so-called “Digital HDTV Antennas” and the regular rabbit ears used years ago. There are some newer antenna _designs_ that happened to be introduced after the debut of digital TV, but it’s the same technology–for the most part rabbit ears work just as well. They pick up a digital signal in 2017 just like they picked up an analog signal from 1966. > [@drad\_dog](#): > > In short: Time for a new tv and maybe upgrade the service. You don’t need a new TV. The LG one you have is just fine. You just need to deliver a better signal to it. You could do this over-the air with an antenna, or upgrade to HD from your cable company. By the way, over-the-air TV programming will always\* look better than the same programming sent via cable or satellite. That’s because the satellite and cable companies have to compress their signals so much to squeeze so many channels in. In fact, if you can’t even get the best possible signal from your cable provider, then the OTA image will be LOTS better. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > And you mentioned that the TV “is in cinemascope aspect ratio”. That is completely normal. The old fashioned CRT television sets had a 4:3 aspect ratio, while TVs today have a 16:9 aspect ratio. Virtually everything today (cable channels, broadcast channels, DVDs, video game consoles, etc) provides a picture sized for the 16:9 aspect ratio. It would not be normal at all to have a TV with a 2.35:1 Cinemascope aspect ratio. Most TVs these days are, as you mentioned, 16:9. That is not the same as 2.35:1. > [@drad\_dog](#): > > What is a plug in over the air digital antenna? What are the requirements? Just buy a cheap antenna at any electronics store or Wal-Mart. Usually they connect onto the same coax TV input that you are now running your cable into. Doesn’t matter whether it is so-called “Digital” or not (though it will likely be marketed as digital). If you live in an area with poor reception you might need a more elaborate/expensive antenna. In that case it’s probably best to just stick with cable. \*as long as there is decent reception, of course. ETA: there are a few caveats to what I said about antennas, but I figured that was a little technical for this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flat-screen-tvs-without-hd/796098/68 "2017-09-14T12:36:52Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > I recommend borrowing a DVD or Bluray player from a friend and connecting it to the TV, just to get an idea of how good the picture on one of these can be. And you mentioned that the TV “is in cinemascope aspect ratio”. That is completely normal. The old fashioned CRT television sets had a 4:3 aspect ratio, while TVs today have a 16:9 aspect ratio. Virtually everything today (cable channels, broadcast channels, DVDs, video game consoles, etc) provides a picture sized for the 16:9 aspect ratio. > > It would not be normal at all to have a TV with a 2.35:1 Cinemascope aspect ratio. Most TVs these days are, as you mentioned, 16:9. That is not the same as 2.35:1. Did you think that when the OP referred to a “Cinemasope aspect ratio”, he/she literally meant a 2.35:1 aspect ratio? This is the same person who was _completely_ unfamiliar with technologies like HDTV and HDMI. So I assumed he/she just used “Cinemascope” as shorthand for a widescreen picture. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flat-screen-tvs-without-hd/796098/69 "2017-09-14T20:10:24Z")
Oh. Perhaps you’re right. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flat-screen-tvs-without-hd/796098.md?page=3)