# Stupid TV/cable question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 11, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981 "2014-12-11T23:30:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![maralinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@maralinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maralinn)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/1 "2014-12-11T23:30:20Z")
I’m sorry, but I’m kind of ignorant about televisions and cable and stuff. So I have basic cable (no box). (It’s also my internet – provider is Time Warner.) A year or two ago (before it was TW, actually) I got the notice that I had to have cable-ready televisions, or have a “box.” I got a new TV for the living room, and didn’t bother replacing the TV in the bedroom (actually intended to get the “minibox,” but never did.) The TV in the living room has worked fine (just checked it, it still does.) Today I bought a new TV for the bedroom. The cable comes in the from the wall in that room and has a splitter, because that’s where the modem and router are. The coaxial cable was still connected to the old TV. I just removed it, and attached it to the new TV. It’s a Westinghouse DWM32H1Y1, labeled as an LED HDMI LDTV. So I tried to scan the channels. The set-up menu seems pretty straight forward. I select “click here to scan channels from antenna or coaxial cable input” and then select “cable.” It doesn’t find any channels. I called Time Warner, they said to contact the manufacturer or get the “minibox.” Now the minibox is only a buck a month, and it’s no big deal, but I really thought a new TV would be able to get basic cable without one (like my TV in the living room.) Where am I going wrong? Does that “HDMI” mean I have to have a box? ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/2 "2014-12-11T23:54:16Z")
I looked at the [specs for your new TV](http://westinghouseelectronics.com/products/led/32-40/dwm32h1y1/). Apparently it does not have a QAM tuner (or if does, they do not advertise it). Do I understand correctly that you do not need a “mini-box” or any external tuner or box for your living room TV? The cable just plugs directly from the wall into the TV? When you tune in a channel on the living room TV, does it have a dash or a decimal point in the channel number, like “2.1” or “2-1”? If so, the problem would seem to be that the the new TV you bought does not have a QAM tuner capable of decoding digital cable signals. Your only option is to get a different TV with a QAM tuner or use the cable company’s mini-box. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/3 "2014-12-11T23:54:32Z")
HDMI is just a type of connector which carries HD video and audio in one cable. It’s useful for hooking up Blu-ray players and cable boxes and such. It looks like your new TV does not have a built-in QAM tuner, so it won’t be able to descramble the digital cable signal directly from the coax. You will probably have to get the cable box and connect it to your TV with an HDMI cable. But before you do that, try a couple things to make absolutely sure: - Make sure the coax line is securely connected to the TV and the nut is tightened down on the connector - Read the instructions and make sure you have the TV configured properly and trying to scan the right input (sounds like you have but doublecheck.) - Call your cable company and ask if they are in fact using QAM on their system. - Bang it with a rock ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2014, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/4 "2014-12-11T23:55:26Z")
I have satellite, not cable, but wanted to say that HDMI is an input connection. It could receive the output from a “box”, but if all you have is a cable with an F connector you won’t be using the HDMI input on your TV. ---
**Author:** ![maralinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@maralinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maralinn)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/5 "2014-12-12T00:04:09Z")
Yup, I must be getting QAM, because my living room TV (which does not need a box) tunes to channels like 33-32. Well, shoot, so this new TV is just not going to work as is. Frustrating because I’m pretty sure my ancient (big, bulky picture tube) bedroom TV would also have worked with the mini-box, and here I am with a new one (albeit a nice, light flat-screen) that still needs the damn box. Oh, well. Oh, another thing I noticed, when I looked at the back of the new TV more closely: what I thought was the coax cable port (because it has screw threads) is labled “RF in.” There’s another port labled “coaxial” that has no screw threads, so I can’t use the wall cable there. I’ll go get the minibox tomorrow. Thanks, you guys. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/6 "2014-12-12T00:18:46Z")
You could also exchange your new TV for one that has a built-in QAM tuner. Generally it’s the cheapest models that omit QAM. But note that if you do that, at some point in the future your cable company may decide to encrypt even their basic cable channels, in which case you’d still need to get a box anyway. So it’s probably worth it to just get the box. ETA: Make sure you get an HDMI cable to hook up the box. Don’t pay more than $10. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/7 "2014-12-12T00:19:35Z")
> [@maralinn](#): > > Oh, another thing I noticed, when I looked at the back of the new TV more closely: what I thought was the coax cable port (because it has screw threads) is labled “RF in.” There’s another port labled “coaxial” that has no screw threads, so I can’t use the wall cable there. The “RF in” is the proper place to connect your cable or antenna. The other port labeled “coaxial” is an output for digital audio. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/8 "2014-12-12T00:20:56Z")
If it’s anything like Comcast, it doesn’t matter what your TV supports\*, you still have to use a cable box for anything, since all channels are now encrypted. My TV supports QAM, but too bad, still need a cable box. \*exceptions are TV’s with cablecard slots, then you can get a cablecard from your provider instead of a cable box (and the FCC makes them give you one if you need it), but most TV’s don’t have cablecard slots, they just didn’t catch on in that way ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/9 "2014-12-12T00:27:25Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > \*exceptions are TV’s with cablecard slots, then you can get a cablecard from your provider instead of a cable box (and the FCC makes them give you one if you need it), but most TV’s don’t have cablecard slots, they just didn’t catch on in that way I got a CableCard for my TiVo, which allowed me to ditch the awful STB provided by CableVision. ---
**Author:** ![maralinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@maralinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maralinn)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/10 "2014-12-12T01:01:43Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > The “RF in” is the proper place to connect your cable or antenna. The other port labeled “coaxial” is an output for digital audio. Oh, good, thanks much. I was confused (again!). Thanks to all of you! ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/11 "2014-12-12T01:19:59Z")
Or just get rid of cable. OTA antenna, broadband internet, and Roku w/two pay channels (in our case, Netflix and Hulu Plus). If you’ve never put an antenna on your TV, you will be amazed at how many channels you are picking up (assuming you aren’t really far from a significant city)\* We dropped the evil comcast $212/mo cable, phone, & internet package and now pay a grand total of $70/mo. We couldn’t be happier. Of course, you’ll still need to get a tv with a tuner. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/12 "2014-12-12T04:47:15Z")
It’s hard to buy a large screen monitor… my first Panasonic was, but everything since has been a “TV” with full (and never-used) tuning capacity. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/13 "2014-12-12T19:47:54Z")
Did you read the manual? In the manual on the site **Alley Dweller** posted, it says: “Westinghouse Digital does not recommend using the RF Antenna input as your cable or satellite connection because it will provide poor video quality to your HDTV.” As a matter of fact, the quick connect guide shows the cable connection going through a box with HDMI connections. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/14 "2014-12-12T20:22:59Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > “Westinghouse Digital does not recommend using the RF Antenna input as your cable or satellite connection because it will provide poor video quality to your HDTV.” There is a difference between trying to tune incoming OTA or cable channels via the RF input, and using the RF output of any device as a single-source signal. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/15 "2014-12-12T21:07:37Z")
Who said anything about an RF Output? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/16 "2014-12-12T21:52:32Z")
It sounds like there is confusion between tuning in OTA/cable signals, which of technical necessity come in via an RF connection and then can be downconverted and decoded to high-quality video, and trying to transmit a video signal from a box - cable tuner, DVD, satellite box, whatever - by remultiplexing it to a channel 3 or 4 carrier signal. THAT will result in a very poor video image compared to connecting the box in almost any other way - baseband video, component, HDMI etc. Not many “boxes” have that RF output any more but one only 5-10 years old might. I still have some older DVD players and such that do. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/17 "2014-12-12T22:06:13Z")
Look at the site, the only thing it recommends connecting via RF cable is an antenna. It recommends connecting cable or satellite via a box with an HDMI connection. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-tv-cable-question/706981/18 "2014-12-12T22:18:02Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Look at the site, the only thing it recommends connecting via RF cable is an antenna. It recommends connecting cable or satellite via a box with an HDMI connection. Right. But GE in particular probably sells to an older demographic who might do something as counterproductive as try to hook up a DVD player or cable box using the antenna connection, just like they did for 30 years before.