I use an antenna for "free" TV broadcast channels {no cable or satellite etc}.
So besides applying for the converter box coupons, I just ordered a TV tuner card & a USB stick that will pick up the ATSC {new digital signal}.

Has anyone tried these?

this is what I ordered-
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600 ATSC/Digital/Analog TV Tuner PCI Card
Kworld USB2.0 Tv Tuner Atsc/qam Watch Record Digital HDtv On Pc

thought I'd give them a try and see how they work....

Another idea along with this is to hook up the TV as the computer monitor
or possibly build a second system for the TV/computer setup since I don't want to use & have to move my main pc from my desk....

so I'll wait to test out those cards and see if they do what we want first..

Hi Jo:

May I ask why you don't have cable or sattelite??

I'd be a dead duck without it.

Mel

well.... we don't watch TV that much and we just don't want to pay all that extra money for a bunch of channels that we wouldn't watch anyway.

The free over the air broadcast channels are fine for us, anything else we can probably find it on the internet and watch it on the computer.

We do not use cable or satellite, either.

We pick up 5 stations and that is plenty for us!
We do not watch much TV.

I have been wondering about TV tuners ...and how to turn a TV into a computer monitor.

I have this extremely old Radio Shack TV that works as both!
(It is very old...well over 20 years old and it works fine! Great color, etc.! It is not connected to any updated computer.)

I have been wondering how come there are more of these "combinations" around?

I will read more on this thread as it continues!

Thanks for sharing!

Hi.

I went to my local Radio Shack to inquire about the tv converter thing. I have a $40 coupon and I asked the guys who worked there "Come February, will this thing work and will I get a picture?" (I have a little tv not connected to cable, and it's in my computer room. I thought that come next February, I'd simply hook up the converter box, and VOILA, I'D GET A PICTURE.

He then asked me "Do you get a picture now?"

I said: "of course not, since the World Trade Center fell, no one gets a picture using a rabbit ears antenna". He said: "if you have that kind of antenna, you won't get a picture in February"

I said: "but the guy on tv says that if you have analog, the box will convert it into digital". And the guy said: "yes, but this has nothing to do with getting reception, you need a roof top antenna".

I still don't get ANY OF THIS.

Good Lord.

I think....
The converter box is used to convert the new digital "frequency" or "air waves" that the antenna picks up so the TV can display the channels.
Or it converts the antenna so it can pick up the new digital signals... one or the other.

Basically there was only so many of the old analog frequencies available and so many things are using them all up they decided to make the "over the air" broadcast channels into digital frequencies.

Do you remember when cordless phones were analog, and now most are digital?

but as the radio shack guy said - If you didn't get a picture with an antenna before- you won't get one after the change either.