First off I have a 27inch samsung CRT HDTV-ready screen that's probably around 2-3 years old that has generally been used just to display standard definition programing, minus now my xbox 360. I have been thinking of (affordable) ways of watching some HDTV on it. First off, we just bought a SD tivo so upgrading right away to a HD Tivo isn't an option. So my real options right now are bulding a mythtv box from spair pc parts or somehow getting just a OTA hdtv tuner. Really, I just want to enjoy maybe 5 of my favorite shows in HD. Prison Break, Survivor, etc. The MythTV box seems like it would take a lot more work, getting it to output to component video, buying a $100+ HDTV capture card, then having to have it sit out in the livingroom. In another forum someone mentioned just getting an old voom receiver off of ebay, like this one
http://cgi.ebay.com/voom-hd-ota-activated-hidef-with-dvi-cable_W0QQitemZ9704826548QQcategoryZ61396QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Right now it's really tempting. I don't splurge a small fortune on it and get to watch my few shows, and all I need to do is plug in my antenna. No buying HDTV capture cards, new harrdrives, adapters, setting up mythtv on a system, etc. So my question is, first of all, do you think it's worth getting to solve my problem of a lack of high-definition fulfillment? Here are my actual questions:
- One of my questions was that when I plug my xbox 360 into the samsung and set it to 720p mode the screen looks all crazy and jumpy, and in the booklet/ manual it doesn't say anywhere it supports 720(i or p), period. It does mention 1080i, and I can play 360 fine in that mode so I know it works. If I get voom will my tv work in 720 mode, or does it look like it doesn't support it?
- Will the quality of the signal be like that of normal antenna tv? With fuzziness and speckles and cracks and whatnot?
- What modifications can I do to the voom box if i buy it? Any possibilities of setting it up like a dvr? What would be kick-butt is if i could record my hdtv shows.
- Is there any way to plug in basic cable to a voom box and watch ABC, NBC, CBS, etc off of that, or must I use an antenna?
Edit: I'm looking ang going to probably buy this instead, if I can find one:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104191&tab=custRatings&rpg=3
But my main question is still exists about watching 720p signals and if things will be fuzzy. I ask that because of this:
Reception seems excellent. Digital reception is "perfect" even in cases where analog was basically unwatchable due to ghost or grain.
