Could really use some help with a TV issue

[Arcadeslasher]

I have a 12 year old 36 inch standard RCA TV and recently the RF connector on the back broke off when I moved it to the basement. The problem I'm having is that we have Comcast and the tiny receiver down stairs only offers an RF output. Upstairs when hooked to the bigger (main) receiver we used the AV/RCA cable. I don't want to switch boxes or pay another $10.00 a month for a second receiver with an AV/RCA output so my question is, does a RF to AV/RCA converter exist? I can find AV/RCA to RF converters all day long. Any advice would really be appreciated.

[ed12]

to start with it is called a demoulator
channel 3/4 in to a/v out

btw why do u just not fixed the coax end ?
i mean pulld back,lift tuner cover,solder in new 30 cent piece
done,test,works,done,place back on,done
just make sure the set IS NOT PLUGED IN AT THE TIME
when u are ready to test >rf in is in place<,then plug set in BUT NOT BEFORE


ed

[ark_ader]

Radio Shack had them at one time and, yes they do work.

[ed12]

good call
ya they did..they had them both ways..i know i have both..good stuff to,
i guess the nick was not asking the proper term in google..as i got a wack of sites
from 1 search

ed

[Arcadeslasher]

Could you guys give me a few direct links? The ones I found through google are $75.00+ and I didn't find any at all on eBay or Amazon.

[DaveMMR]

Why not just use an old VCR with audio/video out as a demodulator? You can find one at thirft stores and garage sales all day long*. Coax into the VCR, RCA cables into A/V out to TV.  That's what I used to do as a quick fix when hooking up old consoles with RF connections and I wanted to keep it on the single A/V input.

(*Plus I'm sure more than a few people have one lying around, maybe you do too.)

[Howard_Casto]

I'm going to state the obvious here... don't you think it's time you upgrade your tv?

That being said unless Comcast has issues, all cable/sat boxes these days are digital or at least offer a digital option.  So what you want is a digital converter box.  You can get a cheap one for as little as 10 bucks.  These guys are giving sound advice but it's about 14 years out of date.   

You need to ask your cable company to confirm, but considering all broadcast signals had to switch to digital, I think they offer digital channels.

[ark_ader]

I'm going to state the obvious here... don't you think it's time you upgrade your tv?

That being said unless Comcast has issues, all cable/sat boxes these days are digital or at least offer a digital option.  So what you want is a digital converter box.  You can get a cheap one for as little as 10 bucks.  These guys are giving sound advice but it's about 14 years out of date.   

You need to ask your cable company to confirm, but considering all broadcast signals had to switch to digital, I think they offer digital channels.

Some providers charge you extra for HD content.  Sometimes the cost of HD programming isn't worth the money compared to Netflix and Amazon Prime.  I'm in the same boat with a SD converter box, but mine has composite out so I lucked out (if you like noise and artefacts on the screen).

[Howard_Casto]

Huh?  HD content is indeed digital, but that isn't what I'm talking about.  ALL broadcast stations were required by law to switch over to a digital signal.  Because of this nearly all cable/sat providers have also switched to digital.  It isn't a content thing, it's a format thing. 

Digital converter boxes are required to get ANY tv working that doesn't have a digital tuner installed.  I know my cable provider has a few analog channels left over for the hold-outs, but those same channels are available as digital, and there isn't any fee. 

[Malenko]

Digital converter boxes are required to get ANY tv working that doesn't have a digital tuner installed.  I know my cable provider has a few analog channels left over for the hold-outs, but those same channels are available as digital, and there isn't any fee.

Yes and Comcast provides up to 2 digital converters for free with service, the ones in Delaware are coax in coax out, not even composite out. They may have newer ones since the initial roll out, but if they kept the cheapest option to them available a digital converter box from them wont help.

[pbj]

There's still plenty of analog stations around here.  Must have been some exemptions in that "ALL" or nobody cares to shut them down.

 

[Howard_Casto]

Cable and Sat can have analog channels in their lineup, but it's literally illegal to have analog channels in the United states, so you are mistaken or you are referring to the few courtesy channels many sat/cable companies still offer as an OPTION. 

[BadMouth]

Over the air I get 5 channels and only one of them is a network, but it's nice being able to watch local evening news in HD.
All of them are digital, but I do still pick up the analog version of one.  It's a duplicate of the digital one (which looks much better), but it's there.

I thought the bandwidth had been reallocated by the gubmint, but I do in fact still get one analog channel.


To the OP.  Crack open that TV and fix the rf input or run some wires out from where it was.  It's only 2 wires.
Harbor freight has soldering irons for $3 occasionally.

[pbj]

Cable and Sat can have analog channels in their lineup, but it's literally illegal to have analog channels in the United states, so you are mistaken or you are referring to the few courtesy channels many sat/cable companies still offer as an OPTION.

No mistake, you're just making things up again.

 

[DaveMMR]

Cable and Sat can have analog channels in their lineup, but it's literally illegal to have analog channels in the United states, so you are mistaken or you are referring to the few courtesy channels many sat/cable companies still offer as an OPTION.

Full-powered stations (like O&O stations here in NY) were required to switch to digital in 09. I believe it was still optional for low-powered stations up until recently, with all broadcasters required to be digital by September 2015.

However, the TV is not worthless - just need a digital converter and many, if not all, cable boxes act as that converter. So it's not really a requirement to get a new TV if you don't need it.   So yeah - either fix that coax input or get a VCR.

[pbj]

Analog stations in West Virginia's capital.  I fully expect Castro to run to the governor's mansion and alert him to this heinous crime ASAP.

[Arcadeslasher]

Thanks for the input everyone. Right now I'm using an old VCR which works just fine until I can pick up a cheap soldering iron and fix the rf input.