# TV Converter Box Help



## Dawter (Jul 29, 2007)

I have a TV that has no red,yellow and white hookups. I have rabbit ears antenna in which when I watch a DVD I simply slide the lever from Cable to Antenna (although I don't have cable installed). I have an RF Modulator hooked up to my DVD player. All is well. I can watch TV or watch a DVD. 
Now I brought home a Converter Box. 
Can someone please give me instructions like you're talking to a 6 yr. old on how to hook the TV, Antenna, Converter Box and DVD Player together? Please give me steps. Sorry, but at this point I'm totally confused.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

if you have a Radio Shack or similar place nearby I would go there and have them figure it out. I think you will need some type of a selector switch set up where you plug the dvd and the converter box into the selector switch which then connects to the tv..


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## Mumbodog (Oct 3, 2007)

Did the convertor box come with instructions?

What make and model is it?


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## Dawter (Jul 29, 2007)

Oh dear, I forgot to mention that I have a little gold box on the back of my TV cabinet that has a slider on it. 
1. There is a cable that connects from my TV to this little gold box that has a slider. On the left side it says "Cable. On the right side it says "Antenna." When I want to watch TV I slide it to "Antenna." When I want to watch a DVD I slide it to "Cable."
2. There is a cable connecting from this little gold box named "Input" that connects to the RF Modulator. 
3. There is a another "Input" connection that goes from the little box to the Antenna on the TV.
Now to the RF Modulator:
The Modulator has a red, yellow and white connectors that connect to the red, white and yellow on my DVD player.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

i would think it goes on the output of the little gold box on the line that goes to antenna in


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## Dawter (Jul 29, 2007)

There's nothing on the little box that says "Output." Could you see the image I made?


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

I think i was wrong. it probably goes between the antenna and the gold box.

there probably is an input and output on the converter. 

the antenna would connect to the input on the converter box.

the output of the converter box would go to the input of the gold box.

i labeled the converter C V


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## Dawter (Jul 29, 2007)

Ohhhh, thank you! I'll try this and then let you know.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

Dawter said:


> Ohhhh, thank you! I'll try this and then let you know.


don't thank me till it works 

if the other configuration does not work then try this one.

and i am assuming you have another antenna in addition to the rabbit ears.

as a last resort if the above does not work either then take a picture of this stuff and post it


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## Dawter (Jul 29, 2007)

The rabbit ears is all I have for an antenna. I get about 6 or 7 stations pretty clear.
I'll take a look at your new diagram. If after I try these 2 ways it doesn't work I'll take a picture as you suggested.
BTW, I wasn't thanking you just for your help but also for taking the time to help me


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## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

Wacor rules...:up:

What is the purpose of this converter box that you just got? It seems like you have a lot of converters, converting a lot of stuff on there.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

Drabdr said:


> Wacor rules...:up:
> 
> What is the purpose of this converter box that you just got? It seems like you have a lot of converters, converting a lot of stuff on there.


i was assuming it was one of the boxes to convert the high def for an analog tv.

thanks for the compliment. I can figure out this stuff easy enough when it is in front of me. more of a challenge when by description by the drawing helped.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

wacor said:


> don't thank me till it works
> 
> if the other configuration does not work then try this one.
> 
> ...


are these external rabbitt ears

you show an antenna and then the wire going to an antenna connection on the tv


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## Dawter (Jul 29, 2007)

The rabbit ears are $10 RCA from Target...LOL Hey, they work!
Yes, this is the converter I got for converting to HD.


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## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

Dawter said:


> The rabbit ears are $10 RCA from Target...LOL Hey, they work!
> Yes, this is the converter I got for converting to HD.


You bet those rabbit ears work! Oldie but a goodie.

Which HD are you trying to convert (from what to what)? I just see a whole lotta converters, and it seems that you have a pretty simple system. Also, I hate to see you take those HD inputs, and go into an analog.

Maybe.... you can take back your latest converter and buy a small, new TV?? That way, it should have adequate connections on it, and you can get true HD from your DVD. Just a thought...  You could keep the TV you have for regular TV watching in another room or something. Then the new one can be for your entertainment area.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

Drabdr said:


> You bet those rabbit ears work! Oldie but a goodie.
> 
> Which HD are you trying to convert (from what to what)? I just see a whole lotta converters, and it seems that you have a pretty simple system. Also, I hate to see you take those HD inputs, and go into an analog.
> 
> Maybe.... you can take back your latest converter and buy a small, new TV?? That way, it should have adequate connections on it, and you can get true HD from your DVD. Just a thought...  You could keep the TV you have for regular TV watching in another room or something. Then the new one can be for your entertainment area.


you have it backward I believe

I think this is an analog tv. after the first of the year sometime all over the air signals are HD..

that tv would be useless after the first of the year without the converter 

.


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## Dawter (Jul 29, 2007)

Yes, well you guys are my last resort before buying a new TV.
I don't have many converters. Only 1 and I'm wanting to go from analog to HD.
Is the little gold box I have what you'd be calling a "selector switch" as I can select to watch TV or a DVD from this little box.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

Dawter said:


> Yes, well you guys are my last resort before buying a new TV.
> I don't have many converters. Only 1 and I'm wanting to go from analog to HD.
> Is the little gold box I have what you'd be calling a "selector switch" as I can select to watch TV or a DVD from this little box.


yes I believe it is a selector switch

so the ideas I gave you did not work??

one thing that may or may not be at work too is the quality of your rabbit ears. I had a HD tv and cable. But I also have two antenna inputs and I use amplified rabbitt ears to get over the air HD which is better than cable HD. The difference with HD over the air is that you will usually get nothing or everything. You don't get fuzzy signals.

I live close to 3 tv stations but i could not get the HD signal with standard rabbitt ears. you may need to go buy a amplified set of rabbitt ears to get the over the air HD signal. I would not consider it a waste as you would use it on a new HD tv. they cost from $20-$75


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## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

wacor said:


> you have it backward I believe
> 
> I think this is an analog tv. after the first of the year sometime all over the air signals are HD..
> 
> ...


Yea... forgot about that. I'm assuming the signal coming in is digital across the rabbit ears, and sent digitally through the analog cable.



wacor said:


> yes I believe it is a selector switch
> 
> so the ideas I gave you did not work??
> 
> ...


Agreed. Too, with all the conversion, I might expect some of that signal to be degraded.


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## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

FWIW... I think Wacor's 2nd drawing should work.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

something just came to me.

did you turn the tv to channel 3???

here is a tutorial that might help some also

http://dtvtransition.org/downloads/converter_qsg.pdf


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## Dawter (Jul 29, 2007)

Okay, I finally think I got it...LOL It's kinda mickey mouse but it works. I get more channels and they are clear. A couple of them aren't too clear so I may take your advice and get an amplified antenna.

I removed the little box completely.

When I want to watch a DVD the pink will be connected to the RF Mod as shown in this figure. When I want to watch HDTV I'll unhook the pink line from the
modulator and connect it to the converter. This is where the slip-on connectors 
come in handy as you don't have time-consuming threads to screw and unscrew.
THANK YOU ALL!


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## Drabdr (Nov 26, 2007)

Dawter, thank you for checking back in and letting us know how things went. I' m really glad you were able to remove one of the boxes; makes it easier. 

Anyway... good luck!:up:


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