What type TV??

[jz1028]

Just got back from Ft. Wilderness, Disney World. We still have analog TVs and had to get converter boxes from trading post. Could not get much info on what I really needed to have to receive all the channels without the box. The box was pure junk and lost sync a lot and had to be rebooted. Up until now, our TVs have been fine at all other places we have camped at. Just switched the input mode on the TV from TV to Cable, and got cable channels.

What do I need to look for when buying new TVs for the RV?
(my kids have been bugging us anyway)



Jay

[Puttin]

Just as an aside- Park operators would be well advised to stay away from simply running cable signals through their properties as is (as provided to standard customers outside the park). This is a very cumbersome way to provide cable service...to require everyone to pick up a box at the office- what a wierd way of doing business. The preferred way (and much more friendly- both from the customer's standpoint and the park operator) is to offer the channel lineup through a "mini head end" which processes the signals and converts to analog- so that any tv can be used without peripherals (a box). Also offer secure wifi with plenty of power and multiple repeaters if needed. People have choices, and with a a variety of parks and venues offered these days it can be a deal breaker for couples and families faced with out dated offerings. Just my 2 cents.

[Tom_M1]

It sounds like the campground is supplying a QAM digital cable signal to the campsites. Some cable companies furnish a few channels that are not encrypted (clear QAM). A modern TV can receive these clear QAM channels. To receive all the channels requires a set-top box. It seems apparent that the campground was having cable problems.

Many cable companies encrypt all channels so the only option in this case is to use the cable company's set-top box.

[jz1028]

You are all right. It is time for updated TVs. Just hate to get rid of perfectly working sets, especially since they are 110/12V. Oh well. Don't need the 12V option anyway.

Will make sure new ones are the new cable ready.

1775- the box they gave us was brand new still in the wrapper. The just have poor signal quality going to the sites. The internet was only up 30% of the time. I saw quite a few cable service techs with equipment at various sites. We were there an entire week. You would have thought that whatever the problem was that it would have been resolved in a day or two considering the rates they charge for camp sites.

Besides the bus situation, we have seen instances where services and some attractions could have been better as they used to be. Quite a few attractions were down. Maybe this is the Bob Iger era effect.

[1775]

Some campgrounds convert the digital cable signal from their cable or satellite provider into an analog signal and pass that along to the hookups in the campground. Some campgrounds just put the digital signal through but without the need for a cable company specific receiver (the box the cable company rents to you to connect to your TV set at home to the cable line whether a digital or analog TV set).

From what you describe Disney is putting a digital signal through and they lent you to use a digital to analog receiver box (sold in most electronic stores) that allows an analog TV to receive digital signals and display them. This box that they gave you is no different from the digital tuner that you will have built in on a new digital flat screen TV sold now. The trouble that you had with this box must have been the result of a poorly working converter box, a cheap converter box, or one that has been passed around so many times that it has been damaged along the way.

If you are not going back to Disney any time soon you have time to shop for a flat screen, digital TV for your RV. You will find this TV everywhere that sells TVs. They will be 110 volts - if you want a 12 volt TV you can get that too but will have to look where RV accessories or marine accessories are sold. Any TV that you pick from those available today will work. You will have to scan for channels with the TV every time you hook up to cable or with the antenna in a new place for the first time. You should also have had to scan with the box Disney lent you - without scanning you will not lock in signals. No campground really tells you about this regarding TV and cable as the process is pretty much standard now for RVs with newer TVs.

[jz1028]

I did not start off this thread clearly about my situation.

I wanted to get the Disney cable channels. They have info on what is going on in the various parks. If you have an older tv set to receive cable, all you get are the local channels. I found out that they give you a cable converter box to receiver all the other channels. It looks like they use DTV to receive various channels and even display a DTV 'guide' on one of the channels, but they are not the normal DTV channel numbers, but their own re-assigned numbers. They have created some sort of scheme where they are using DTV and resending it out over their cable system along with internet. The small converter box is junk and needed to be rebooted every day to get the channels again.

I just wish they had this info on their CG website about the cable requirements. They did state they would give you a cable modem for internet but nothing about TV.

It is not the same place we visited five years ago. Buses are more crowded and run less frequent. Small kids and adults walking around paying more attention to their phones than where they are walking. Why should a baby in a stroller be playing with an iphone in a place like Disney?

[wa8yxm]

Question: Were you trying to receive Over the Air TV? If so then you need to take digital TV 101 course (Read a few hundered threads on the issue going back to 2007 here in the forum.. Or if you want I and others can give you info here..

Antenna: Winegard batwing is good, add wingman it better, Add Sensro Pro it best.

You need to POINT THE BEAST at teh transmitter (not always possible with older wings).

Beyond that I won't type..

In your new TV.. All televisions for sale now should be ATSC ready, they are wind (16x9) screen instead of the old 4x3, and are capable of direct reception of over the air TV. That's about all you need to know other than what fits.

I would make sure the TV you buy has a signal strength feature to assist you in pointing the antenna (not all do).

Second. I would upgrade the antenna, As I said

To upgrade the standard Winegard Batwing (DO confirm it is a Winegard on the roof) you simple go up with the new "Wingman" and optionally a pair of regular pliars Pull 4 rubber feet off the existing antenna, Hold the add-on in place and push some plastic push pins into the holes. Job done.

The Sensar Pro... If you have teh wall plate with the 12 volt outlet, Switch LED and antenna fitting.. it is a replacement for this.. And that is basically all you do. You will need a screwdriver for this one. Pliars and a 7/16" wrency may help too.

If you have a box of many buttons (Video selection switch box) it's a bit more complex.

[jorbill2or]

A new tv should have 3 tuners in them the old analog NTSC , digital ATSC , and cable flavor digital called clear QAM tuner . Many cheap TVS didn't include ( and some still don't ) theQAM tuner . Some Cable company's use QAM ... so in order to get all the Chanel's ( that aren't scrambled) be sure it has all 3 tuners

[docj]

Puttin wrote:
It should be a digital QAM tuner (they all have them now).

I think it was in 2007 that all TVs sold in the US had to have digital tuners.

[Puttin]

Your welcome, and enjoy! Lots of great people here with experience.

[jz1028]

OK, I remember something long ago about QAM and cable. I use DTV at home and am not up on new cable technology. I realized the antenna booster should not be on. It needs to off for the connection to be direct to the cable jack on the outside of the rv.

Thanks.

[Puttin]

It should be a digital QAM tuner (they all have them now). It just means that the set has the capability to recieve digital broadcasts...both HD and standard definition without a box (unless the programming is encrypted). Maybe your OTA box was hooked up to the "cable" jack in the rv...with the antenna booster on. It would not work that way- it's only a gov't box I assume and those are only used for OTA reception.

[Old-Biscuit]

OTA antenna signals are digital
That's why with your old analog TV you needed to use a converter box (changed antenna digital signal to analog for your old tv)

New TV's have digital tuners and will receive over the air antenna signals without having to use the converter box.
Just plug in antenna coax cable to TV
Crank antenna up
Aim the antenna head towards transponder towers (look where other have theirs pointed)
Turn antenna 'booster' on
Set TV input to 'antenna'
Scan for available channels


For cable....
Hook up CG cable
Turn antenna 'booster' OFF
Set TV input to cable
Scan for cable channels

We replaced our old 27" analog TV with a 32" Vizio
And put on 19" in bedroom

Light weight, thin, easy to mount either with a flat mount or an articulating arm mount.

[jz1028]

Don't know what you mean about a digital tuner. I have an OTA converter box and it didn't do anything at all and it is a digital tuner. Is there some spec I need to look for to get cable?

[Puttin]

jz128,

Pretty much anything from the big box stores will work- it just has to have a digital tuner (will probably have it anyway). Your main concern would be finding one that fits in the enclosure you have now...unless you're just going to set it on the dinette or table. No "box" will be necessary with any of the new sets- the exception would be a small number of rv parks that supply them to their guests upon check in. The other exception is if you decide to get satellite (I never have...if it's not off the air or thru cable, I just do something else).