Cheap OTA STB for S2? [Text View]

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woodie

01-19-2007, 12:46 AM

Dropping cable to go all OTA is no big deal for the S3, but I also have an S2, and the signal quality from my giant antenna is a bummer. Seems like we should have our $50 diginal-to-analog STB by now... the original digital-only deadline was 2006.

The only box I have found that seems to do what I'm looking for Australia:
http://www.dg-tec.com.au/images/1_dg-t99sd_rear_new.jpg
http://www.dg-tec.com.au/images/1_000027_new.jpg
http://www.dg-tec.com.au/product.php?id=1

Hopefully TiVo will come out with a terrestrial DTV USB add-on the the S2... but I won't hold my breath. I suppose we can expect that TiVo will support the $50 DTV-to-analog box that has been discussed (hopefully with a serial port).

woodie

01-19-2007, 03:26 AM

These could also possibly work...

MyDTV45 ZAT-631
http://www.mydtv45.com/store.php?cmd=view&iid=a24f3d1510bddf1503178e274a7e911e&dpid=5511f5c9a8a29e44d7343a253f35637e
http://www.mydtv45.com/library.php?cmd=download&fid=76a521cd5e8078b8d2ccabf0548ed42d

Radio Shack, Accurian 16-3499
http://www.hdtvexpert.com/pages_b/accurian.html

dcstager

01-19-2007, 11:36 AM

The Accurian 16-3499's rear panel is identical to the old Samsung tuner which is a really good one because it tunes in distant signals well. I'm not sure a Tivo can change the channels with serial or IR using any of the suggestions.

Shawn95GT

01-19-2007, 11:45 AM

Tivo doesn't even officially support OTA via an external STB.

I lied to the Tivo and told it I have Dish Network for the major network programming. Of course this ends up only giving guide data for about half of what I could actually tune via ATSC but it had the big networks (ABC / CBS / FOX) covered, so I was happy.

I used ex-Voom boxes (http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=7178&highlight=voom+stb+faq). They got for $50ish used and the Tivo's Motorola codes will control the box via the IR blaster. If you go this route it's best to buy one local that you can verify will scan in the channels you want to receive. Be advised that some PBS broadcasts make this box spontainiously reboot if tuned to the specific channel.