Installing converter box with Directv - TV only has coax input

minard3 · 06-14-2009, 02:00 PM

My mom and my grandpa both get their local channels over the air because their market is not available via DirecTV. Both their TVs only have a single coax input, so now that I hooked their Magnavox digital to analog converter up, the over the air channels look great, but the DirecTV signal is now fuzzy. I assume the box must be interfering. I tried setting the box to use channel 4, but that didn't help. I also saw the RF passthrough option in setup, but I figured that there is no way they would remember to go in there every time they wanted to switch between the antenna and directv. My only solution I could think of is to put in an A/B switch and separate out the over the air antenna signal from the directv signal. Of course, buying a newer tv that at least has composite AV jacks would work too, but neither of them are looking for a new tv right now.

Orrymain · 06-14-2009, 07:03 PM

If they want the new TV (I'll take it <g>), sounds like the A/B switch is the way to go. Of course, they still have to remember to switch from A to B, and vice versa.

Jay · 06-14-2009, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by minard3

My mom and my grandpa both get their local channels over the air because their market is not available via DirecTV. Both their TVs only have a single coax input, so now that I hooked their Magnavox digital to analog converter up, the over the air channels look great, but the DirecTV signal is now fuzzy. I assume the box must be interfering. I tried setting the box to use channel 4, but that didn't help. I also saw the RF passthrough option in setup, but I figured that there is no way they would remember to go in there every time they wanted to switch between the antenna and directv. My only solution I could think of is to put in an A/B switch and separate out the over the air antenna signal from the directv signal. Of course, buying a newer tv that at least has composite AV jacks would work too, but neither of them are looking for a new tv right now.

There are a couple of DirecTV receivers (h20 or hr20 receiver) with a built-in digital receiver capable of receiving over the air signals for local programming. What model number are your mom and my grandpa using?

You are correct in that you cannot connect your converter box to your DirecTV receiver directly. I'm surprised you're getting any over-the-air channels at all.

How many inputs are available on the back of your mom and my grandpa's TV? Most newer TVs (2002-2008) have atleast 2 inputs available which would allow you to connect their DirecTV receiver to one input and the converterbox to the other. Switching back and forth between satellite TV and local programming would be simple by using the TV remote control to switch between inputs.

Welcome to the forum by the way.

1inxs · 06-14-2009, 09:47 PM

minard3, Welcome to the DTVUSA Forum. You can connect the CECB to a Directv receiver and you don't need an A/B switch. You connect the antenna cable into the CECB and the output of the CECB to the antenna input on the back of the Directv receiver. To watch OTA DTV you need to turn off the Directv receiver and use the CECB tochange the stations for OTA broadcasts. That should be all there is to it.

Jay · 06-14-2009, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1inxs

minard3, Welcome to the DTVUSA Forum. You can connect the CECB to a Directv receiver and you don't need an A/B switch. You connect the antenna cable into the CECB and the output of the CECB to the antenna input on the back of the Directv receiver. To watch OTA DTV you need to turn off the Directv receiver and use the CECB tochange the stations for OTA broadcasts. That should be all there is to it.

1inxs, how many of the receivers have the antenna input? If it's a good amount of them, I'll remove my post!

<-------Limited experience with DirecTV STB's!

1inxs · 06-14-2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay

1inxs, how many of the receivers have the antenna input? If it's a good amount of them, I'll remove my post!

<-------Limited experience with DirecTV STB's!

Before they started offering the Local channels uplinked on the satellites it was the only way the systems worked. But don't remove your post they may post back and say the receivers are the most up to date. I based my response to the fact their equipment sounds older. If I'm wrong I'll buy the new bride and you dinner if I'm right then we helped minard3 get the grandparents up and running. I hope my last post didn't sound offensive. It wasn't meant to be.

Jay · 06-14-2009, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1inxs

Before they started offering the Local channels uplinked on the satellites it was the only way the systems worked. But don't remove your post they may post back and say the receivers are the most up to date. I based my response to the fact their equipment sounds older. If I'm wrong I'll buy the new bride and you dinner if I'm right then we helped minard3 get the grandparents up and running. I hope my last post didn't sound offensive. It wasn't meant to be.

LOL, be careful, I may take you up on that. Not offensive at all, just hadn't thought of the antenna input on the DirecTV receiver.

minard3 · 06-22-2009, 07:15 PM

I'm not sure what model receivers they have, but they aren't the H20 or HR20 (I have one of each of those at my house) since those are HD models and they do not subcribe to HD service or have HDTVs. My mom's TV has been around since I was in grade school (I'm in my 30's now) and my grandpa says his TV is only a couple of years old, but it's a 19" model. Both tv's have a single coax input, that's it.

I had it hooked up as 1inxs describes, but the directv was snowy, like the converter box was interfering with the directv signal. The A/B switch works for my mom. I haven't made it back to my grandpa's with one, but I hopefully will be soon.

Sounds like you guys are going to be heading out for dinner. Have fun.


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