Coaxial cable HD converter?

August 22, 2008 9:00 AM

HDTV filter: I accidentally tore out my coaxial input. Can I still get the HD signal from my cable into my TV via a converter?

As I was taking my wall-mounted HDTV down I accidentally tore out my coaxial jack. I thought I had disconnected all the cables, but forgot about the only one w/ the screw connection. It popped it right out of the board, and I can't get it back in there.

I know if I was a proper citizen I'd pay the $100 a month for real cable, which would then connect to my set via HDMI and solve my problem. But I was running my cable directly into my set and was getting all the free broadcast HD signals, which is enough for me.

So! I bet I could find a coaxial -> RCA adapter, but am pretty sure that the HD signal would be lost. Do you know of an adapter that suits my needs? I have plenty of inputs on my set...

Thanks, AskMeFi!

posted by cgs to technology (10 comments total)

You need an HD reciever with HDMI or component video outs. A F connector to RCA will not cut it.
posted by chrisfromthelc at 9:11 AM on August 22, 2008

can you see where the old connector was hooked into the circuit board? You might be able to re-solder it pretty easily. This will obviously void your warranty, but we're probably out of the woods there already...

Alternately, you may be able to get this repaired pretty inexpensively- the manufacturer should list authorized service centers on their website. Might be worth a phone call.
posted by jenkinsEar at 9:15 AM on August 22, 2008

jenkinsEar: i can totally see where it goes back in (there is a little filament that needs to fit in a slot on the board, under the housing)... but the way the housing is, the jack can't get back in there. I did a little exploratory surgery w/ a pair of plyers, trying to make room for the jack and expose the board behind the housing, but no dice. I stopped before I made things worse.

just called a repair place: $275

chrisfromthelc: how much does a HD receiver cost?
posted by cgs at 9:28 AM on August 22, 2008

I think what you want to look for isn't an "adapter" as much as an "HDTV tuner" sort of device. A 'generic' cable box if you will. It'd take the coaxial input and output the signal as an HDMI (or similar) output.

Here's one, though I don't know enough to guarantee it'd work with your setup. (It's also $180... Which means you might see how much it'd cost to fix the ripped-out coaxial terminal.)
posted by fogster at 9:29 AM on August 22, 2008

I did a little exploratory surgery w/ a pair of plyers, trying to make room for the jack and expose the board behind the housing, but no dice. I stopped before I made things worse.

BTW, it sounds like you're not going to do this, but if you decide to resort to DIY repairs, be really careful. While I can't say I've ever taken an LCD TV apart, I'd suspect they have the same sort of ginormous capacitors in CRTs... The type that, even when the set's unplugged, can "make you see Jesus" when you touch 'em.
posted by fogster at 9:35 AM on August 22, 2008

Check WalMart. They carry some budget boxes geared for the upcoming analog/HD cutover in 2009. Seems like my parents paid around $50-75 for theirs.
posted by chrisfromthelc at 9:45 AM on August 22, 2008

The cheap boxes chrisfromthelc mentions will receive HD channels, but won't output an HD signal for the TV.
posted by zsazsa at 9:51 AM on August 22, 2008

Over-the-air HDTV and cable HDTV use different schemes (raw ATSC versus QAM), so you'd need to be very, very sure that an HDTV tuner intended for OTA had a QAM tuner as well.

Or buy an antenna and an OTA HDTV tuner.

Or rent a digital cable box from your cable company.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:54 AM on August 22, 2008

@zsazsa, you're right. I forgot about that.
posted by chrisfromthelc at 10:50 AM on August 22, 2008

While I can't say I've ever taken an LCD TV apart, I'd suspect they have the same sort of ginormous capacitors in CRTs.

Nope. The "ginourmous capacitor" in a CRT that makes them dangerous to open if you're untrained is the CRT itself. LCD panels are pretty safe. Avoid the power supply. The backlight might have high voltage, but rarely has any real current behind it. But in general, the easiest way for an LCD to hurt you is for it to fall on you.

Note: This is LCD, not Plasma, TVs. I don't know what the voltage profile of Plasma is, I really haven't looked at the tech at all.
posted by eriko at 1:05 PM on August 22, 2008