# HDTV Tuner for CAR Finally CHEAP



## CRD (Apr 23, 2008)

Ok Guys, I want to give hope to you guys who want Digital TV in your car, now that normal analog TV will be out on FEB 2009. What you need is a *Analog to Digital Converter Box * wich is in reality a HD TV Tuner running on 120v, but I decided to open mine up to used it in my car with a 12v source.

Converter Box $59.99 http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...9&sr=1&origkw=converter+box&parentPage=family

This is what I found. The CONVERTER BOX inside haves a separate power supply wich couldn't be more perfect for car use. The actual HDTV Tuner only needs a 3.3v and 5.5v DC source. You can make your own 12v to 5.5v and 3.3v power supply. I can make you a good quality custom 12v to 3.3v and 5.5v power supply for $50 shipped (power supply only) wich will go inside the box with 2 wires coming out. You can buy the HDTV tuner for less than $20 if you have the Goverment coupon.

Here is a picture of the HDTV tuner box opened.

PS: You only need VIDEO/AUDIO input in your head unit and you can use normal CAR TV ANTENNAS from the old TV tuners or buy the HD antennas wich are small and pick up signal pretty good.

Enjoy


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## Attack eagle (Nov 18, 2006)

Very nice! thanks for posting that.


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## envisionelec (Dec 14, 2005)

crd said:


> I can make you a good quality custom 12v to 3.3v and 5.5v power supply for $50 shipped (power supply only) wich will go inside the box with 2 wires coming out.
> Enjoy


What topology do you use? Does it ensure that ground loops are completely broken? How would this be powered/triggered?


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## CRD (Apr 23, 2008)

envisionelec said:


> What topology do you use? Does it ensure that ground loops are completely broken? How would this be powered/triggered?


Well the power supply can be powered constantly with a trigger signal to turn it on or just 2 wires. I'm working on it as we speak to see if the TV tuner holds the scanned channels in memory if I remove all the power, if not I might have to do a different power supply that provides constant power and it can be triggered with the radio remote signal wire. It will have constant +, negative and remote wire.

I'm also seen how much milliamps consumes on standby (car off). 

I will have more info on the grounds as soon I complete my testing, right now this looks like a revision of a computer HDTV tuner card.


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## badahab (Feb 26, 2008)

Just to clarify... This is not an HDTV tuner, it is a DTV tuner.

It will not be able to output a high definition picture. 

Composite video analog stereo audio only. 

It is really small and could put put in a car fairly easily. Could work well for some people. 

Will it downconvert hd to sd or does it only tune sd dtv?

-Sean


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## Ge0 (Jul 23, 2007)

badahab said:


> Just to clarify... This is not an HDTV tuner, it is a DTV tuner.
> 
> It will not be able to output a high definition picture.
> 
> ...


True, the tuner is not HDTV. However, does this really matter considering the typical LCD screen size in a car is 7". You'll still get a reasonable picture.

Analog stereo may be a problem for some. No 5.1 channel Dolby Digital...

Ge0


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## Ge0 (Jul 23, 2007)

envisionelec said:


> What topology do you use? Does it ensure that ground loops are completely broken? How would this be powered/triggered?


How about a SMPS enabled by the systems remote turn on input? Sound familiar Aaron ?

Ge0


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## CRD (Apr 23, 2008)

badahab said:


> Just to clarify... This is not an HDTV tuner, it is a DTV tuner.
> 
> It will not be able to output a high definition picture.
> 
> ...


True that but it gives you a DVD quality picture and dolby sound. It's great when waiting for my wife while she is shopping or just waiting in the car period


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## OldOneEye (Jun 16, 2005)

The other issue is that is that tuner really designed for a moving car? Think about it, your living room doesn't go 60 miles an hour down the freeway, can the tuner handle drop outs or other stuff that is specific to a vehicle you don't find in your living room?

Juan


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## Robert_J (Nov 9, 2006)

crd said:


> you can use normal CAR TV ANTENNAS from the old TV tuners or buy the HD antennas wich are small and pick up signal pretty good.


 There is no such thing as an "HD antenna" - there are just TV antennas that pick up specified channels (VHF, UHF or both). HD antennas are just a marketing term so that manufacturers can charge more. Digital TV uses the exact same spectrum to broadcast as analog TV. Also the current fequency used today may not be what will be in use after the cut-over date. For example, my local NBC station broadcasts their digital signal on UHF channel 52. On Feb 17, 2009, they will be switching their digital signal back to their old VHF analog channel assignment of 5. For my home system, I will have to change out my UHF only antenna for a UHF/VHF combination antenna. To find out what frequencies your local stations are using, check out antennaweb.org.

-Robert


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## envisionelec (Dec 14, 2005)

crd said:


> I will have more info on the grounds as soon I complete my testing, right now this looks like a revision of a computer HDTV tuner card.


Well, if it's your design, you should have information on "the grounds" right now...


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## envisionelec (Dec 14, 2005)

Ge0 said:


> How about a SMPS enabled by the systems remote turn on input? Sound familiar Aaron ?
> 
> Ge0


Yup. I confess to being a little facetious.


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## CRD (Apr 23, 2008)

envisionelec said:


> Well, if it's your design, you should have information on "the grounds" right now...


I took the pictures and closed the box I haven't tested the ground if they are togheter or not.


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## CRD (Apr 23, 2008)

A little update:

ALL GROUNDS are connected to each other, also I disconnected the power for more than 6 hours and it didn't erase any saved channels previously saved, so now that I have tested signal reception and how to use the menu etc. it seems a perfect DTV for car use. 

Regarding if this TV tuner is good for car use, NONE OF THEM ARE, not even old TV tuners. when you loose signal on this TV tuners you get freeze images, so if you're driving and you don't get good reception you will get freeze images and loss of sound. ALL THE DTV tuners will do this.

To resolve this you will have to use a Diversity Receiver wich = $$$$$.

I will try this DTV tuner on my car as soon I get some car antennas. right now I live very far from all the TV stations and I get more than 8 channels inside my condo using a $1 dollar store TV antenna inside the living room.


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## chad (Jun 30, 2005)

I would like to see an isolated supply, I have no doubt that it will last in a car, it's not like the standards are different for that than they are for the behringer unit used in cars and on the road or any other unit. For RV use this info is indespensible, even if others helped the OP whip up something cool.

As for antennas there are countless homebrew antenna options out there with damn fine low-loss mounts out there(you are gonna have to make a hole or a fancy mount.) Even an eBay ham antenna could be cut to tune.


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## CRD (Apr 23, 2008)

Here is a regulator that might work, all depends on how many mAh consumes this tuner, I haven't tested it yet with my amp meter, so I really don't know.

I have used this regulator for my different projects you can adjust the voltage output but the have a max of 1amp output so if the tuner consumes more than that you might need to buy an extra one for more current in pararell mode.

You need 2 of this regulators one set to 3.3v and one set to 5v. 

http://www.dimensionengineering.com/DE-SWADJ.htm












chad said:


> I would like to see an isolated supply, I have no doubt that it will last in a car, it's not like the standards are different for that than they are for the behringer unit used in cars and on the road or any other unit. For RV use this info is indespensible, even if others helped the OP whip up something cool.
> 
> As for antennas there are countless homebrew antenna options out there with damn fine low-loss mounts out there(you are gonna have to make a hole or a fancy mount.) Even an eBay ham antenna could be cut to tune.


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## envisionelec (Dec 14, 2005)

crd said:


> A little update:
> 
> ALL GROUNDS are connected to each other...


OK, but what happens when you connect it to your audio system? What will you do when you sell them and massive amounts of noise is getting in - sell an expensive Navone noise isolator? The point is, you must have some sort of isolation between power and audio ground. Your 3 pin regulator (switching or not) will not provide the necessary isolation.


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## CRD (Apr 23, 2008)

envisionelec said:


> OK, but what happens when you connect it to your audio system? What will you do when you sell them and massive amounts of noise is getting in - sell an expensive Navone noise isolator? The point is, you must have some sort of isolation between power and audio ground. Your 3 pin regulator (switching or not) will not provide the necessary isolation.


I won't sell anything until I test this before, it might produce noise it might not, I haven't tested it yet, I did something similar to my fathers RV and his sound system, I modified his Direct TV box to work on 12v instead of 120v it was easy but on this one I have small space and 2 different voltages. The direct TV box doesn't produce any noise on the sound system.

If doesn't work and it produces a lot of noise, people can buy a $10 DC/AC converter from ebay and use the current internal power supply.

I work making custom fixtures to test electronics boards I know I can make a hell of a power supply for this unit but, maybe something simple could work before I spend time and $$ on this. I still haven't tested a few things on this tuner after all the test is done I will know hwta power supply I would need.

Or I can make something like this just to provide clean 12v and 8v to this fixture.


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## trovance (May 16, 2008)

Forget about regulators. I've got a much cheaper and simpler way to have DTV in the car. My blog will show you how:

http://mobiledtv.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!
Trovance


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## CRD (Apr 23, 2008)

trovance said:


> Forget about regulators. I've got a much cheaper and simpler way to have DTV in the car. My blog will show you how:
> 
> http://mobiledtv.blogspot.com/
> 
> ...


Good to know there is a 12v box out there, but this one uses 3.3v and 5.5v so a simple 12 volt adapter wont work. Does the RCA haves a dedicated buttom on the remote for signal strenght?


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## trovance (May 16, 2008)

On the RCA DTA800 box you can press the INFO button on the remote and you'll see program info and a signal strength bar at the top.


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## Attack eagle (Nov 18, 2006)

trovance said:


> Forget about regulators. I've got a much cheaper and simpler way to have DTV in the car. My blog will show you how:
> 
> http://mobiledtv.blogspot.com/
> 
> ...


nice...almost exactly the same hack as a gen 1 PS2


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## Emars378 (Aug 12, 2009)

Has there been any improvements on this topic?


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