The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Setting up a Blu Ray player with a cable box and an older TV - HALP
Goatmon
Companion of KessRegistered User regular
Companion of KessRegistered User regular
Okay so I was browsing movies at wal-mart and finally caved in and bought a player.
Problem is my TV is not HD and all I can plug it into is the cable box.
The player came with no cords that I could find, but there was a compatible cord connected to the cable box that seems to fit.
However, I can't figure out how to make the player display anything on the TV.
Apparently, I am finally at the age where I no longer understand modern technology. Can anyone help? Pretty please?
Problem is my TV is not HD and all I can plug it into is the cable box.
The player came with no cords that I could find, but there was a compatible cord connected to the cable box that seems to fit.
However, I can't figure out how to make the player display anything on the TV.
Apparently, I am finally at the age where I no longer understand modern technology. Can anyone help? Pretty please?
Switch Friend Code: SW-6680-6709-4204
0
Posts
I only even bothered getting the player because I'm tired of finding what I want in Blu-Ray and not DVD all the time.
You have a couple of options:
1. Get an HDTV. There are lots of cheap options here that will have HDMI in. Moe's has a TV thread that you could check out for advice on models: http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/141038/the-tv-thread-more-for-less/p1
2. Get an AV receiver that has hi-def inputs and has an available standard def output. I don't have any recommendations for this, and honestly it might not be easy to find or cheap as the market for a receiver that takes HD input but has SD output is pretty small.
3. Get a converter to down-convert HDMI to standard def. Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Premium-Composite-Video-Converter/dp/B00LK95VNQ
4. Return the blu-ray player. If you can't get an HD tv, then even if you manage to find a down-converting receiver or use an adapter, it's probably going to look pretty bad and/or be chopped weirdly since the HD video is designed for a different aspect ratio screen and cheap converters/receivers will do a poor job downsampling.
I'll see about getting a converter.
Getting a new TV, let alone a new HD TV is not even remotely on the table at the moment.
How large is your TV? The converters can be 1/3-1/2 cost of an actual full TV if you've only got a 27" TV or something.
Go with
1) buy an hd tv. They are really cheap right now.
I'm on a monthly budget of $865.
Your "cheap" is probably not my cheap.
I ended up returning it, because I decided I have better things to do with my money this month.
<32 inch comes in at or under $200, so save up your money in the future.
I barely ever watch TV as it is, so it'd kind of be a waste of money to buy a HD one.
You'll have to be careful with that, you'll also need bluray software for your PC (so the drive + the software).
Bluray sucks a bunch of buttholes with how it treats you as a viewer, and that software can run $60 itself (you'd be at the $100ish window at that point).
Instead, I went the Netflix route, although Hulu+ taking up far more of my TV time the last few months.
My suggestion? Never get that bluray player. Spend the money on Netflix instead.
In fact, if I didn't get such a good deal on my broadband (cable TV is basically thrown in for free with my broadband internet), I'd cancel the cable TV portion of my broadband package.
Unless you're getting those discs from friends or the library, you may be better off with Netflix or Amazon. If budgeting is a concern. Netflix or Hulu+ might be better since I think Amazon is only yearly? At least that's how we do it.