What RF Modulators Do and Don't Do

Question: I have an older TV, no converter box and a pair of rabbit ears. I am attempting to hook up an RF modulator to connect my DVD. I attempted hooking everything up & using the rabbit ears but I've had no success in obtaining a signal. Am I just doing something wrong or would I need a converter box to obtain a signal?

- submitted by sflower

Answer:

You're absoluetely correct on both parts. If connecting an older TV (assuming one that doens't have any line level inputs at all, and only an analog RF connection) to a DVD player, you'll need to hook the video output of the DVD player into the RF modulator, and then into the TV.

As far as your rabbit ears go, analog broadcasting has ceased to exist, and stations now only broadcast in digital formats. Your TV doesn't have the right kind of tuner to receive those. So, you'll need to obtain a digital converter box to receive digital broadcasts and convert them into the older format usable by your TV. Without one, you'll get nothing but static.

Getting both items hooked up to your TV may be easier said than done, particularly if both need the RF jack. Hopefully, the digital converter box you get has it's own RF output, and your modulator has a switch to output on channel 3 or 4. If so, you're good to go. Hook the coverter box to the RF in on the modulator, the DVD player to the yellow, red and white jacks, and the RF cable out to the TV. With the switch set to channel 4,  Your DVDs will be on channel 4 and your digital box will be on 3.

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