Cable TV hookup digital STB HDTV connections

Columbia ISA
Audio / Video

Digital cable and HD converter cable TV STB hookup connections
How do I hookup my TV to digital cable?

Over 100 Hookup Diagrams

Digital Cable - Explanation of cable connections

Why do I want digital cable?

If you want HDTV (High-Definition TV) or digital music channels or gigabytes of hard disk space for recording hours and hours of TV shows, you may want to get digital cable.

Cable TV has been one way to get programs on TV since the 1980s. The coaxial cable is often already installed in the home or apartment. Then you need to sign-up for service with your local cable TV company. Depending on where you live, you may have a few options or only one service provider. Comcast, Cox, Charter (Spectrum) are some of the major cable providers but your location may have one of the small local providers.

Since cable channels are now all digital and encrypted, you need a converter box from your provider. Decide which converter box to get based upon your TV. Your TV must have the input connections available to match the converter box outputs. For example if you have a newer TV with HDMI inputs, match to a converter box with HDMI output. High Definition video requires HDMI (or component). If your TV only has the yellow, white red RCA inputs, make sure you get a box with those outputs so you can connect.

Cable TV converter set top box (rear)

Look at the rear panel of your TV to find which connections are available. The HDMI cable connection is all you need but if your TV does not have HDMI, use the green, blue, red cables for video and the white and red for audio. The yellow video and white, red audio will only offer standard definition video resolution, not High-Def, and analog stereo audio. For older TV with only RF antenna input jack, use an RF modulator.

Be sure you get a remote control for the converter box and a power adapter. You also need RG-6 coax cable and RCA or HDMI cables.

Motorola, PACE, ARRIS, and Scientific Atlanta make many of the digital cable boxes offered to consumers when they sign up for digital cable service with their local cable TV service providers.

Cable TV Set-Top-Box Manufacturers

Motorola Broadband
Scientific-Atlanta
Pace
Samsung
Other Manufacturers

Cable TV receiver converter Set Top Box

Digital cable converter boxes come in several types from basic to high-end, with hard disk digital video recorders (DVR) and high-definition (HD) picture resolution. HD usually has a little higher monthly cost than the basic service. To take full advantage of all the capabilities, you need to understand how to connect all your gear.

RG-6 Coaxial Cable

Digital cable comes in to your home on a coaxial cable (RG-6) which plugs in to the "Cable In" jack on the back of the converter box. The converter box de-scrambles the signal and makes available video along with digital and analog audio.

There are output jacks on the back of the converter box for analog stereo audio and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Video output includes analog composite, S-Video and component video. Many converters now have HDMI digital video output for your digital TV and HDTV. Some even have USB although these could be non-functional. Some also have Ethernet ports for networking.

There are many cable connection jacks on the back of the converter box. Some may not be functional. Which connections you make will depend on what type of equipment you want to setup in your particular configuration and what connections are available. If you have a standard TV, not digital, you will connect different cables than you would for a digital TV.

Newer converter boxes may have an HDMI output for digital and HDTV sets.

HDMI Cable

Rear panel of a Cable TV receiver converter box

This cable TV set-top-box has both standard (yellow, white, red) and high definition (HDMI) outputs for connecting to TV.

Connection diagram HDMI cable to TV with HDMI inputs

Be sure to select the correct HDMI source input on the TV using the TV remote.

Connection diagram RCA cables to older TV with only RCA inputs

Be sure to select the correct AV source input on the TV using the TV remote.

RCA cables - yellow to yellow video and white and red audio

Step by step hookup:

This diagram shows video and audio cables for stereo sound and component video hookup from the cable TV converter box to a TV or A/V receiver. From left to right, you would connect a red and white stereo audio RCA cable to the red and white audio OUT jacks on the converter box and hookup the other ends of these cables to the red and white audio IN jacks on a TV or A/V receiver. White to white and red to red.

Next, connect the three video cables, green, blue and red to the video OUT jacks (Y, Pb, Pr) on the converter box, then the other cable ends to the three component video IN jacks (Y, Pb, Pr) on your TV (or A/V receiver). Green to green, blue to blue and red to red. These five connections give you picture and sound.

You need component video (green, blue, red) for High Definition. DVI or HDMI will also work but composite video or S-video will not.

HDMI is the only cable connection you need from cable box to High-Definition TV for video and audio. Connect one end of HDMI cable to cable box and the other end of the HDMI cable to an available HDMI input on the TV. Select the HDMI input on the TV with the TV remote.

HDMI cable connection to cable box

TV connection - HDMI cable

Scientific Atlanta

SA8300 Scientific Atlanta digital cable box

1	Cable IN	Connect coaxial cable from cable TV service provider
2	Cable OUT	Coaxial cable to TV or VCR for standard TV audio and video
3	Component video OUT	Connect to HDTV for video (option)
4	Digital audio OUT	RCA cable to send digital audio to surround sound receiver
5	Composite video and Audio OUT	standard TV video
6	Audio OUT (stereo)	analog audio
7	Optical audio OUT	Optical cable to send digital audio to surround sound receiver
8	S-Video OUT	Connect S-Video to TV or VCR
9	HDMI	Connect to HDTV for video/audio. May be used to connect DVI video using adaptor
10	IR	Future Use
11	SATA HDD	External hard disk drive connection for expanded recording capacity
12	IEEE 1394 Firewire	Connect to display devices with IEEE 1394 INPUT
13	AC OUT	Connect power cord from another device (TV)
14	AC Power IN	Connect AC wall power cord

HDTV cable connections diagrams	High Definition video connection


Full view cable connection diagram for Motorola digital "cable TV" box.
Step by Step Hookup: Connecting a High Definition Digital Cable TV Box to a Home Theater Receiver and TV An RF/coaxial cable connects from the jack on the wall to the RF input on the digital cable box. Video can be connected to your home theater receiver via component video, DVI or HDMI if you like or directly to the TV. Audio is connected using S/PDIF digital and stereo analog RCA connections. Note: The reason for this is that the lower cable TV channels - even on a "digital" cable TV box, are not actually digital and will only output audio via the analog stereo RCA outputs. Connect both and most receivers will switch automatically to pick up the digital audio when it is present. If S/PDIF (digital audio) is not available then use stereo analog RCA connections alone. If you use the optical cable connection for digital audio, then you do not need the coax cable (orange) connection. If your TV is a plasma display or other display without any speakers, then you'll have to connect the stereo (red and white) audio cables to an audio receiver of some kind which can amplify the sound and drive your loudspeakers. The home theater receiver can be connected to the TV using the same video connection type used to connect the digital cable box to the home theater receiver or if you used a direct connection to the TV from the cable box then no cables are connected to the TV from the A/V receiver. A VCR or DVD recorder can easily be added to the mix by using the coaxial/RF output on the cable box to the VCR?s (or DVD) coaxial/RF input. You can then connect the VCR?s stereo RCA outputs and video output to the receiver and switch video sources when desired using the A/V receiver. SETUP: Power ON cable box and use remote control You may need to change some settings on the converter box. Typically you would Press MENU on the Cable TV remote control. Your on-screen menu may vary depending on which cable box you have but there will be options to change picture and sound, aspect ratio, video resolution and other options such as which channel to select when the converter box is first powered on. Your TV is a wide-screen digital TV or a more square screen older analog TV. The wide-screen TV has an aspect ratio of 16:9 while the older analog TV has an aspect ratio of 4:3. You can change this setting so the picture fits your TV screen. Screen resolution on your TV is the maximum video resolution that the TV can display. The older analog TV can display 480i while the wide-screen digital TV can display 720p, 1080 or even 4K. Try changing this setting to see what works best on your TV. There are other settings. Select the best for your preferences. Use the arrow keys on the remote and the center key to select (OK). Connect recorder (VCR) to cable TV set top box Set recorder to record from LINE input o HDTV Basic Setup Cable TV Setup PREVIOUS PAGE - Cable TV Hookup see also: Audio Video Connections Cable Connections Diagrams Video Connections Diagrams Cable TV, Satellite TV, OTA Tuners Receivers Columbia ISA Empowering consumers thru information.