[ChrisW6ATV]

If you need only analog (NTSC) cable tuning as well as over-the-air digital (ATSC) tuning, the best solution may be to buy a used, older model DirecTV HDTV set-top box. These tuners have analog cable/OTA and digital OTA tuners in addition to the DirecTV satellite tuners. The setup menus have a "no dish" option for when the tuner is used without DirecTV service. These tuners also have built-in RF modulators for channel 3/4 to feed your old RF-only TV sets. Note that you want an HD tuner even though you will not be using it in HD mode (set the box to "480i" mode). The specific models that should work include the LG LST-3200A, Zenith HD-SAT520, Hughes HTL-HD, Sony HD-SAT200 and Sony HD-SAT300. The Samsung SIR-TS360, RCA DTC-100 and Proscan PSHD105 will also work, but their tuners are not as good as the others I mentioned. Newer DirecTV-brand boxes (models H10 and H20) will NOT work. Be sure to get the manual for whatever box you buy (or make sure you can download it online).

If you need digital (QAM) cable tuning as well as digital OTA, Samsung has made set-top tuners such as the SIR-T450 and DTB-H260F that include QAM tuning, but they may not have built-in RF outputs so you would need to add a separate modulator such as the ones used with DVD players feeding RF-only TV sets. Again, these are HDTV tuners but you will be using them in SD mode. I am not aware of a cable-ready (analog or digital) version of the inexpensive SD-only digital tuners designed for the government coupon program (which is the box you really need, if it existed).