Cable box blocks hdtv channels

I am having a VERY interesting experience with HDTV.

My mother, who lives 2 hours away subscribes to Suddenlink cable t.v. but she does not have a cable box (she does not pay for hbo and other channels or get on demand hbo or other channels). My mother bought a Sony Bravia flatscreen t.v. around 6 months ago. I noticed that on certain channels she was picking up HDTV signal as the Sony t.v. was actually saying it was hd and also would tell if it was 720 or 1080 (or whatever number it is) and also dolby sound, etc... Also note that many (most or all I suspect) are the higher channels at her hous where she is getting hdtv signal and they have a decimal number (like 90.3 for example but just making up that number here)

I bought basically the same Sony Bravia flatscreen t.v. that she has on Saturday from Walmart (both are the same size [32 inches] but my new one is made a little different where the speakers are - but other than that both t.v.'s look to me to be basically the same as the remotes and messages at top when changing channels look identical.

I do have a suddenlink cable box at my house to get hbo, on demand, etc... HOWEVER when I have the box hooked up I can get NO hdtv channels at all. I can not even get the decimal channels (like 90.3 or so).

I called Suddenlink yesterday night (Saturday night) and was told by a lady that I would NOT be able to receive ANY hdtv without paying them 15$ a month for an hdtv box (basically take my box back and trade it and pay more a month). I told the lady what I seen on my mothers t.v. (who has no box) and she basically told me that I was wrong and that I could receive NO hdtv channels AT ALL without their hdtv box.

So I decided to test things out 30 minutes ago. I unhooked the box from the wall at my house and plugged the cable straight into my new Sony tv. And SURPRISE I get the same results (same decimal channels) and most decimal channels are broadcast in HDTV and look crystal clear just hdtv looks at the store.

So I called Suddenlink asking why I can't get this hdtv with my box hooked up (still want hbo and the such) and sudddenlink guy was totally perplexed at everything I told him and could not give me an answer - he also is under the perception that I must pay 15$/month for their hdtv box to get any hdtv channels at all. Note: with box plugged up you don't get any decimal channels (hdtv) but with it unplugged you do.

I was also informed by Suddenlink guy that I have to have my cable plugged directly into their box to get on demand (I can't hook it up to vcr first and then hook vcr cable to my current box). So, in other words I can't put a t-splitter before box and split the signal so I can easily switch between box and straight cable to wall (non box) if i want to keep getting on demand (which i really like on demand).

I'm sure this may have been brought up here before but I'm new at this and would appreciate comments/suggestions from users on how to use the box and also how to get the decimal channels easily without unscrewing cables to get a few hdtv broadcasts.

please comment and sorry for long post

addendum/update: just now I attempted to split the signal before it came to the suddenlink box with an RCA a/v modulator. However, the a/v modulator did not work in the sense that it would not allow my box to access my hbo like channels and on demand like channels. Also, the a/v modulator would not allow me to bypass the box to access the "free" hdtv channels as i was unable to choose and see any channel at all when i chose the correct input using Sony remote control (which I could do if only DVD player was connected with 3 rca type wires to sony and could watch dvd movie yesterday by choosing correct input option on sony remote).

My mother, who lives 2 hours away subscribes to Suddenlink cable t.v.I don't have Suddenlink, but I can provide some more general insights, perhaps... but she does not have a cable box (she does not pay for hbo and other channels or get on demand hbo or other channels). It should be noted that over the next few years, more and more cable companies will be encrypting all their cable networks, leaving only the over-the-air channels unencrypted. Some of the service providers already have done this.

HOWEVER when I have the box hooked up I can get NO hdtv channels at all. I can not even get the decimal channels (like 90.3 or so). As you found out, that was because it takes time for your television to determine what signals are available for it to present to you. (In some cases, it might require you taking manual action.)

However, do keep in mind that since cable is a terrestrial service, dependent on physical equipment located in every neighborhood, the capabilities of and services provided by that equipment may differ from neighborhood to neighborhood. All that is required is that what is offered comply with the law, and what is provided complies with what is offered. Anything extra is not something you can depend on or expect.

I told the lady what I seen on my mothers t.v. (who has no box) and she basically told me that I was wrong and that I could receive NO hdtv channels AT ALL without their hdtv box.It is not always a useful exercise to have a technical discussion about services that you haven't been offered with a CSR for a service provider that hasn't promised you those services. They're there to support the services that they explicitly promise to you, not whatever other services you might be able to capitalize on, because you know more about the technology or the law governing how service providers provide service.

To reiterate: If you have a question about a service that they explicitly say you are paying for, call them. Otherwise, "call us", i.e., rely on your own knowledge and experience, and that of folks like us here who you can draw on for insights.

addendum/update: just now I attempted to split the signal before it came to the suddenlink box with an RCA a/v modulator. However, the a/v modulator did not work in the sense that it would not allow my box to access my hbo like channels and on demand like channels.Your splitter is probably inadequate. Be sure you're using a high-quality splitter rated for frequencies up to or beyond 1GHz, just to be safe.

Also note that splitting the signal reduces signal strength, and if you reduce the signal too much, then your digital services won't work reliably.

For more specific assistance, please be sure to include the model numbers of all the devices you're using, including any splitters or modulators.

"As you found out, that was because it takes time for your television to determine what signals are available for it to present to you. (In some cases, it might require you taking manual action.)"

:2centsYes, I understand this now. But don't you think there is an ethical problem when a customer buys a new hd t.v. and hooks it up. Finds out they can't get hd, and when they call their provider is told there is absolutely no way to get any hd tv channels unless they pay 15$ more a month for their special hd descrambler box.

"However, do keep in mind that since cable is a terrestrial service, dependent on physical equipment located in every neighborhood, the capabilities of and services provided by that equipment may differ from neighborhood to neighborhood. All that is required is that what is offered comply with the law, and what is provided complies with what is offered. Anything extra is not something you can depend on or expect."

:2centsI understand that; however, the first 2 or 3 calls I made in the past 48 hours to Suddenlink, I was specifically told that I could not access any hdtv (even free and local) without buying their hd tv box. There is a problem with the law if thousands of people are told the same thing (and in many states). If customers are being mislead to sell service, then under the law it probably is a problem and one could report it to their attorney general or even hire a lawyer who may file a class action lawsuit

"For more specific assistance, please be sure to include the model numbers of all the devices you're using, including any splitters or modulators."

:2centsok and thanks for your reply

[/QUOTE]

I will make a comment or two here - without trying to call anyone stupid or anything like that.

My DAD would say - how stupid are you?

Basically what Bicker is saying is 100% true and right on the money.

A brand new television with a fully digital tuner and High Def capable, doesn't care what it is connected to, it looks for all available signals and let's you see - if they are present and uses those signals to get you as many channels as it can see.

The cable company does not want you to know this, or to broadcast this over the internet, because if you go telling everyone that if you remove their receiver box that you can - for now - receive more channels, their scam is over.

My brother is doing a job right now near Crystal River, Florida at a nuclear power plant. I believe that he is staying in a Holiday Inn Express.
The first thing he looked for when he turned on the television was to see if it was capable of receiving RTN.

The cable company had that particular channel with a receiver, but the motel did not upgrade the television service and was still using the factory pre set mode on the television and a original remote control. Some motels remove the original remote control - probably because they get stole and replace it with a generic universal remote control - which does not let you access the controls for the television, and only let's you change the channels and turn up and down the volume.

Well to make a long story short, my brother did a whole channel rescan and he found RTV and several other sub channels.

He thought that it was on WFLA, but I have not seen anything on their license besides the regular NBC and a weather channel, so I suspect that it comes from somewhere else, but is digitally mapped as 8.2 by the cable company.

Until you do the rescan, all you will receive is the generic channels, as per the factory presets. If you try to receive anything else through the receiver box, the box is low resolution.
Foolish people will call on the telephone and complain and request a higher definition box, which the cable company will be more than happy to rent to you for a monthly fee.

Can you see where all this is going?

As long as you keep your mouth shut and use one television for your high def programming and use the other box for if you want to rent a movie or something, you will be ok for now - until they scramble everything and then you will need their receiver anyways.

and if you do not complain - you can save the $15 now and use it to pay the bill later when the technology catches up with the service provider and they replace all their old boxes with new boxes and smart cards - which will not allow you to directly connect a television to the cable and receive anything more than the most basic channels.

I always end my stories with a story.

At one time I lived in a duplex and the people that lived below me were not mechanically inclined. When something was broke, they asked me to repair it for them, due to the fact that we had a delinquent landlord - who was out screwing every Susie, Mary and Carol in town.

In return for my services, they let me hook a cable up to their cable and I received the local cable television for free.

When the wife of the landlord caught the landlord messing around with one of the tenants out in his garage, she divorced him and took half of everything he owned. Even though they were only married for 5 years and he had been married multiple times before her and he was almost 50 years old / 25 years older then she was and had accumulated a small fortune from all the years that he had worked at a local glass plant and invested in real estate.

Her half of the estate included the main residence and so he was forced to look elsewhere for a place to live. Since I was the person that was repairing everything and taking it off the monthly rent, and was complaining about how the house needed a new roof, I was the person to be evicted. "There were birds nesting in my clothes closet".

He put a new roof on the house and I moved out and he moved in - along with one of his teen age daughters.

I believe that I had removed the cable out of the wall before I moved, but that was 13 years ago and I can't remember for sure.

Since the landlord wanted to save some money, and didn't want his X to get anymore then what she was already getting, he worked out a deal with the downstairs tenant. They reconnected the tv cable line to the upstairs apartment and all was good. Free cable for a small reduction in the rent.

One day the landlords daughter called the cable company to complain that the service was not working correctly and when she gave the address, the person in the office told her that there was no service to 917 1/2 5th ave. The daughter was so stupid that she insisted that there must be service because she is watching the tv with the cable right now.

The cable company sent a repair technician to the house to inspect the wiring and when he found the illegal junction point, they cut the tv cable wire off the house and also prosecuted.

Since the cable company was owned by the city and not by a separate corporation, it was even easier for them to prosecute. They sent the town cop over to the house and charged them with theft of service and they were arrested and both had to go to court pay a very stiff fine and a bill for the estimated amount that they stole from the cable company - which is always higher then what you actually stole - but is used to teach someone a important lesson , that it doesn't pay to steal.

My advice to you is NOT to call the cable company and complain, that is only going to get you in trouble. Keep your mouth shut and do as you please - from the confines of your own home.
Get two televisions, one for the pay per view services and connect it to the box, and a second television for the newly found channels that your television is presently getting, until they decide to scramble them.

Do not broadcast over the internet what you did, or you might end up like the people in my story that thought that they were smarter then the cable company.

MJP,

Can you provide a bit more information? Which HD channels are you receiving when you connect the cable directly to your Sony's digital tuner? Give us the channel number and the channel name. For example, ch 90.1, ABC.

First, cable companies are required to provide your locals for free (no need for a cable cox, connect cable directly to tv). New tv's with QAM tuners will find the unencrypted HD locals. As I read your comments, your local cableco is providing unencrypted locals since both your tv and your mother's tv can acquire some unencrypted channels. Please tell us which channels they are.

Second, when you use a cable box, you are restricted to the channels that it's internal tuner can acquire. The basic cable box does *NOT* include a QAM tuner and therefore you will not see the unencrypted HD locals through it.

There is a simple fix using a splitter. Before I describe, I need further information from you. Tell me, what are the available outputs from your cable box? Is it coax cable only? RCA (red, yellow, white) connections? Component (red, green, blue) connections? Also, tell me what are the available inputs on your Sony tv? Presumably it has coax, rca, component, and HDMI inputs. If you can provide the requested information (channels received, outputs from cable box, and inputs to sony tv), we can show you to set up so you can watch the unencrypted HD locals and all that you pay for with your cable box.

Rick

BTW, JB does not understand cable systems. A second tv is not needed... :)

But don't you think there is an ethical problem when a customer buys a new hd t.v. and hooks it up. Finds out they can't get hd, and when they call their provider is told there is absolutely no way to get any hd tv channels unless they pay 15$ more a month for their special hd descrambler box.We all share some responsibility for how things are, with regard to customer service in this country. You posed your inquiry to a first-level CSR. These people have their hands full, as it is, just supporting the services that the company provides. We aren't paying nearly enough to justify having a set of experts for every possible alternative use of the services provided. We, as consumers though our maniacal price sensitivity, and as investors through our maniacal profit sensitivity, have driven customer service down to the lowest common denominator. If you truly want to talk about ethical concerns, then you're going to have to take some personal responsibility for being part of the problem.

I understand that; however, the first 2 or 3 calls I made in the past 48 hours to Suddenlink, I was specifically told that I could not access any hdtv (even free and local) without buying their hd tv box.Good thing you availed yourself of this website as a resource.

There is a problem with the law if thousands of people are told the same thing (and in many states).Again, we all bear some responsibility for the way things are. See above.

If customers are being mislead to sell service, then under the law it probably is a problem and one could report it to their attorney general or even hire a lawyer who may file a class action lawsuitGood luck with that. But please don't get too upset if you don't get as far as you'd like to have, with it. Lofty ideals are great; I have my own set, though mine have more to do with hunger, physical abuse, religious persecution, and poverty. However, lofty ideals eventually have to get turned towards and applied into the reality we encounter. When we expect our lofty ideals to readily translate into reality, we're setting ourselves up for dissatisfaction and disappointment. Realization of lofty ideals takes work, and time.

I'm not going to tell you that I was employed by Adelphia Cable as a engineer. What I will tell you is that I built a Mansion for the family that owned Adelphia Cable when I did construction work up near Coudersport Pa. and that I knew members of the family - personally, before some of them went to jail for stealing from the company.

They had a device that they carried in the truck that could tell you how many televisions were hooked up inside of the house, by the amount of resistance in the cable going to your home. They also have a device that tells them - if you are using your receiver box or not, that can be read at the main office anytime, day or night. Just like the ID numbers for the Dish Network smart card and serial number for the receiver that comes up when you press the system ID button.

If your television can pick up the sub channels, but cannot when it goes through the box, you don't want to just disconnect the box due to the fact that the customer here says that she does not want to loose the ability to order pay per view movies and channels.

I do understand CATV systems and I am trying to get around how she views her programming. If she has one television in her bedroom that is connected to the cable box and a second television that is not connected to the cable box and can view what she wishes to - without paying the $15 a month, then all the better.

What I will also get at is that when you have 3 million customers and every customer needs a new receiver to block the stations you do not wish to give out for free. The easiest way to do it is to use old - non High Def equipment as a base model and replace the box with the customers dime and not yours.

Comcast announced on Friday that they are in the process of BUYING NBC inc.! They feel that they have to pay the network too much money to carry their programming and that they can save money by just buying NBC and their studios and all their movie and television archives outright.

Comcast is a spin off of Adelphia Cable.

So like I said, the old box is obsolete and the easiest way to get rid of it is to offer high definition programming - with their new and improved box and discontinue their old boxes and not offer a way to view sub channels with the older box and not tell anyone how to get around the system for local High Def Channels that have been virtually moved up into a higher spectrum then the older Ch 2 - 69 analog television spectrum.

http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/allochrt.pdf

I'm just trying to put things into simple terms that anyone can understand and grasp. it doesn't matter to me if someone with a degree in astrophysics can relate what I said to actual technology, as long as the person asking the question can understand what I am trying to say.

Even my own family members were shocked when Comcast moved their local channels to a different location and told them that they could not receive them without a receiver. That they had to pay for the receiver and the subscription because their package was too basic to just give them a new receiver for high definition.

They also could not understand that although they got those channels back when they bought a new VCR / DVD combo that had the newer style tuner that it was still going to disappear when they went to the smart cards a year from now.

When a person is desperate and you get something to work temporarily, once it works, they refuse to spend any more money until it stops working again. The best thing to do is not to fix it and have them spend the money all at once and do it right and then you don't have to waste your time trying to explain everything to them and doing everything twice.

http://www.jneuhaus.com/fccindex/cablech.html

MJP,

Can you provide a bit more information? Which HD channels are you receiving when you connect the cable directly to your Sony's digital tuner? Give us the channel number and the channel name. For example, ch 90.1, ABC.

First, cable companies are required to provide your locals for free (no need for a cable cox, connect cable directly to tv). New tv's with QAM tuners will find the unencrypted HD locals. As I read your comments, your local cableco is providing unencrypted locals since both your tv and your mother's tv can acquire some unencrypted channels. Please tell us which channels they are.

Second, when you use a cable box, you are restricted to the channels that it's internal tuner can acquire. The basic cable box does *NOT* include a QAM tuner and therefore you will not see the unencrypted HD locals through it.

There is a simple fix using a splitter. Before I describe, I need further information from you. Tell me, what are the available outputs from your cable box? Is it coax cable only? RCA (red, yellow, white) connections? Component (red, green, blue) connections? Also, tell me what are the available inputs on your Sony tv? Presumably it has coax, rca, component, and HDMI inputs. If you can provide the requested information (channels received, outputs from cable box, and inputs to sony tv), we can show you to set up so you can watch the unencrypted HD locals and all that you pay for with your cable box.

Rick

BTW, JB does not understand cable systems. A second tv is not needed... :)

Yes I will try to provide you with a bit more information and I thank you for your reply. The HD channels I receive when I connect the cable directly to my new Sony t.v. are what most of us old folks would call the very basic channels (say channels 3 through 13 back when that is all you could get when I grew up as a young lad). An example that you asked me to give you is ch. 87.5 West Virginia PBS broadcast a show called "Nature Supersize Crocs at 7:00pm) Downstairs where it is an old t.v. I get this on channel 10. I go upstairs and hook the cable directly to my new Sony t.v. and it was on channel 87.5 and was truly in HD as it was crystal clear amazing just like in the store.

Interesting that you told me that there is a simple solution by using a splitter. Now I'm on a rant (not to you but to my provider).

Read back through my postings here and anyone can easily understand that I called Suddenlink many times and I was specifically told that I could not access any hdtv (even free and local) without buying their hd tv box. Around the 4th or 5th call to them, you can understand I was frustrated, so I asked to speak to a manager.

So I put my speaker phone on and waited and waited and finally a manager came forth.

After a lot of back and forth arguing, the manager finally told me that his reps have not yet been trained to inform customers that they don't have to purchase a suddenlink hd box to receive locals for free.


p.s. I got so worked up thinking about the cable company that I forgot to tell you that my cable box is scientific atlanta explorer 3100 and my Sony t.v. is KDL-32L5000 32" Class. I have 2 of the scientific atlanta explorer boxes (one is hooked to an old tv yet both look different - i think one has ubs plugs in front). The technical thing about both cable boxes and new tv is that they both have A LOT of connections in back to connect most about anything the known universe can hook up to - LOL!

p.s.s. Thanks so much for your reply - helped me vent so much!

You get what you pay for. If you subscribed to Suddenlink's HD tier then you would get their HD channels. It's their cable so they only provide what you pay for.

What you mother was getting was probably because the TV was receiving the unscrambled QAM channels via the built-in tuner in the set.

You could get the same if you use a splitter to have an alternate feed into your antenna-in socket from the cable. Then just switch source on the TV.

Reception of those things is patchy at best and subject to whatever the cableco allows. Personally I would spring for the HD package that Suddenlink offers to get the best reception.

After a lot of back and forth arguing, the manager finally told me that his reps have not yet been trained to inform customers that they don't have to purchase a suddenlink hd box to receive locals for free.And probably won't be. There is no benefit to the company to waste training dollars teaching things that aren't mandated and don't best serve the interests of the owners.

I had my own instance with this last week. When I downgraded my service, the Comcast tech and I were chatting. He disconnected a superfluous drop into my basement. I said he could: As he's replacing the splitter with a barrel connector, I tell him that I don't need it anymore because I can just set up an antenna pointed out the basement window. He says, "But antennas won't work soon." Hehe. He seemed earnest. I know he's a tech, but that doesn't mean he knows about OTA. His business is cable. He knows far more than I do about what it takes to get cable working; it isn't surprising that a guy as tuned in (pardon the pun) to the television world as I am knows more than he does about something which, as a cable guy, he probably doesn't have much interaction with.

I did follow-up on the incident, by the way, and did get a call-back from Comcast. I discussed the incident and was assured (not that I asked, or really had any reason to think) that the techs don't get any kind of commissions for service adds or anything like that. The guy is going to be spoken too. I suggested that they tell him to say, "You won't be able to get reception over the antenna without a digital tuner." Hopefully, that'll be the advice they pass on to him.

What blows my mind, though, is how many people -- conspiracy theorists I suppose -- would try to come up with more nefarious accusations. Isn't ignorance bad enough? :lol: Trickery is a much more prejudicial conclusion, so requires proof, to prefer it over the less prejudicial conclusion of ignorance. I think our shock TV culture has driven folks to always seek the most nefarious and evil interpretations for everything they encounter. It's insanity.

mjp29,

Cable box manual is here: http://www.comcast.com/MediaLibrary/1/1/Customers/Customer_Support/Digital_Cable_with_OD/Digital_Cable/3100userguide.pdf

Your tv manual is here: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-documents.pl?mdl=KDL32L5000

Connect a splitter to the cable from your wall outlet.
Connect one leg from the splitter to your cable/ant coax input on tv
Connect other leg from splitter to the cable coax input on cable box
Run the scan function on the cable input

Use your remote to switch between input from cable box and input from your tv tuner. (Note, push the input button on the remote to switch between inputs.) The input for the cable box will have all your available channels in SD while the input for the tv tuner will have all the unencrypted SD and HD cable channels.

You may find it easier to leave the input on the tv tuner and only switch to the cable box when you want to watch HBO or other premium channels you may have.

HTH and was reasonably easy to understand.

Best,

Rick

You have discovered one of cable TV's dirty little secrets: they have unscrambled digital HD channels on every wire they connect.

These channels are usually your local over the air channels.

Rarely you will find ESPN or such unscrambled, but most cable systems have some "free" digital signals floating around out there even on basic cable.

mjp29: The reason you can't get HD signals from that box is very simple. The box is not capable of handling the HD signal to convert it so your TV understands it. Cable companies are in the business to make money, not to make us happy (even though ironicly enough they need to do that to some extent to keep us happy). Anyway, before HDTVs came about these boxes were fine. They did there job and allowed people to receive all the channels they subscribed to.

Since HDTVs came out newer boxes were made and those boxes are capable of sending both SD and HD signals to a TV. Realize, if you do not use the box and just connect into the TV and let the QAM tuner find the HD channels for you, you might not receive all of your HD channels (depending on your plan, Cable providers only need to put certain channels in the clear and those are the local channels i.e. local Fox, NBC, CBS etc.) If you are supposed to get more channels in HD than just those i.e. HBO, Showtime, ESPN, TNT, USA (pretty much any other HD channel) you are going to need to get the HD box and hook up with either Component Cables (red, green, blue for video and red and white for audio) or HDMI cables (audio and video all in one cable). I will say that the $15 for just an HD STB is kind of a rip off as most companies seem to charge about $9.99 and $15 would get you the DVR.

JB Antennaman: Your story though is completely different from splitting the cable in your own house. What you did was illegal, you just never got caught. You were a separate apartment, therefore you should have had a separate service going to your place. When they put that back it was also illegal and they too should have had a separate service going to the apartment. Now take my house for example. We have the cable coming in to the TV room and a cable going to my parents room. My dad and I split the cable in his room and ran another line to my room so my TV could get cable. That is perfectly legal. Of course we could have paid our cable company like $80 to have them do it but why waste that money. So if the OP split his cable so he could have one go to his SD STB and one to the TV's QAM tuner that would not be illegal and the cable company would not be able to object.

-Shark2k

Wow...

So many words to say that the TV has a QAM tuner and that QAM doesn't pass through the box.

That's the only thing that needed to be said. The rest of the thread is fluff.

Must be contageous.

Hi folks, let me tell you my experience.
I just arrived from abroad a couple of weeks and since I will work here in the US for a couple of years I bought a brand new HDTV LCD TV 32" (the Insignia one from Best Buy) and bought a cheap indoor antenna to have some channels until I got the cable. I got the few locals in HD and amazed by the quality of the picture you can get in HD (like you say same as in the stores). Since I am not a fan of all sports & movies channels or all VOD stuff, I just subscribed for a analog extended basic offer from Suddenlink since the HD extended basic is for me too much expensive and requires to get their DVR Cable Box.
After a few days following my subscribtion, the cable guy came and my nightmare started. He brought this old huge and unergonomical Motorola STB that do not only look like crap outside but also inside. Results? 2 remotes (since the universal remote is good to only turn ON and OFF the TV), a huge time lag when I change channels (even my first DVB that I had in Europe 8 years ago was faster responsive) and a complete waste of electrical power (try to be green).
What I did? Bypassed the STB and plugged straight the cable to my HDTV.
Results? Got back all the local ones in HD (Yay!), channel switch is much faster, need only one remote, removed all the crappy channels that were bundled with my extended basic package and save on my electricity bill.
Cons? Well the HD channels are limited to the FTA (FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS, the local ones), no more VOD possibilities, might be also an issue if I want to have additional packages (but for me is fine).

AboooGeek,

I'm not a expert on this subject, but a good friend of mine is who works for Comcast.

Just for the sake of argument - all I will say is that in about a year, when everything is encrypted and you need some sort of smart card, the day will come when you will need that receiver box to get those channels you are currently getting.

So the happiness you now enjoy will be short lived.

My advice to you is not to expect it to last long and not to be so harsh on the equipment that the cable and Sat TV service people has to use to allow you to receive their signals.

In time, just as with the Dish Network packages, you will receive less and less channels for more and more money. For the most basic local channel service, your best bet is probably to get some kind of good outdoor antenna and a good set up. In the long run, you just might save some money.

Welcome to the forums.

AboooGeek,

The cable companies are required to provide the local HD channels in the clear. Their cable box does not have the ability to display the unencrypted clear QAM local channels. Your new tv has a clear QAM tuner and obviously can display these channels. By law, the locals will always be in clear. JB is right in that the cable companies are in a process of switching their SD lineup from analog to digital. This will take some time but once that is done, picture quality will be greatly improved but you will need a cable card or cable box to see their basic programming. When this time comes, you simply need to add a 2-way splitter behind the tv. Run one output to the cable box and the other to your tv coax input. With this future setup, you'll be able to watch HD locals with your tv tuner and SD programming from the cable co through their box.

HTH,

Rick

AboooGeek,

The cable companies are required to provide the local HD channels in the clear. Their cable box does not have the ability to display the unencrypted clear QAM local channels. Your new tv has a clear QAM tuner and obviously can display these channels. By law, the locals will always be in clear. JB is right in that the cable companies are in a process of switching their SD lineup from analog to digital. This will take some time but once that is done, picture quality will be greatly improved but you will need a cable card or cable box to see their basic programming. When this time comes, you simply need to add a 2-way splitter behind the tv. Run one output to the cable box and the other to your tv coax input. With this future setup, you'll be able to watch HD locals with your tv tuner and SD programming from the cable co through their box.

HTH,

Rick


Incorrect, the cable companies are only required to carry locals, not necessarily in HD, just that they carry locals.

I called my cable co before making my comments but perhaps the CSR I talked to was mistaken...

Legally, the broadcaster controls which signal must be provided, if any. Many broadcasters are now electing to negotiate payment instead, and in that case, it is all up for negotiation between the broadcaster and service provider. The rules in place are there (mostly) to protect the (local) broadcaster -- we viewers aren't promised anything that isn't subject to the broadcaster's discretion.

Beyond that, there had been a hope that rules against material degradation would prevent a service provider from presenting a local over-the-air broadcast channel delivered to them as an HD signal into an SD signal as their only in-the-clear version of that channel. That, however, was not upheld. Downconverting was determined not to be material degradation (strange, I know, but that's the way it). So DoctorCAD is correct that they could just provide SD versions in-the-clear (but they may not be required to even provide them all, for the reasons I outlined).