Time Warner Basic Cable in HD? (Manhattan)

TomZ · 11-01-2009, 07:17 PM

Howdy HighDef Forum members,

First off, I did do a search for my question, but I wasn't able to find my answer that way, so hopefully, someone here can help.

My wife's mother lives in NYC 150-something-th street in Manhattan. She has Time Warner Cable and just gets the basic cable, $15 or so a month roughly. Her older tube type TV is dying and we wanted to get her a new 32" or so LCD HDTV to replace it with.

Here's my question:
Will she be able to get HD on this new TV by just hooking up the cable to the back of the set?

Background of why I'm asking:
In Southern NJ where I live, we have Comcast. We purchase the Basic cable -- here it's $13.50 or so a month -- and we get HD channels for most of the basic over-the-air channels, and they throw in a few extras in HD as well. I have a Hitachi 60" HDTV with a built in HD tuner and the picture is beautiful. Also, I don't use a cable box, I just hook the cable up to the TV.

So I am wondering if it works that way in Manhattan with Time Warner Cable. I tried asking her son who lives in the same apartment building as her, but he hasn't gotten back to me, and I think he has DirectTV.

Thanks for reading, and for any help or info.

TomZ

joekewl1971 · 11-02-2009, 06:28 PM

Welcome to High Def Forum.

Your mother in law should get some digital cable from hooking the cable to her TV. She will need to scan for channels to get digital.

I did this with a friend, and he gets more channels than he pays for.

TomZ · 11-02-2009, 07:24 PM

Thanks a lot for the reply.

I was just out at Walmart tonight with my wife and we found a set we like for her place. 32" with a built-in HD tuner.

That's what I was wondering about too, I guess. We have a set downstairs in the kitchen that is HD ready, but has no HD tuner, so it can't get HD broadcasts without a cable box. Since the set we want to get her has an HD tuner built in, hopefully you're right, she will get some HD channels using just the coax cable hookup.

It would be a shame to have an HD set and not be able to get HD broadcasts! But actually, I don't think my wife's mother will care either way, she's pretty old school and easy to please.

Thanks again,
TomZ

herblynn · 11-03-2009, 11:00 AM

Generally you have to get a HD cable box from Time Warner. The cable box whether HD or not, is required for any cable hookup. The HD box is free as is the non HD box and is included as part of Time Warner cable service, at least in Manhattan.

TomZ · 11-03-2009, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herblynn

Generally you have to get a HD cable box from Time Warner. The cable box whether HD or not, is required for any cable hookup. The HD box is free as is the non HD box and is included as part of Time Warner cable service, at least in Manhattan.

Thanks for the info, Herb.

I asked my wife to ask her mom if she has a cable box, and she said she did not. She just hooks the coax right into the back of the TV set, it's an older tube type RCA, probably 12-14 yrs. old. I know back years ago, many TV sets manufacturers were touting their sets as "cable ready" so no box was required. But, I don't know how the conversion to digital TV has changed things if any. Here in southern NJ cable subscribers didn't need to do anything to continue receiving broadcasts, just antenna users, but I don't know about NYC.

Well, we are planning to deliver the set to her on Thanksgiving and hook it up for her. If it doesn't work and she needs a box, we'll just have to call the cable company on Friday and get one for her. Thanks for the heads-up.

TomZ

_zed · 11-09-2009, 01:32 AM

Make sure the TV you bought supports Clear QAM. Most do, but just in case, that is what you need to get HD channels through cable without a box (you'll probably only get the broadcast channels though).

TomZ · 11-12-2009, 08:28 PM

Zed, thanks for the info. In doing a search for clear qam I stumbled upon a review of the TV we purchased and the person stated that it was able to receive high def broadcasts without the use of a cable box. So I guess if Comcast in Manhattan is giving it, my mother in law will be able to receive it.

TomZ

11-01-2009, 07:17 PM	#1
TomZ I Aspire to be Average Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 5	Time Warner Basic Cable in HD? (Manhattan) Howdy HighDef Forum members, First off, I did do a search for my question, but I wasn't able to find my answer that way, so hopefully, someone here can help. My wife's mother lives in NYC 150-something-th street in Manhattan. She has Time Warner Cable and just gets the basic cable, $15 or so a month roughly. Her older tube type TV is dying and we wanted to get her a new 32" or so LCD HDTV to replace it with. Here's my question: Will she be able to get HD on this new TV by just hooking up the cable to the back of the set? Background of why I'm asking: In Southern NJ where I live, we have Comcast. We purchase the Basic cable -- here it's $13.50 or so a month -- and we get HD channels for most of the basic over-the-air channels, and they throw in a few extras in HD as well. I have a Hitachi 60" HDTV with a built in HD tuner and the picture is beautiful. Also, I don't use a cable box, I just hook the cable up to the TV. So I am wondering if it works that way in Manhattan with Time Warner Cable. I tried asking her son who lives in the same apartment building as her, but he hasn't gotten back to me, and I think he has DirectTV. Thanks for reading, and for any help or info. TomZ

11-02-2009, 07:24 PM	#3
TomZ I Aspire to be Average Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 5	Gracias... Thanks a lot for the reply. I was just out at Walmart tonight with my wife and we found a set we like for her place. 32" with a built-in HD tuner. That's what I was wondering about too, I guess. We have a set downstairs in the kitchen that is HD ready, but has no HD tuner, so it can't get HD broadcasts without a cable box. Since the set we want to get her has an HD tuner built in, hopefully you're right, she will get some HD channels using just the coax cable hookup. It would be a shame to have an HD set and not be able to get HD broadcasts! But actually, I don't think my wife's mother will care either way, she's pretty old school and easy to please. Thanks again, TomZ

11-03-2009, 11:00 AM	#4
herblynn How can anyone watch standard def? Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 18	Time Warner Cable HD Generally you have to get a HD cable box from Time Warner. The cable box whether HD or not, is required for any cable hookup. The HD box is free as is the non HD box and is included as part of Time Warner cable service, at least in Manhattan.

11-02-2009, 06:28 PM	#2
joekewl1971 High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 595	Welcome to High Def Forum. Your mother in law should get some digital cable from hooking the cable to her TV. She will need to scan for channels to get digital. I did this with a friend, and he gets more channels than he pays for.

11-09-2009, 01:32 AM	#6
_zed A couch and an HDTV to go please. Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 11	Make sure the TV you bought supports Clear QAM. Most do, but just in case, that is what you need to get HD channels through cable without a box (you'll probably only get the broadcast channels though).

11-12-2009, 08:28 PM	#7
TomZ I Aspire to be Average Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 5	Zed, thanks for the info. In doing a search for clear qam I stumbled upon a review of the TV we purchased and the person stated that it was able to receive high def broadcasts without the use of a cable box. So I guess if Comcast in Manhattan is giving it, my mother in law will be able to receive it. TomZ