Digital Switch Over Question

Loran1

Excuse me if this has been answered before, but when the broadcasters switch over to digital in 2009 will my two old analog sets that are now connected to TWC directly without any boxes be able to receive SD signals as before? Or will I need a converter box anyway? I’m assuming that the digital and HD boxes I have for other sets will be OK.

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Pioneer PDP5030HD TV
Panasonic TH-50PZ700U TV
Panasonic DMP-BD30K Blu-ray player
Polaroid 15" LCD TLA-0511C

ryknoll3

The cable companies are not required to switch over in 2009. That is for over-the-air broadcasting only. Your TV's connected directly to TWC won't be affected UNLESS TWC decides on its own to go all digital. Some cable companies have done this in certain areas, but it is totally up to them and has nothing to do with 2009.

bicker

Precisely. I think a lot of cable companies will use the February 2009 date as cover for their own decision to go all-digital at that time.

BrianO

The analgue TV broadcast shutdown in Feb 2009 applies to OTA broadcasts only. As for cable, you need to check with your cable provider concerning their plans.

Loran1

Thanks to all for the information.

__________________
Pioneer PDP5030HD TV
Panasonic TH-50PZ700U TV
Panasonic DMP-BD30K Blu-ray player
Polaroid 15" LCD TLA-0511C

joekewl1971

Comcast has talked about it for a while. Thought it would really happen the first time i heard it. Perhaps 2009.

nmlobo

IMHO cable cos. will not do any massive switch from analog to digital by Feb 2009. There currently are more than 40M analog only subscribers (FCC estimate) which is 35% of the customer base. The cable cos. would have to provide ALL of those customers with STBs (a huge investment) if they attempted to go all-digital.

Cable cos. are "Required by law to make local broadcasters’ primary signals viewable by all their subscribers, cable operators will be able to choose to either transmit the digital signal in analog format or assure that all subscribers have the equipment necessary to view the digital signal." My bet is analog cable will be with us for a few more years.

bicker

Note how the regulation doesn't say, "for free." For MSOs going all-digital, the cost of the STBs can be built into the basic cable fee. Note that many of these customers (those with lifetime cable) are among the lowest-profit customers the MSOs have. Given that Comcast, at least, may be subject to a limit on how many total subscribers they would be allowed to have, it would be in their best interest to chase away as many of these low-profit customers as they can (by legitimately boosting the lifetime cable fee, because they need to add the cost of the STBs into it), leaving themselves more headroom for adding more high-profit customers (who already need STBs or CCs for these high-profit services). When this regulation was finally announced, it was generally regarded by industry experts as a bit win for the MSOs.

nmlobo

Here is one quote that agrees with you: "Of course, what the FCC is not mandating is that the cable companies make it painless for subscribers to stick with analog cable: within regulatory limits which vary between regions, cable companies may be able to make it increasingly uncomfortable for subscribers to stick with good old analog cable, including increasing prices, adding fees, changing subscriber agreements, and simply shutting off the signal in cases where the analog channels are present but not explicitly part of a service package. Given the way most cable operators conduct business, none of those scenarios would be surprising." http://news.digitaltrends.com/news/s..._tv_until_2012

And another that disputes that the cable cos. are happy with the ruling : "That ruling isn't sitting well with most cable companies. Indeed, the industry as a whole has argued before that such a decision would essentially cripple its ability to launch new channels and services by hogging their bandwidth." http://blog.wired.com/business/2007/...-cable-co.html

bicker

Surely it isn't ideal for them, but it was expected to go a lot worse for cable.

marcellus

hey I got a question. The toshiba regza 32'' can receive hd broadcasts over the air. Now I dont have cable, so I just use an antenna. Now sometimes these channels dont even come in clear because of the weak signal. But when I bought it there was a note saying this tv will require a converter box to receive over the air broadcasts. Why would this be when it can receive them in HD now?

loki993

I dont understand this.

a few things:
ok well what about all the people that DONT have cable. people still getting channels over the air. they will wake up to a dark fuzzy screen the next day if they dont get a converter, why should the cable companies carry the analog channels when nobody else has to??? its ok for teh FCC to do it to OTA channels but its not ok for cable companies to do it??

does this apply only to cable or does it apply to satellite also??? because I remember a while back where you had to pay extra to get locals on satellite. I know most provide it now, but is it mandatory?? if not again it seems there picking on the cable companies. why??

oblioman

The folks that receive OTA broadcast's with an analog TV should be the only ones affected by the change. If they maintain an analog TV they will need a converter. Coupons to buy the converters are available here - https://www.dtv2009.gov/

Also this does not effect sat's - they are digital. keep in mind that this is not new legislation. It was mandated in 1996 - with a 10 year time frame for the transition. The transition was pushed back 3 years due to a multitude of reasons.

bicker

Unfair, eh? Well the FCC is pretty good at being unfair to cable companies.

Cable only; the FCC generally exempts satellite companies from the more onerous regulations that it imposes on cable companies.

Good question.

loki993

right I know, but there saying that the cable companies have to continue to provide local channels in analog for people that do not have digital TVs yet, there forcing the cable companies to carry a analog signal while they do not. it dosnt make sense its a double standard, also one other thing I dont know how these converter boxes are supposed to work but I have a general idea, if the converter box will work with an OTA antenna why wouldnt people be able to also use it with there basic cable. the box shouldnt know the difference if the signals coming from an antenna or a wire in the ground. the basic cable signal is not scrambled its just on or off, I would think the "special box" should work with OTA or cable.

I understand that there all digital, but they arent required to carry locals at all..correct?? if there not why should the cable companies have to.

really when you think about the whole thing none of it makes any sense.