Cable companies and HD Broadcasts

Ken Coolen

Could someone please explain to me how a cable company can provide an HD Signal when it is being sent through old cables which were never designed to carry HD in the 1st place?

EddieDZ

good question... a example is like Rogers, im not sure but i think they use regular Ol' RG59 cables i have to confirm this by contacting one of their techs cause its something i really want to know.

Ken Coolen

Thanks for replying, I am interested to know this too. These cables were laid down long before HD and to my knowledge they are only capable of carring SD. You need a 75 ohm cable to send HD.

robertva

As long as the carrier wave is the same frequency it wouldn't matter if there is a infinite range of valid levels (analog) or two (digital). The cable company would have to make sure the data rate isn't so high it causes interference with adjacent channels though. The cable itself is more tolerant than the other equipment.

An older cable system may have only designed for distribution of signals to customers from a central facility, often equiped with satillite receivers. Any amplification equipment in the system only had to handle signal traffic in one direction. Dual direction traffic requirements of broadband internet services, digital telephone services and central Digital Video Playback would require new dual direction ampification along paths to customers eligable for the newer services. Digital set top boxes might need to send inquires to a central computer when initially powered up (or after a power failure) to determine what channels they are authorized to display.

Some systems utilize higher carrier frequency bands for digital services (Internet, phone and TV) which are incompatible with SOME splitters that remain on the retail market. Check the splitter package marking for the higher maximum frequencies.

mfabien

Are you having an HD reception problem?

Some years ago, I had high speed internet cable installed. They first changed the cable from the telephone pole to the house then completed the modem installation. Upon doing this, the tech told me that I was now good to go for any new media, ie, digital TV and cable phone service because I was now connected to the high capacity cable network.

I know that new cable services were introduced district by district. But I doubt there are any districts in the West Island (I assume that is where you are) that is awaiting modernization.

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