Our cable company gave us 3 free digital boxes but never explained why we need them. I think I've finally started to understand but I just want someone else to confirm it!
First, I want to say that I understand that this has nothing to do with the OTA transition so please don't tell my I will be unaffected by that! I know. I'm affected by something else....My cable company (CC from here on out) is going all digital on April 1, 2009. There is something about a QAM tuner that many TVs don't have--even newer TVs, and this is basically why we need the digital box, right? (I sure hope so).
If I find a TV that has a QAM tuner will I need the box? Also, what happens if I don't use a box on a non-QAM TV? Will I absolutely get 0 channels? For either TV situation will I maybe get some channels and not others? My family only plans on getting basic digital, nothing premium but I read somewhere that CC's can decide which channels are premium (and it's these "premiums" that are making the digital box necessary).
Can anyone confirm that?
Also, I keep reading about how CCs still need to allow analog signals until 2012. Are there any CCs that have an exemption to this rule? Ours is just a local company serving MAYBE 13,000 (and that's only if the local college is in session). If ALL CCs must continue to allow analog is it only required for certain channels (i.e.: ones that provide local information, news, etc.)?
I'm sorry for so many questions--especially ones that probably have been asked before. In my online searches I seem to keep finding bits and pieces to my answers in different places so I wanted to ask everything in one place and have it confirmed (or not). I keep reading people who ask about digital boxes but they are shot down immediately by others who say "The digital transition doesn't affect cable users!!" I think some people are misreading the question. I get that already! But my CC transitioning to all digital IS affecting my cable, apparently.
Thanks in advance.
Answer
This answer applies to the United States only...
Cable TV is going ALL digital. Sooner in some systems than others. Digital cable in almost all cases is scrambled and in order to receive the channels you MUST have a digital cable box authorized by the cable company in order to de-scramble the digital cable channels. Digital Cable boxes and Digital OTA (over-the-air) boxes are completely different.
QAM is way cable TV transmits digital signals. In the old analog days you had to set the TV to broadcast or the cable setting. QAM is the new cable setting. Just about EVERY TV set sold now has a digital QAM tuner as well as the OTA -off-air ATSC tuner. If you go to Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Sears etc. I doubt that you can find a TV set without a built in QAM tuner.
IF the cable system puts the digital channels in what is called "clear QAM" (unscrambled) your TV set will get them without a converter box. Most cable system put the network TV stations on in clear QAM as well as scrambled QAM.
So if you split the incoming cable wire with a 2 way coax splitter and run one leg to the TV set and the other to the digital converter box you can get on the TV set those unscrambled digital cable channels. (You will have to search for them as they are hidden and in no specific channel order)
You MUST do an auto channel scan on the TV set to pick up any digital channels. This is a one time thing and reads the channels found into memory.
Cable systems were to keep analog until 2012 with certain exceptions. As I understand it IF they provide a digital converter box they are exempt from the analog requirement. Also the only requirement for analog was the regulated tier that is BASIC BASIC. Almost NO popular cable channels are in the Basic Basic package.
Going digital is a BIG BIG advantage to the cable system. In the same bandwidth they can put one analog channel they can put up to 10 digital channels. Thus instead of 60 analog channels they can now put on up to 600 digital channels. HD is normally 4 to 1.
Also since the box acts as the authorization point for service, there is no need to come out and hook you up. Just provide you a box and with a few mouse clicks you are turned on, or OFF if you don't pay the bill. The box also gives the cable system much more control over PPV, on demand, premium movie channels etc.
Analog has the advantage of allowing the signal to All TV sets with NO box required.
Think of the cable box sort of like a satellite receiver for DirecTV or Dish you need one for each set with digital (scrambled) cable.
For your question about are cable systems required to go digital the answer is NO. Cable systems can do pretty much what they want as far as channels, only FULL power OTA TV stations were required to go digital low power stations are often still in analog.
Your statement the the digital transition did not affect cable customers is true in that the cable system had to insure that its customers got the cable channels, on there existing TV sets. At first it was digital to analog conversion of the broadcast stations, now it is by providing a set top boxes that still do digital to analog conversion if needed but more than likely now provide HDMI -High definition digital outputs.
College Cable TV Administrator.
This answer applies to the United States only...
Cable TV is going ALL digital. Sooner in some systems than others. Digital cable in almost all cases is scrambled and in order to receive the channels you MUST have a digital cable box authorized by the cable company in order to de-scramble the digital cable channels. Digital Cable boxes and Digital OTA (over-the-air) boxes are completely different.
QAM is way cable TV transmits digital signals. In the old analog days you had to set the TV to broadcast or the cable setting. QAM is the new cable setting. Just about EVERY TV set sold now has a digital QAM tuner as well as the OTA -off-air ATSC tuner. If you go to Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Sears etc. I doubt that you can find a TV set without a built in QAM tuner.
IF the cable system puts the digital channels in what is called "clear QAM" (unscrambled) your TV set will get them without a converter box. Most cable system put the network TV stations on in clear QAM as well as scrambled QAM.
So if you split the incoming cable wire with a 2 way coax splitter and run one leg to the TV set and the other to the digital converter box you can get on the TV set those unscrambled digital cable channels. (You will have to search for them as they are hidden and in no specific channel order)
You MUST do an auto channel scan on the TV set to pick up any digital channels. This is a one time thing and reads the channels found into memory.
Cable systems were to keep analog until 2012 with certain exceptions. As I understand it IF they provide a digital converter box they are exempt from the analog requirement. Also the only requirement for analog was the regulated tier that is BASIC BASIC. Almost NO popular cable channels are in the Basic Basic package.
Going digital is a BIG BIG advantage to the cable system. In the same bandwidth they can put one analog channel they can put up to 10 digital channels. Thus instead of 60 analog channels they can now put on up to 600 digital channels. HD is normally 4 to 1.
Also since the box acts as the authorization point for service, there is no need to come out and hook you up. Just provide you a box and with a few mouse clicks you are turned on, or OFF if you don't pay the bill. The box also gives the cable system much more control over PPV, on demand, premium movie channels etc.
Analog has the advantage of allowing the signal to All TV sets with NO box required.
Think of the cable box sort of like a satellite receiver for DirecTV or Dish you need one for each set with digital (scrambled) cable.
For your question about are cable systems required to go digital the answer is NO. Cable systems can do pretty much what they want as far as channels, only FULL power OTA TV stations were required to go digital low power stations are often still in analog.
Your statement the the digital transition did not affect cable customers is true in that the cable system had to insure that its customers got the cable channels, on there existing TV sets. At first it was digital to analog conversion of the broadcast stations, now it is by providing a set top boxes that still do digital to analog conversion if needed but more than likely now provide HDMI -High definition digital outputs.
College Cable TV Administrator.
how do i get the full hd experience for a sony bravia?
joey
i just got it recently and it looks just like my old tv. it says it has 1080p, but how do i get it to show its best picture? also do i need to buy an hdmi cable and what is the cost?
Answer
To get an HD experience from your TV you need to feed it HD. So you need HD television for starters. To get that you need an HD antenna or a cable/satellite HD set top box. That will allow you to at least get HD channels. Even with basic programming, if you have an HD box, you get the major networks in HD (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, etc.). Just remember that they have HD and SD channels. So say right now Fox is channel 28 for you, HD Fox is a completely different channel, like maybe 208.
With broadcast television you will get 720p and 1080i signals primarily. The Dish Network claims it now has 1080p movies, but I kind of question how real that is (the fine print vanishes pretty quick in the commercial).
Next, for movies, you need an device to up-convert DVDs for you. You can get a regular DVD player with up-conversion abilities (it will have an HDMI port) - also called "Up Converting DVD player." Or you can get a BluRay player (all BluRay players are also up-converting DVD players). With the BluRay player you happen to also get access to BluRay discs then.
BluRay is realistically where you will find 1080p sources. This is when you TV will say "1080p" on the screen. But not all BluRay discs are 1080p. So again, don't get panicked if you get one that says something else.
To maximize image quality yes you need an HDMI cable. But DO NOT pay a lot of money for one. Loads of consumer groups have shown that the cheap cables work 100% as well as the expensive ones. $10-15 should cover you. Look to computer stores first, as they often have no-name brand options (some of the big box stores try to push name brand cables). You can also look online at places like amazon.com, monoprice.com, bluejeanscable.com, newegg.com, or tigerdirect.com.
To get an HD experience from your TV you need to feed it HD. So you need HD television for starters. To get that you need an HD antenna or a cable/satellite HD set top box. That will allow you to at least get HD channels. Even with basic programming, if you have an HD box, you get the major networks in HD (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, etc.). Just remember that they have HD and SD channels. So say right now Fox is channel 28 for you, HD Fox is a completely different channel, like maybe 208.
With broadcast television you will get 720p and 1080i signals primarily. The Dish Network claims it now has 1080p movies, but I kind of question how real that is (the fine print vanishes pretty quick in the commercial).
Next, for movies, you need an device to up-convert DVDs for you. You can get a regular DVD player with up-conversion abilities (it will have an HDMI port) - also called "Up Converting DVD player." Or you can get a BluRay player (all BluRay players are also up-converting DVD players). With the BluRay player you happen to also get access to BluRay discs then.
BluRay is realistically where you will find 1080p sources. This is when you TV will say "1080p" on the screen. But not all BluRay discs are 1080p. So again, don't get panicked if you get one that says something else.
To maximize image quality yes you need an HDMI cable. But DO NOT pay a lot of money for one. Loads of consumer groups have shown that the cheap cables work 100% as well as the expensive ones. $10-15 should cover you. Look to computer stores first, as they often have no-name brand options (some of the big box stores try to push name brand cables). You can also look online at places like amazon.com, monoprice.com, bluejeanscable.com, newegg.com, or tigerdirect.com.
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