Re: Digital switch clarify please
- From: Alan F <afiggatt1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 31 May 2008 20:26:02 GMT
Dan L wrote:
They are running commercials in my area southern wi. saying
if you have cable you don't need to do anything when the switch
takes place. I have an argument with someone saying this isn't
totally correct, that you will need a digital box, if you are just receiving basic
cable to continue to view the channels.
unless you have a digital TV of course.
The only way you could still get the channels with direct basic or expanded
basic cable, is if the cable companies convert the digital signals to analog.
so my question is.
Will you need a digital box to receive basic cable once the switch over takes place?
or is the cable company going to convert signals to analog so you willn't need a box
Most cable companies will convert the digital signals to analog at the
head end. They do this, I believe, for many of the national cable
channels already. Not a big deal, except the headache of do they center
cut the 16:9 HD feed or letterbox it? Center cut in most cases, I expect.
But this is not true for all cable companies or franchise areas. If
your cable operator for your specific franchise area has decided to go
all digital - and some have - they are then obligated to provide a free
or low cost set top box. Some cable franchises, including Comcast in
some markets, are looking to cut back the analog channels to the local
stations only. The cable companies have a strong motivation to do away
with as many analog channels as possible - analog NTSC is a bandwidth
hog and blocks the adding of more HD channels, more VOD services, more
digital SD channels.
I think these commercials are very deceiving and wrong, or maybe I'm wrong
could someone please clarify this for me.
The commercials are usually correct, although there is a vast amount
of confusion on the whole subject because most people do not understand
how broadcast and cable TV systems work. Not even at a basic conceptual
level or even what the main acronyms mean (QAM, ATSC, OTA, NTSC, digital
versus analog, UHF, VHF, the key differences between UHF and VHF).
Alan F
.
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- Digital switch clarify please
- From: Dan L
- Digital switch clarify please
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