Recently an article in the newspaper that covers the area I visit once a year in the mountains had an article stating that all cable would be digital sometime in October (I read this paper at a local library and sometimes see articles online, though this paper's web site charges if you go over a limit). No more analog cable. At the motel where I go, it was still possible in June to merely change the channel by walking up to the TV. Or with the one remote.
Another recent newspaper article not covering my area said certain channels would no longer be available without an adapter, including the government channel.
When I visited the beach in September, I had to go to the office, which fortunately was still open at the time. Although the place I used to stay had an emergency number and this was certainly an emergency. I couldn't get the TV to work. I was told I have to turn the TV to 3 using the small remote. Then I had to use the big complicated remote to change channels. I was told once they get flat screens, it will once again be possible to change channels the old way.
On February 14, 2009, I got cable for the first time. I had bought a TiVo which worked with digital channels, something I had told Radio Shack I needed. What they didn't say was that the TiVo I got would only work with cable or satellite. Besides, with the converter boxes I had gotten, I could no longer record programs (all four TVs I use have a VCR included, and one converter box supplies both the TV itself and the VCR in each case) without manually setting the channel I wanted to record from. Both TVs with the boxes had to be on channel 3 and changing channels was done by the remote only. The TiVo I had could tape from 2 channels at the same time if the channels were analog, but only one if they were digital. I have been taping two shows at once on that TiVo since 2009. If I try to turn to a channel other than 3, there is a black screen. The other TV that is hooked up to cable I have used to tape some programs but not nearly as many, and it has misbehaved a lot lately, which is why I took advantage of a deal on TiVos recently. The cable that goes into the back of the set is simply connected to the TV just like the wire that used to go to an antenna, and just like the wire coming in from each converter box on two of the other TVs. The same is true for the old TiVo.
I open my new TiVo, which will tape four HD shows at once. I know I need the capability to tape more than one digital channel at once, because there are just too many shows on at the same time, and both VCRs connected to converter boxes are currently MIA. What I had feared was that I wouldn't be able to use them with analog cable. I was right. I called TiVo and was told that by January, there would be no more analog cable, and was told what equipment I would need. The main from TiVo also said I already had digital cable. No, I don't think so. I went to Time Warner yesterday and asked for both items. They didn't give me the converter box for the old TiVo at the time, and they said someone would have to install the Cable Card. They sure were right about that. The man also installed a great big adapter. When the man got through he checked to see what channels I had and I didn't have any. Of course, he had to call to activate the card too. He really seemed to know what he was doing, but then we ran into a little problem with the network. I had tried to plug in the phone line that came with the TiVo, but it was an Ethernet cable and wouldn't fit. Plus the TiVo doesn't come with a place to plug in a phone line, even though when I called TiVo to find out what to do, they said that would work. My Internet comes through a phone line, and I don't see why that wouldn't work. It's slow, if that's their concern, but it's fast enough that I don't have complaints about this site's speed. I will have to get something called a MoCa adapter.
Here's my concern. The man didn't know I had two TiVos and he wanted to see the other one. After what he had done, I was amazed to see I still had my channels. I'm not sure how it came up, but he said I wouldn't be getting the government channel. At a local college library, I heard a man say that channel now required an adapter. I also don't get one of the shopping channels or the religious channel any more. When I said I didn't want those, he said he would take the adapter out and I wouldn't be charged for it. When he realized the MoCa problem wouldn't be solved until I bought the required part, he checked my channels. there was Drew Carey and the contestant spinning the big wheel. He said I had my channels and the next step was to solve my MoCa problem. More than once I asked him about the end of analog cable and was told I had digital cable.
If anyone is willing to read the long fourth paragraph, I want to know. Am I going to have to upgrade?
Another recent newspaper article not covering my area said certain channels would no longer be available without an adapter, including the government channel.
When I visited the beach in September, I had to go to the office, which fortunately was still open at the time. Although the place I used to stay had an emergency number and this was certainly an emergency. I couldn't get the TV to work. I was told I have to turn the TV to 3 using the small remote. Then I had to use the big complicated remote to change channels. I was told once they get flat screens, it will once again be possible to change channels the old way.
On February 14, 2009, I got cable for the first time. I had bought a TiVo which worked with digital channels, something I had told Radio Shack I needed. What they didn't say was that the TiVo I got would only work with cable or satellite. Besides, with the converter boxes I had gotten, I could no longer record programs (all four TVs I use have a VCR included, and one converter box supplies both the TV itself and the VCR in each case) without manually setting the channel I wanted to record from. Both TVs with the boxes had to be on channel 3 and changing channels was done by the remote only. The TiVo I had could tape from 2 channels at the same time if the channels were analog, but only one if they were digital. I have been taping two shows at once on that TiVo since 2009. If I try to turn to a channel other than 3, there is a black screen. The other TV that is hooked up to cable I have used to tape some programs but not nearly as many, and it has misbehaved a lot lately, which is why I took advantage of a deal on TiVos recently. The cable that goes into the back of the set is simply connected to the TV just like the wire that used to go to an antenna, and just like the wire coming in from each converter box on two of the other TVs. The same is true for the old TiVo.
I open my new TiVo, which will tape four HD shows at once. I know I need the capability to tape more than one digital channel at once, because there are just too many shows on at the same time, and both VCRs connected to converter boxes are currently MIA. What I had feared was that I wouldn't be able to use them with analog cable. I was right. I called TiVo and was told that by January, there would be no more analog cable, and was told what equipment I would need. The main from TiVo also said I already had digital cable. No, I don't think so. I went to Time Warner yesterday and asked for both items. They didn't give me the converter box for the old TiVo at the time, and they said someone would have to install the Cable Card. They sure were right about that. The man also installed a great big adapter. When the man got through he checked to see what channels I had and I didn't have any. Of course, he had to call to activate the card too. He really seemed to know what he was doing, but then we ran into a little problem with the network. I had tried to plug in the phone line that came with the TiVo, but it was an Ethernet cable and wouldn't fit. Plus the TiVo doesn't come with a place to plug in a phone line, even though when I called TiVo to find out what to do, they said that would work. My Internet comes through a phone line, and I don't see why that wouldn't work. It's slow, if that's their concern, but it's fast enough that I don't have complaints about this site's speed. I will have to get something called a MoCa adapter.
Here's my concern. The man didn't know I had two TiVos and he wanted to see the other one. After what he had done, I was amazed to see I still had my channels. I'm not sure how it came up, but he said I wouldn't be getting the government channel. At a local college library, I heard a man say that channel now required an adapter. I also don't get one of the shopping channels or the religious channel any more. When I said I didn't want those, he said he would take the adapter out and I wouldn't be charged for it. When he realized the MoCa problem wouldn't be solved until I bought the required part, he checked my channels. there was Drew Carey and the contestant spinning the big wheel. He said I had my channels and the next step was to solve my MoCa problem. More than once I asked him about the end of analog cable and was told I had digital cable.
If anyone is willing to read the long fourth paragraph, I want to know. Am I going to have to upgrade?
Last edited:
