I currently have COMCAST Basic Analog Cable TV Service which hooks up directly to my 1999 Cable-TV Ready Television and I don't use any Comcast Converter Box At All hooked up. Just the Cable Wires hooked up DIRECTLY to the back of my TV Set. My Question Is, If I bought one of those DTV Converter Boxes, Hooked up my Cable Coaxial Cable to the DTV Box then to my TV, Will I get The extra Secondary Channels only available on COMCAST's Expensive DIGITAL HDTV TIER? I am curious what would happen if I hook up my Cable TV with A DTV Converter Box. Thank You!
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Question? Can You Hook Up A DTV Converter Box With Basic Cable TV Service?
- Thread starter Madmansam
- Start date
No, you wouldn't. I intentionally hooked my incoming cable line to my Insignia digital converter box one day and did a scan. Not a single channel showed up. This Insignia box (actually made by Zenith) is only designed to pass digital over-the-air VHF/UHF through and no analog VHF/UHF. It wasn't designed for cable TV.
K
kenglish
Guest
In order to qualify as a Coupon-Eligible Converter Box (CECB), the subsidized converters were not allowed to function with Digital Cable (QAM-tuning), only with over-the-air (8VSB/ATSC).
They also could not do Dolby-Digital Bitstream output (just analog stereo, down-mixed), and could only output composite video and audio (and modulated RF) at standard-definition.
If you want any of the additional features, you need a real HDTV converter, which costs a bit more. Most of those have the Clear (unencrypted) QAM tuning capability.
They also could not do Dolby-Digital Bitstream output (just analog stereo, down-mixed), and could only output composite video and audio (and modulated RF) at standard-definition.
If you want any of the additional features, you need a real HDTV converter, which costs a bit more. Most of those have the Clear (unencrypted) QAM tuning capability.
I have BASIC Cable service and, I have a DTV Converter Box, both hooked up to the TV.
The DTV goes directly into the TV, through RCA patch cords.
The BASIC cable -- with NO Cable Box -- goes into the VCR, adn then into the TV with the RF Cable.
I can record the cable TV channels, but, with this setup, I cannot record the DTV signals. I could, of course, attach the RCA patch cords from the DTV into the VCR, if I wanted to record from the DTV. I really don't record very much, so that is not an issue.
As far as the BASIC cable TV --WITHOUT-- a Box, I was told over the phone, by Time-Warner North Texas, that I would be fine, now, and after the transition. I asked specifically, if, I would EVER need a box to receive Basic Cable. The response was that I would not --ever-- need a box to receive Basic Cable. The Time-Warner Cable associate, of course, pitched me on upgrading to Digital Cable, because of the better picture, and more channels.... but I declined, saying that I was satisfied with the Basic channel lineup.
Also.... on the Time Warner Website, it states that after the DTV Transition that:
"Any Basic Cable Setup will do".
So, based on all of that.... I do not forsee ever having to have a Cable Box in order to receive Basic Cable.
At a later date.... who knows when.... when A-La-Carte Cable Channels are someday mandated, then, I would consider upgrading to Digital Cable --- with JUST the Channel that ---I--- want to pay for....
The DTV goes directly into the TV, through RCA patch cords.
The BASIC cable -- with NO Cable Box -- goes into the VCR, adn then into the TV with the RF Cable.
I can record the cable TV channels, but, with this setup, I cannot record the DTV signals. I could, of course, attach the RCA patch cords from the DTV into the VCR, if I wanted to record from the DTV. I really don't record very much, so that is not an issue.
As far as the BASIC cable TV --WITHOUT-- a Box, I was told over the phone, by Time-Warner North Texas, that I would be fine, now, and after the transition. I asked specifically, if, I would EVER need a box to receive Basic Cable. The response was that I would not --ever-- need a box to receive Basic Cable. The Time-Warner Cable associate, of course, pitched me on upgrading to Digital Cable, because of the better picture, and more channels.... but I declined, saying that I was satisfied with the Basic channel lineup.
Also.... on the Time Warner Website, it states that after the DTV Transition that:
"Any Basic Cable Setup will do".
So, based on all of that.... I do not forsee ever having to have a Cable Box in order to receive Basic Cable.
At a later date.... who knows when.... when A-La-Carte Cable Channels are someday mandated, then, I would consider upgrading to Digital Cable --- with JUST the Channel that ---I--- want to pay for....
TheRover said:
The possibility does exist, however, that Basic Cable will simply cease to exist at some future point.
Right now and for awhile longer (2 years?) the FCC requires cable operators to deliver all must-carry signals (more or less, any station that has an over-the-air signal) without charging for a box. Most cable operators are handling this by keeping their analog basic cable in operation. (but some are opting to go all-digital and include the cable boxes for free with the subscription)
There is a sunset on that requirement, though the FCC could possibly renew it. Point is the possibility exists that in a few years, you will no longer be able to get Basic Cable and will have to have digital cable (or satellite, or OTA).
On my Radio-Shack (Digital Stream?) DTV converter box, the first option in the set-up menu is "'Input'- 'Antenna' or 'Cable'." The "antenna" option shows an icon that looks like a UHF yagi antenna and the "cable" option shows an icon that looks like the plug end of a coaxial cable. I've never tried to hook it up to cable, but I wonder what that option is there for every time I change something in setup. Any ideas? Don't make me pull all these components out to hook up the analog cable to find out if it does anything. The box does have the analog pass through option, but it only has one input and one output, so it wouldn't be possible to connect both an antenna and cable TV to the box at the same time.
poledo said:
At the very least that might allow for the possibility of a cable system using the OTA 8VSB standard on cable channel frequencies. (in the analog world, over-the-air "channel 16" is a different frequency from cable "channel 16") There was also a "16VSB" standard developed for cable, though I've never heard of a cable system using it.
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