mjr
Premium
join:2003-09-18
Bethlehem, PA | reply to tigrzeye
Re: RCN Chicago - QAM channels gone
Rent a cable card and you'll be all set. (You know that) |
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tigrzeye
Control4 Certified Installer
join:2007-07-18
LHV, PA
1 edit | Yes I know that, but how many currently available 20" - 37" inch tv's can you buy that accept cable cards? Not many! If any!
Having cable card capabilities on all tv's would be awesome and I would do that in the drop of a hat. But it isn't gonna happen. My Samsung 42" plasma purchased 2 years ago has a cable card slot, and since then cable card fitted tv's have all but dissappeared. QAM tuners were to be the heal all, for BASIC cable digital channels as well as over the air digital. So cable cards went by the wayside.
The only sets currently being sold with cable cards are high end sets generally 42" and larger. (If you know of any 20"-37" sets with cable card capabilities let me know, seriously!!)
Let RCN encrypt the non-basic digital channels, . but continue to provide BASIC cable channels (currently 2 - 97) in digital format, but not encrypted. We currently don't need an STB to view basic cable and really shouldn't need them going forward when there are tv's with the QAM tuner that can receive digital unencrypted cable channels/signals.
This ends my side of the discussion---
Thanks for your .... help. |
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sonofEd
@rcn.com
| reply to Eddie K
Re: [CATV] RCN Chicago - QAM channels gone
Many questions. Is part of the issue for RCN to reclaim bandwidth and the boxes also compress the signal?
Perhaps the compromise should be allowing consumers of RCN to BUY their own boxes. The DCT 700's are inexpensive.
I am curious how the condo related issues are worked out. My building already gets 1 free box per unit in our agreement. Does that mean we get an additional box for free?
Is there a rental fee reduction since I saw on RCN site a price of 14.95/month but I currently pay 17.95?
I like the idea of extra HD channels but I mean sooner or later HD will be a commodity. RCN should be thinking to the future to retain customers via new services that don't depend on forced rental fees. |
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chitown1839
join:2008-01-20
Chicago, IL
| reply to Anon
Re: RCN Chicago - QAM channels gone
The reason is obvious, we want to prevent people who steal cable from getting service. Cable Theft is a large problem for any provider.
--
Jason Nealis,
Sr. Director, Operations and Internet Systems
RCN
***************
Jason:
RCN charges me for service and for a converter box. If I don't need the box (QAM tuner, box I bought off eBay etc.) am I stealing anything? RCN doesn't need to buy a box for me or maintain it, so RCN doesn't need a box fee. By encrypting the signal and forcing me to buy a box, RCN is essentially infecting me with a disease and then selling me the cure. I'd rather not have the disease in the first place. What am I missing here?
Steve |
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nycityny
Premium
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY
 ·PHONE POWER
·VoicePulse
 ·RCN CABLE
·ViaTalk
1 edit | reply to tigrzeye
tigrzeye - My understanding is:
The Feb 2009 changeover relates mostly to how people receive broadcast channels over the air (i.e., without cable or a satellite dish). After the changeover old non-QAM television sets will need a special converter box in order to receive over-the-air reception. Those receiving all of their channels from a cable company will not need this special converter box - they will continue to be subject to whatever rules are imposed by their cable company.
If you have a new QAM television then you will be able to get over-the-air channels in HD without a special converter box. Just hooking your home antenna to the television will give you HD broadcast channels (if available in your city). You will not receive any cable channels this way as you will be using an over-the-air antenna.
The federal government is providing $40 rebates through a coupon that can be ordered online for the purchase of the special converter box for broadcast reception on older televisions. |
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tigrzeye
Control4 Certified Installer
join:2007-07-18
LHV, PA
| okay I said I was done commenting .. fat chance lol
I understand the law and that it applies to over the air reception.
My gripe is that with a QAM tuner you supercede the need for a converter box currently to view digital channel offerings from RCN. You also can receive basic cable channels 2-97 with a standard analogue tv tuner just cabled to the wall.
If you have a QAM digital tuner in your tv, you should still be able to receive the BASIC CABLE channels 2-97 without the need of a converter box. The other digital channels that are currently only available at additional charge, keep them that way by encrypting them.
If you want to secure the system by encrypting everything to prevent cable theft (I don't argue with this, theft is theft, not good) then provide the boxes needed for the honest, paying patrons FREE. I totally agree with CHITOWN1839.
Another thought...the main reason I have not looked at satellite tv is because every tv would require a seperate receiver. That difference is now soon to be gone. My boss and a co-worker both have had DirectTV for a couple years now and are getting many more HD channels than I am. Another has DishTV. That is 50% in my little circle of workers that do not have cable tv any longer.
This new procedure may backfire on RCN in the long haul!! |
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cypherstream
Looking forward to the future of things.
Premium,MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
clubs:
1 edit | reply to Eddie K
Re: [CATV] RCN Chicago - QAM channels gone
I can see both sides of the argument.
1. If they encrypt EVERYTHING, and it's an all digital system, they can leave every single cable drop connected at the tap, removing the costs associated with performing hard disconnects. To get service all you would have to do is stop by the local office and pick up whatever boxes you need. If you have trouble you could schedule a service call. Or you could pay for installation, where the tech comes and hooks it up for you. Bottom line is, physical disconnects would no longer be necessary. A signal would be sent to turn off non-pay accounts or people leaving the service. The person could schedule a pickup, or drop the equipment off at the local office to avoid a huge fee for the value of said equipment.
2. Now this system really messes up customers who do not want a cable box, or do not have a cable card slot, and all they care about is local HD channels. I believe anything available via an OTA antenna in a cable companies service area should be unencrypted. I mean, you would get those channels with an antenna ANYWAY, so why bother encrypting it? You may now need to perform hard disconnects when users leave the service or forget to pay the bill, or you could still leave it intact, knowing ONLY the OTA channels are available. What does a company have to loose if ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and FOX are the only free to air channels on their system.
3. Or you could just keep 13 channels in analog and digital, altering the PSIP data for the digital format to align with the analog version. Ch 2 for instance would be analog, but 2-1 would be the same thing but digital (HD if available, with 2-2 being SD if available). Now the problem with this is truck rolls for disconnects are REQUIRED, and 12 * 6 MHz are waisted for analog signals. I'm not sure you would want to start at 54 MHz anyway. Perhaps one day an all digital system will shift to a mid-split or high-split return, freeing up precious bandwidth in the return path for future DOCSIS 3.0, telephony and interactive services.
The future is getting complicated. Who knows what's going to happen post 2009. Every MSO has their own discretionary policy's which further complicates the mater. What RCN does compared to Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Charter, etc... is unique. |
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kcblack
Premium
join:2000-09-11
Chicago, IL
·RCN CABLE
| and don't forget the MDU environments where there should be NO need for any encryption or STBs since there is only ONE connection coming into the building and one payment to RCN...so no justification for the "disconnect" issue.
If they need to encrypt for the rest of the world, there should be a block decryption device in the MDU.
Kevin |
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FBM
join:2002-07-25
Chicago, IL
| said by kcblack  :and don't forget the MDU environments where there should be NO need for any encryption or STBs since there is only ONE connection coming into the building and one payment to RCN...so no justification for the "disconnect" issue. If they need to encrypt for the rest of the world, there should be a block decryption device in the MDU. Not so sure about that. I have lived in an apartment building where I could get one package that the building subscribed to, but if I wanted extra movie channels I had to upgrade and get a box. RCN would still want to require boxes because otherwise someone could just use a splitter and share their upgrades. |
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kcblack
Premium
join:2000-09-11
Chicago, IL
·RCN CABLE
| don't have a problem if they want to do that for the premiums...and then a STB would be valid....but then again I don't consider the hallmark channel a premium....but my mother was forced to get a STB for one TV just so she could get it.
Esentially, unless it was for HBO, skinimax, showtime, etc, there should be no need in a MDU for a box...
Kevin |
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Nucleotide
join:2005-02-22
Newton Highlands, MA
| reply to Eddie K
I wonder if a compromise will involve CableCard ready STBs for sale commercially?
»www.multichannel.com/article/CA6433713.html
Buy such a box and then rent a CableCard from RCN for $1.50 per month. I know it still means more money per month for RCN, but at least there is more competition. Or maybe RCN should lower the cost of renting a basic STB. |
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sonofEd
@rcn.com | reply to Eddie K
They lowered the cost of the DVR's by $3 to 14.95. Not sure if this is temp promo deal or not |
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soontocancelrcn
@rcn.com
| reply to Eddie K
RCN:
So, let me get this straight. You wanted to prevent people from stealing cable so you're encrypting all the channels, including the local broadcasts in HD? That's probably the poorest excuse I've ever heard to make an extra buck.
Folks, what's really happening here is they're forcing cable box rentals on their consumers to milk an extra $10-$15 from their legitimate subscribers who are already paying $100+/mo. Moreover, they're timing the transition along with the analog cut-off so consumers likely won't know any better.
Don't let RCN reps fool you. If they were really after people who are steeling cable, they wouldn't be trying to milk their legitimate subscribers for more money.
Their days of milking consumers are numbered and they know it, which is why they're pulling out all the stops. With cable cards and the unbundling of cable networks and the desentralization of channels inevitably coming within the next few years, they're worried.
For now, they've lost me as a subscriber. I'll be switching to Comcast or Dish Network. |
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jsolo1
Premium
join:2001-07-01
| soontocancelrcn,
I wouldn't be so sure about comcast. I have a friend who keeps up to date on comcast happenings. He says eventually they too will encrypt the HD channels and you will need a cable box to decode.
--
Insanity is living in a state of disillusion. |
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cdr1000
join:2004-02-18
10100 | reply to soontocancelrcn
What do you want a company man to tell you?
All basic HDTV channels are free off the air. |
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GoodDoggie74
@globalcrossing.com
1 edit | reply to Eddie K
So I have a stupid question. Can I just buy the boxes outright? Any thoughts?
Sign me a disgruntled 8 year RCN customer. |
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Nucleotide
join:2005-02-22
Newton Highlands, MA
1 edit | reply to Eddie K
If RCN goes ahead with their plans to encrypt everything--in effect, require a cablecard or a STB to receive any signal whatsoever--then they will have to include at least a couple of those devices as part of their service plans. Otherwise, charging more for a mandatory piece of equipment is a blatant rate increase and will likely draw scrutiny from the local municipalities from whom they receive a license to operate. And it will potentially start a new kind of STB war in places where there is competition.
In the end, something will have to give. |
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ossito16
join:2004-07-31
Whiting, IN
·RCN CABLE
| reply to Eddie K
I have read all replies and rcn is just making the biggest mistake. I will be switching too. Time for me to try out the sat dish until uverse or fios rolls out to Rogers Park. I may keep the Internet, but really don't know at this point. Maybe it time to start reading books and get a rooftop atsc antenna. As long tv torrents exists I won't need pay RCN for cabletv box. |
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jsolo1
Premium
join:2001-07-01
| reply to Eddie K
Lets say I buy a tv tuner card for my pc. Ati has a model with multiple inputs - digital and analog.
If QAM is being blocked, what good is the digital input? Or would I be connecting the rabbit ears equivalent hdtv antenna for OTA channels. By the same token, what use then is the analog input if we're moving towards digitizing everything?
--
Insanity is living in a state of disillusion. |
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awbishop
join:2004-08-26
Chicago, IL
·RCN CABLE
| jsolo, ATI also makes a decryption device that utilizes cable cards for the cable access. Currently you have to be an OEM to get your hands on them. They only work in Vista (as far as I know), but you get to use the pretty interface |
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