| Comcast BASIC Cable (no digital box) and Upcoming Digital TV
Comcast has really never been clear on this: I have basic cable, which does not require a Comcast set top digital box. Does anyone know for sure (hopefully a Comcast tech will answer) whether I will need to buy a digital converter to continue using my TVs?
Thanks |
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 RobIn Deo speramus, God Bless the USAPremium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL
kudos:2 | The digital convert boxes sold in stores are for customers who have OTA (Over The Air) TV.
If you subscribe to cable service through Comcast, you do not need a digital converter box.
However, and with that said, Comcast will be moving channels away from analog to digital and will be reducing the number of analog channels. So you will either need a TV with a digital tuner or you will have to get a digital box from Comcast. When this happens, I'm not sure, but it will be sometime this year.
For most markets, their 100 analog channels will be reduced to about 25 channels without a box or a digital tv tuner.
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| Thanks for the reply.
Regarding the Comcast conversion to digital, the converter boxes which we're hearing so much about do not help with that, correct?
Also, when you say "digital tuner", is that the same as "cable ready"? Roughly, how recently would a TV have to have been purchased to have a digital tuner?
Thanks again |
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| reply to AARRGGHHH
I use 3 digital tuner cards and have one hooked up to a comcast box and the other two are OTA.
One of my cards has QAM on it so it gets the basic local channels in hd and digitial .
If you have comcast basic or better hooked up to your tv , you need to do nothing as comcast will continue to provide what ever service they are providing now with no interruption. You are good to go with your tv/s hooked up to cable service.
Hope that helps |
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RobIn Deo speramus, God Bless the USAPremium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL
kudos:2 | reply to AARRGGHHH
said by AARRGGHHH:Thanks for the reply. Regarding the Comcast conversion to digital, the converter boxes which we're hearing so much about do not help with that, correct? Also, when you say "digital tuner", is that the same as "cable ready"? Roughly, how recently would a TV have to have been purchased to have a digital tuner? Thanks again You are correct, the digital converter boxes that you can purchase in retail stores that you're hearing about on TV will not work with Comcast.
A TV that is cable ready might have a digital tuner - you'd have to refer to the user guide to find out if it does. |
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| reply to AARRGGHHH
Our local news stations did a test where they turned off the analog station signal for 30 seconds. I was watching the broadcast on our old set that doesn't have a cable box or converter box connected just basic cable coming right off the wire.
Worked just fine. |
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| said by number2 :
Our local news stations did a test where they turned off the analog station signal for 30 seconds. I was watching the broadcast on our old set that doesn't have a cable box or converter box connected just basic cable coming right off the wire.
Worked just fine.
How is that possible? How can a tv without a digital tuner recieve a digital signal? |
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bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA | Most likely because the cable company was still feeding an analog signal even though the broadcaster isn't. |
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| reply to JamesDax
said by JamesDax:said by number2 :
Our local news stations did a test where they turned off the analog station signal for 30 seconds. I was watching the broadcast on our old set that doesn't have a cable box or converter box connected just basic cable coming right off the wire.
Worked just fine.
How is that possible? How can a tv without a digital tuner recieve a digital signal? Because basic cable is received digitally by the cable company and re-sent to your home as analog. What he was receiving was not a digital signal. |
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| said by Comcast Guy:said by JamesDax:said by number2 :
Our local news stations did a test where they turned off the analog station signal for 30 seconds. I was watching the broadcast on our old set that doesn't have a cable box or converter box connected just basic cable coming right off the wire.
Worked just fine.
How is that possible? How can a tv without a digital tuner recieve a digital signal? Because basic cable is received digitally by the cable company and re-sent to your home as analog. What he was receiving was not a digital signal. So then was that a legitimate test for that person? Or will he still be fine after 2/17? |
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bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA | The tests are really only useful for folks who receive their service over-the-air. Folks who receive their service from cable or satellite (1) aren't likely to be affected by 2/17; but more importantly (2) couldn't do anything about it if they are. |
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| reply to JamesDax
said by JamesDax:So then was that a legitimate test for that person? Or will he still be fine after 2/17? As of 2/17 if you pay for TV (cable/sat) you will be FINE. |
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helter
join:2007-09-11
Silverdale, WA | reply to Rob
said by Rob:You are correct, the digital converter boxes that you can purchase in retail stores that you're hearing about on TV will not work with Comcast. A TV that is cable ready might have a digital tuner - you'd have to refer to the user guide to find out if it does. Channels above local carriers are encrypted so qam/digital tuner will not matter unless policy changes on the DTA last we heard. Dumb idea? Yes, but that's corporate for you.. |
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 joetaxpayerI'M Here Till Thursday
join:2001-09-07
Sudbury, MA
 ·Comcast
| reply to Rob
said by Rob:For most markets, their 100 analog channels will be reduced to about 25 channels without a box or a digital tv tuner. Anyone know the timing on THIS conversion? |
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RobIn Deo speramus, God Bless the USAPremium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL
kudos:2 | reply to helter
said by helter:said by Rob:You are correct, the digital converter boxes that you can purchase in retail stores that you're hearing about on TV will not work with Comcast. A TV that is cable ready might have a digital tuner - you'd have to refer to the user guide to find out if it does. Channels above local carriers are encrypted so qam/digital tuner will not matter unless policy changes on the DTA last we heard. Dumb idea? Yes, but that's corporate for you.. Comcast's plan is to leave the channels from 25-100 (those that will go all digital) in clear qam so customer's won't need a box immediately.
But that's not for all markets. In some markets, DTA will be required. |
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bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA | reply to joetaxpayer
Service Deployment Plans are Proprietary said by joetaxpayer:Anyone know the timing on THIS conversion? Anyone who knows anything more than what you've already been informed of, in your bill, isn't supposed to say. |
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| reply to Rob
Re: Comcast BASIC Cable (no digital box) and Upcoming Digital TV said by Rob:Comcast's plan is to leave the channels from 25-100 (those that will go all digital) in clear qam so customer's won't need a box immediately... So, are you saying that all the Clear QAM Sub-Channels that I lost a few days ago 'may' return one day? 
Reference: Plainfields-QAM: *ALL* of my Sub-Channels Are Gone!?!
said by Rob:...But that's not for all markets. In some markets, DTA will be required. Or, am I in the 'wrong' market? 
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The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. --George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950) LM |
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| reply to Rob
OK, I replaced my analog set with a new digital TV that tunes clear QAM. My current service with Comcast is extended basic service that I had set up with the old set. My new set tunes all those channels (the ones in the -0 subchannel area) and several QAM channels in various subchannels, including local digital and HD content.
What happens to the extended basic service? Does it remain with digital content downgraded to the current service? Will the service be dropped and I will be required to lease a STB? Will the current extended channels I receive be sent as unencrypted QAM? And how will I ever figure out the channel schedule without a cross-reference between Comcast's digital channel mapping and the QAM channels? |
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bicker
join:2007-05-10
Burlington, MA | In many areas, like mine, expanded basic channels are encrypted when broadcast as digital QAM. You need either a cable box or a CableCARD-equipped device to tune them in. Different areas handle this differently, but eventually you can expect all will operate the way my area operates. |
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| reply to AARRGGHHH
Comcast is doing a Digital Migration which is seperate from the government's Digital Transition.
Digital Transition - 2/17/2009 - Affects over the air broadcasting, will not affect Comcast cable customers.
Digital Migration - Comcast is converting more channels to all digital and leaving only about 22 channels broadcasting in analog. The Migration is completed in some areas but last I heard Comcast is delaying the rest until after the Digital Transition. There is no date set for completion. |
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