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Thread: Digital Television Transition 2009 |
    
Bronze Member Username: Retiredjetp
Post Number: 38
Registered: Dec-04
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| Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 03:38 pm: |
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O.K. I keep getting different answers depending on who I ask. Maybe someone here can give me what I need to know.
I have an old analog TV which is connected to Cox cable "without any kind of box". The coax cable comes out of the wall and plugs directly into this "cable ready" tv. The info on the govt's web site says as long as you have a cable or satellite provider you do not need the converter box. However, sales rep at Best Buy says I do if I'm connected directly to cable with no cable box.
Please give me the straight skinny.
Thanks, Chuck |
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Gold Member Username: Samijubal
Post Number: 3790
Registered: Jul-04
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| Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 04:06 pm: |
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Local channels, ABC, CBS, etc., are under an FCC mandate to stay on cable until 2012. Cable channels have no such mandate and can go digital whenever they want.
The converter boxes are for OTA channels, not cable channels. The BB salesman is clueless as usual.
If anyhting, you may need to go to digital cable, if the channels you watch decide to go digital. |
Bronze Member Username: Retiredjetp
Post Number: 39
Registered: Dec-04
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| Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 04:29 pm: |
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So will I still be able to view tv without a cable box, just the cable plugged directly into the back of the tv ? |
Gold Member Username: Samijubal
Post Number: 3791
Registered: Jul-04
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| Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 04:39 pm: |
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Local channels will be there until 2012. Whatever other channels you get now can go digital whenever they want. If the channels you watch decide to go digital, you'll have to go to digital cable. You'll get whatever channels are still on your analog cable. |
Bronze Member Username: Retiredjetp
Post Number: 40
Registered: Dec-04
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| Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 10:02 pm: |
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David,
I don't think you understand. In Feb. 2009 they all (by law) must go digital, there will no longer be any analog broadcast, it's out of the picture entirely. So, my question is, if I plug my Cox coax cable directly to my cable ready tv, will it still work ? |
Gold Member Username: Samijubal
Post Number: 3793
Registered: Jul-04
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| Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 - 10:11 pm: |
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The switch to digital is OTA, not cable. Again, local channels are under FCC mandate to stay on analog cable until 2012. All other cable channels are under no such mandate and can either stay on analog cable or they can go digital. You will get whatever analog channels your cable provider sends. |
Bronze Member Username: Retiredjetp
Post Number: 41
Registered: Dec-04
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| Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008 - 09:06 am: |
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Thanks David for sticking with me and explaining that. Am I correct in assuming that a tv advertised as cable ready, means no cable converter box is required as long as the signal is analog. For digital signals a cable converter box is required, correct.
I guess it follows that cable can carry both analog and digital, correct ?
Chuck |
Bronze Member Username: Retiredjetp
Post Number: 42
Registered: Dec-04
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| Posted on Sunday, March 30, 2008 - 09:22 am: |
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Did some more research and found the answer on Cox's web site......
"Cox recognizes that some customers will still have analog-only TVs at this cut-off date. Therefore, Cox will continue to offer analog broadcast signals for at least three years after this deadline for those customers that have not upgraded all TVs to Cox Digital Cable. The signal will be down-converted from its digital format, enabling customers to receive digital broadcast programming in an analog format."
Chuck |
