Lingering Questions Regarding Digital Conversion & Old Analog Equipment

So far I haven't found adequate answers to some questions I have
regarding the switch over to digital TV next year.

My questions revolve around what happens to my old analog equipment.

Everything I've read says that in order to make the switch to digital
you need to:

1. Purchase a converter box.

2. Purchase a TV with built-in digital tuner.

3. Subscribe to cable or satellite television service provider.

OK, I already subscribe to cable. However, I do not use their tuner box,
instead I use the built-in cable ready tuner(s) in my TV's and VCRs. I
presume that option #3 entails using the cable provided tuner box hooked
up to your TV.

Questions:

1. Will I need to use a cable tuner box after the transition?

2. Or will the cable company simultaneously transmit analog signals
across their system allowing me to keep using my TV's cable ready tuner?

3. What happens to my old VCRs with analog tuners? Obsolete?

"Euphoric Orgasm" wrote in message
...
So far I haven't found adequate answers to some questions I have regarding
the switch over to digital TV next year.

My questions revolve around what happens to my old analog equipment.

Everything I've read says that in order to make the switch to digital you
need to:

1. Purchase a converter box.

2. Purchase a TV with built-in digital tuner.

3. Subscribe to cable or satellite television service provider.

OK, I already subscribe to cable. However, I do not use their tuner box,
instead I use the built-in cable ready tuner(s) in my TV's and VCRs. I
presume that option #3 entails using the cable provided tuner box hooked
up to your TV.

Questions:

1. Will I need to use a cable tuner box after the transition?

Not if YOUR cable company decides to do Q2.

2. Or will the cable company simultaneously transmit analog signals across
their system allowing me to keep using my TV's cable ready tuner?

If they decide to, yes.

3. What happens to my old VCRs with analog tuners? Obsolete?

Doorstops.

--
SoCalCommie
http://so-la-i.com/

WARNING: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency
may have read this message without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do
this without any judicial or legislative oversight.

Euphoric Orgasm ) wrote:
: So far I haven't found adequate answers to some questions I have
: regarding the switch over to digital TV next year.

: My questions revolve around what happens to my old analog equipment.

: Everything I've read says that in order to make the switch to digital
: you need to:

: 1. Purchase a converter box.
or

: 2. Purchase a TV with built-in digital tuner.


: 3. Subscribe to cable or satellite television service provider.
or use OTA reception

: OK, I already subscribe to cable. However, I do not use their tuner box,
: instead I use the built-in cable ready tuner(s) in my TV's and VCRs. I
: presume that option #3 entails using the cable provided tuner box hooked
: up to your TV.

: Questions:

: 1. Will I need to use a cable tuner box after the transition?
No

: 2. Or will the cable company simultaneously transmit analog signals
: across their system allowing me to keep using my TV's cable ready tuner?
Possibly

: 3. What happens to my old VCRs with analog tuners? Obsolete?

No. As long as you get analog signal from cable or from converter
box.
Cass

On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:46:53 -0600, "Euphoric Orgasm"
wrote:

So far I haven't found adequate answers to some questions I have
regarding the switch over to digital TV next year.

My questions revolve around what happens to my old analog equipment.



3. What happens to my old VCRs with analog tuners? Obsolete?

Does everyone assume that these old VCRs and DVD stop working on a "Magic
Day".
Got older recorded media?
AFAIK my older:
Laser discs still play 480i
Quad open reel tapes still play
Edison cylinders would play if I had some ;-)

My point is the only thing you lost was recording DIRECT from the
Cable/Antenna, nothing else (OK, you lost some space having one more box in
the Media cabinet)
Explore some "creative interconnection" solutions :-)

Sceptre (Komodo series) HDTV has an NTSC (yellow) Video output that contains a
NTSC down-converted signal of what you are tuned to on the set (sans menus and
CC) What is to stop you from connecting that (and the red/white audio) to your
old VCR.

Have fun seeing what *will work*

In article ,
says...


So far I haven't found adequate answers to some questions I have
regarding the switch over to digital TV next year.

My questions revolve around what happens to my old analog equipment.

Everything I've read says that in order to make the switch to digital
you need to:

1. Purchase a converter box.

2. Purchase a TV with built-in digital tuner.

3. Subscribe to cable or satellite television service provider.

OK, I already subscribe to cable. However, I do not use their tuner box,
instead I use the built-in cable ready tuner(s) in my TV's and VCRs. I
presume that option #3 entails using the cable provided tuner box hooked
up to your TV.

Questions:

1. Will I need to use a cable tuner box after the transition?

Maybe, but for many systems, probably not at least until 2012, depending on
what the cable system does and what channels you want. That's why the mass
media articles about this topic aren't crystal clear.

The FCC rules covering this say the cable systems must provide analog
versions of the 'must carry' stations until 2012 or provide a conversion
device (box) for them for all subscribers. I assume that means a box for
every TV hooked up to cable. See this thread I started on the topic last
September:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.t...hread/989c45fd
a4061a9a/ffa9206c0b459ab0?lnk=st&q=#ffa9206c0b459ab0

or

http://tinyurl.com/2quh53

The 'must carry' stations are pretty limited and normally include the local
over the air stations. So, the company can meet the rule with an analog
tier of just a few channels or an expanded analog tier like many have now.
It will be up to the system to decide how many stations they want to carry
as analog if they don't provide converters.

Many systems carry over 70 analog channels now that you can get with your
built in tuners. They may decide to reduce those to just a few - say 20 or
less, to free up bandwidth for more digital and pay services and still meet
the FCC rules. Whether they do so will be dictated by what their
subscribers want and what their competition dictates and the cost of boxes
and what they can charge for them. The satellite and phone company
services all require boxes now. If a cable company cuts back to 20 or
less, what will the subscribers who want to use their tuners do? That's
the question the cable companies have to face - they don't want to lose too
many subscribers, and they could say that hooking up multiple TVs without
boxes is a selling point. On the other hand, the competition is offering
more and more channels, and the cable companies will be under pressure to
offer those using the bandwidth the analog stations now take.

A political consideration is the disposal of old TVs. If cable offers an
analog tier for a fair amount of time, that will reduce the number of old
TVs that are discarded. This issue may force the FCC to extend the 2012
deadline.

In the long run, I believe it's inevitable that analog cable will go away.
The questions are when and how that will occur.

2. Or will the cable company simultaneously transmit analog signals
across their system allowing me to keep using my TV's cable ready tuner?

3. What happens to my old VCRs with analog tuners? Obsolete?

See above for 2 and 3.

whosbest54
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In article ,
lid says...

I should also mention that cable piracy is a consideration for the cable
companies when deciding on their analog and converstion to digital plans.
It's harder to pirate digital encoded channels that require an addressible box
than clear analog channels. Many systems use line traps for managing analog
service tiers and service prevention which have to be policed. The number of
pirates and the costs of policing systems can be reduced by moving to digital.

whosbest54
--
The flamewars are over...if you want it.

Unofficial rec.audio.opinion Usenet Group Brief User Guide:
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On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:46:53 -0600, Euphoric Orgasm wrote:

So far I haven't found adequate answers to some questions I have
regarding the switch over to digital TV next year.

First, understand that there's not really a switchover, but the killing of
analog service. Pretty much any station that is going to continue OTA
broadcasting has already been broadcasting in digital for a number of
years. many as long as 6+ years. I switched completely to digital almost 3
years ago, many more probably did it sooner than I did.

My questions revolve around what happens to my old analog equipment.

Everything I've read says that in order to make the switch to digital
you need to:

1. Purchase a converter box.

2. Purchase a TV with built-in digital tuner.

3. Subscribe to cable or satellite television service provider.

The option I chose was to purchase PCI based ATSC tuner cards and use a PC
to create an HDTV recorder at the same time. At one point I also purchased
an ATSC reciever, but later sold it when I added all my TV's to the PC
based network. That was my final solution and it works great. Even though
I've since bought HDTV's with digital tuners in them, I don't even use the
built in tuners.

OK, I already subscribe to cable. However, I do not use their tuner box,
instead I use the built-in cable ready tuner(s) in my TV's and VCRs. I
presume that option #3 entails using the cable provided tuner box hooked
up to your TV.

Questions:

1. Will I need to use a cable tuner box after the transition?

2. Or will the cable company simultaneously transmit analog signals
across their system allowing me to keep using my TV's cable ready tuner?

3. What happens to my old VCRs with analog tuners? Obsolete?

No. The transition does not affect cable users in any way. It only affects
those using OTA broadcast. If all you use it cable, then check with your
cable co. They can do whatever they want. As long as they continue your
service, your TV and VCR will work as always.

The transition only affects OTA (Over The Air) NTSC users.

OTOH, most cable companies are trying to switch to digital now. It's not
the same though. But you can be certain that at some point in the near
future, all cable companies will stop analog broadcast over cable. At that
point you will need a digital cable box.

--
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"SoCalCommie" wrote in message
et...
"Euphoric Orgasm" wrote in message
...
So far I haven't found adequate answers to some questions I have
regarding the switch over to digital TV next year.

My questions revolve around what happens to my old analog equipment.

Everything I've read says that in order to make the switch to digital you
need to:

1. Purchase a converter box.

2. Purchase a TV with built-in digital tuner.

3. Subscribe to cable or satellite television service provider.

OK, I already subscribe to cable. However, I do not use their tuner box,
instead I use the built-in cable ready tuner(s) in my TV's and VCRs. I
presume that option #3 entails using the cable provided tuner box hooked
up to your TV.

Questions:

1. Will I need to use a cable tuner box after the transition?

Not if YOUR cable company decides to do Q2.

2. Or will the cable company simultaneously transmit analog signals
across their system allowing me to keep using my TV's cable ready tuner?

If they decide to, yes.

3. What happens to my old VCRs with analog tuners? Obsolete?

Doorstops.

Not if the cable box outputs analog signal.
Not if they are connected to Dish or Direct boxes.
Not if you purchase a digital converter box, almost free with a coupon.


--
SoCalCommie
http://so-la-i.com/

WARNING: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security
Agency may have read this message without warning, warrant, or notice.
They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight.

On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:05:12 -0600 whosbest54 wrote:

| I should also mention that cable piracy is a consideration for the cable
| companies when deciding on their analog and converstion to digital plans.
| It's harder to pirate digital encoded channels that require an addressible box
| than clear analog channels. Many systems use line traps for managing analog
| service tiers and service prevention which have to be policed. The number of
| pirates and the costs of policing systems can be reduced by moving to digital.

I've noticed that cable systems are starting to do more encryption of the
digital channels. Maybe it's to force more people to rent their box? Or
maybe it's because their channel space has become disorganized and filters
are no longer a suitable way to limit people to the basic tier because the
channels are not grouped well for that.

--
|---------------------------------------/----------------------------------|
| Phil Howard KA9WGN (ka9wgn.ham.org) / Do not send to the address below |
| first name lower case at ipal.net / |
|------------------------------------/-------------------------------------|

In article , says...


On Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:05:12 -0600 whosbest54
wrote:

| I should also mention that cable piracy is a consideration for the cable
| companies when deciding on their analog and converstion to digital plans.
| It's harder to pirate digital encoded channels that require an addressible box
| than clear analog channels. Many systems use line traps for managing analog
| service tiers and service prevention which have to be policed. The number of
| pirates and the costs of policing systems can be reduced by moving to digital.

I've noticed that cable systems are starting to do more encryption of the
digital channels. Maybe it's to force more people to rent their box? Or
maybe it's because their channel space has become disorganized and filters
are no longer a suitable way to limit people to the basic tier because the
channels are not grouped well for that.

It's because QAM tuners, which are appearing in more and more sets, can pick up
unencrypted digital stations and they don't want their subscribers to get more
than they pay for. And yes, they want people to rent their box to get those
stations.

whosbest54
--
The flamewars are over...if you want it.

Unofficial rec.audio.opinion Usenet Group Brief User Guide:
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