My cable provider, blueridgecommunication (http://www.brctv.com) tells me I have to have a set top box to watch digital and HDTV till at least 2012 (http://news.digitaltrends.com/news/story/14161/fcc_says_cable_to_keep_analog_tv_until_2012). I have a Sony KDL-32S3000 LCD Digital Color TV.

Why do I need a set top box?


Leslie

Most of the digital channels are probably encrypted!!
Unless they are using cable cards you need a STB.
If you plug directly into your TV you will only be able to watch the non encrypted channels (in the clear)

In this case, all except 480p music channels must be encrypted, I can receive them. I'm only looking for HD on NBC,CBS,ABC,CW, and Fox. They plan to keep non stb in analog until 2012 or longer.

I guess they are sending both analog and digital over the cables. By requiring a STB for digital, they are able to charge a basic fee for the first 13 analog channels, a higher rate for the rest of the analog channels, and an even higher rate for basic digital (with local HD stations).

They say older people with older sets have problems using the stb so they are trying to keep it simple for them. I think it's a fleece job, since all new TVs will be digital and will be charge the higher rate.

I don't know allot about how cable works, but how hard would it be for them to filter the analog and provide digital directly?

Leslie

I am about 50-60 miles away from stations with HDTV. The problem is hill and mountains between them and me.

Can anyone suggest an antenna which might work under such conditions?

Leslie

Try the Local HDTV Reception forum for that. Common consensus is that the Channel Master CM4228 is a good mid-to-long range antenna for most HDTV stations in UHF and high VHF bands.

If your cable company carries those locals in HD they should be unencrypted as they are required by law to do so. You can get them without a box. The only issue would be if you wanted to watch HBO or any other of the tiered digital channels.

If your cable company carries those locals in HD they should be unencrypted as they are required by law to do so. You can get them without a box. The only issue would be if you wanted to watch HBO or any other of the tiered digital channels.
Actually I don't think they are encrypted. All I know is I'm told I need a STB, regardless of what kind of tv you're using.

Here's the dialog with my cable company

(me) I have a HDTV with a digital receiver. Why do I need to have a cable box if I only want basic channels like abc, cbs, nbc espn without the extras (premium channels, tv guide, games, etc). Won't it work after the filter is removed from by line coming into the house.

(cable) We don't send a HD signal to your TV. Since you have a HD tuner in your TV you can purchase a HD antennae and try to get programming over the air, otherwise a HD set top box is necessary in order to receive HD programming.

(me) Currently I can pick up digital music on my set. What would removing the outside filter give me?

(cable) You will not receive any HD programming. You will not be able to pick up any additional programming when the high pass filter is removed, again in order to receive any digital services with Blue Ridge Communications, you do need a digital converter box provided to you by us.

(me) Hope you don't mind my continued persistence, but after Feb of next year when all broadcast will be digital, does that mean your service will only be available by desktop boxes, regardless of the fact that all new tv's will have digital receivers? When I set my tv to cable (verse antenna mode) and select it to find stations, it lists both analog and digital results. I understand that my area does not have HDTV at this time, but I'm told they will be adding some HDTV stations to the digital service in a few months.

(cable) Although the broadcasters will be sending out a digital signal, we will be converting this signal to analog at our head end for our non-digital
customers. This is what will allow us to continue servicing our non-digital customers without the need for equipment. You will not be able to access any Digital or HD channels without one of our Digital set top boxes

(me) How long will this go on? You are making a case for anybody who wants a quality signal to go Satellite. Their signal is all digital. People with DVD player and HDTV sets buy DVD player with upscaling because DVD are digital and these players can sends a digital signal to the TV using a HDMI connection. Older DVD players convert the digital signal to analog with a loss of picture quality when compare to direct digital. Your talking about converting digital to analog and then converting it back to digital again, further degrading the signal. Definitely quality of picture and sound is not your objective. I think you are short changing both analog and digital customers. Please say this will be temporary.

(Cable) The FCC is mandating ALL cable companies continue to provide an analog signal until February, 2012. At that time the FCC will review the ruling and decide if they want to extend it or not. I have provided a link below which explains this: http://news.digitaltrends.com/news/story/14161/fcc_says_cable_to_keep_analog_tv_until_2012.

(me) I guess you got me there, but if I have to live with a box, are you planning on adding the local stations as digital on the box or do I still have to view them as analog?

(Cable) Thank you for your email. With our Digital Set Top box all channels are transmitted in Digital simulcast.

Leslie

PS I can get 86 digital music channels between 67.4 and 77.40.

Bright House of Bakersfield's official line is that you need a converter box or cable card to receive any digital channels. Actually 4 local HD channels and one out-of-market HD channel are in the clear. They will admit this if you demonstrate that you know what QAM is. Then they will tell you that what you are doing is morally piracy although legal.

Bright House of Bakersfield's official line is that you need a converter box or cable card to receive any digital channels. Actually 4 local HD channels and one out-of-market HD channel are in the clear. They will admit this if you demonstrate that you know what QAM is. Then they will tell you that what you are doing is morally piracy although legal.
What about digital channels that aren't HD? Are they in the clear, i.e. G4TV, IFC, BBC America? BRCTV says I need a stb for them also.

I checked and yes my tv has QAM. Good to know. Thanks

Leslie

It depends on what your cable co decides to encrypt and what to keep in the clear. Easiest way to find out is to use the QAM tuner and see what it can pick up.

It depends on what your cable co decides to encrypt and what to keep in the clear. Easiest way to find out is to use the QAM tuner and see what it can pick up.
As I stated before, I can pick up digital music channels in the lower channels, but they are using a high pass filter, which I believe blocks all channels above 100, which is where their digital and HD channels are located.

I may be wrong about what a high pass filter is. I have asked them why they need it if you can't pick up these channels without a STB anyway.

I don't expect them to answer till Monday.

Leslie

Ps Just did a search for High Pass Filters, I have know idea what they are. Any ideas?

Bright House encrypts all digital channels except the local HD channels (and in my case one from Fresno). They even encrypt barker channels the digital simulcasts of limited basic channels. They said that they will encrypt all digital channels except those they are legally required to leave in the clear.

They said that they will encrypt all digital channels except those they are legally required to leave in the clear.

Can anyone provide a link to the law that legally required cable provider to broadcast local channels in the clear?

Leslie

Ps Just did a search for High Pass Filters, I have know idea what they are. Any ideas?
(Cable) "High Pass Filters are placed on outlets that do not use a 2 way signal service in order to avoid interference from traveling through that outlet that would in turn cause issues with the cable signal."

They say they do not encrypt anything and do not understand what "in the clear" means. So naturally the next thing I asked them was how they are blocking channels.

If your cable company carries those locals in HD they should be unencrypted as they are required by law to do so. You can get them without a box. The only issue would be if you wanted to watch HBO or any other of the tiered digital channels.

Finally got some straight answers from my cable company who knows what they are talking about, because he's the one setting it up.


(Cable) "We do encrypt our digital channels, all but the Music Choice channels. As of this point in time we do not offer any broadcast (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX or PBS) as a QAM channel. We will be offering WETM-HD and WBNG-HD via QAM modulation sometime soon. These channels will be encrypted and only available to our digital customers, at no additional cost to the digital pricing. We will continue simulating WBNG and WETM as well as the other broadcast networks in analog. In Feb. of next year we will add equipment to receive the broadcasters digital signal and convert the output to analog. At some point we will most likely simulcast all broadcast channels in HD and analog. I can not predict how they will be priced and packaged. If you TV is M-Card capable, I could order a card for our digital services and install it in your TV rather than place an external set-top box on the TV."

If someone has a link to the law toadtaste is referring to please post it.

Leslie

Since no one has a link for me, I believe the law states that the cable company has to supply an unencrypted version of the local channel, not every version of the local channel, thus their analog copy meets the legal requirement.

So I guess I wasted my money on buying a feature rich TV, all cable requires is a monitor.

Contact the FCC. I'm sure they'll email you back any relevant links.

I don't know offhand what the law is, but there's a link to the press release in the link you posted.

I believe the law states that the cable company has to supply an unencrypted version of the local channel, not every version of the local channel, thus their analog copy meets the legal requirement.

So I guess I wasted my money on buying a feature rich TV, all cable requires is a monitor.

Well at least you're a fast learner! It's usually better to learn from other people's mistakes rather than your own. It appears to me that you at least you might have had some "fun" learning this particular lesson.

The law gives the broadcasters several options... they can opt that the broadcast MUST CARRY their signal, or they can sign a RETRANSMISSION agreement. The broadcaster can opt not to require the operator to MUST CARRY, and if no RETRANSMISSION agreement is in place, the cable company doesn't have to carry it. I think there was a recent case of this in Kansas where the broadcaster and cable company were having issues coming to terms on the retransmission agreement.

Most recent rulings on the law have to do with what the cable company "must carry" and in how many formats. The rest of the law has been around for around a decade.

The cable company doesn't have to pass anything unencrypted, though will generally do so if the local broadcaster indemnifies them for EAS. I am surprised you are getting the music channels unencrypted - this is either an issue of economics (too expensive to encrypt them) or an oversight. I believe in most areas, if the channel is primarily music (no video, still pictures are OK), then there is no expectation of EAS, so it doesn't rise to the level of a legal issue.