Moving soon, question

If you are only paying for internet, there is no guarantee you will get any tv without paying for it.

Go to the SiliconDust website and punch in your zipcode to see if your new address has Clear QAM.

Again, there is NO guarantee you will get any cable channels if you are only paying for internet. Technically you shouldn't be getting any in the first place, you are lucky the cableco hasn't put a trap on your line.


Most providers will give you the QAM HD channels you want if you only buy the basic cable. There are also many other ways to get HD without having to rent a box from the cable company.

I believe the "technical" term for taking something that does not belong to you, or something that you have not paid for is STEALING. Since you are not paying for TV service, you should not be taking the TV signal, even if it is "just sitting there". If you want local HD without paying for it, get an antenna.

Cablevision in NYC received an exemption from the FCC to encrypt even the local HD channels because people were STEALING cable. Normally, local HD channels are not encrypted, but normally people don't take what does not belong to them, or what they have not paid for, except for what appears to be a common thing in major metropolitan areas.

Chances are that Cablevision does not encrypt local HD out on Long Island, but nothing is guaranteed, since you have not paid for it, and Cablevision has no contractual obligation to provide those channels.

Verizon FiOS does not encrypt local HD, but transmits it in unencrypted Clear QAM, which only a handful of TV's are capable of receiving straight out of the box.

Don't you mean '...only a handful of TV's aren't capable of receiving straight out of the box.'?

The only way to know for sure is to actually be in your new place with your TV and to run a scan. As said, there could be traps in the line that would prevent you from getting channels, or there may not be. It's a crapshoot, and there is no way for us to say for sure one way or another.

If you must have TV channels bite the bullet and get a subscription. If you can live with out them, don't sweat it.

There are some TV's that can receive Clear QAM without any modifications, or external boxes.

If it doesn't work, just put up the antenna man. Some people say OTA give them a better picture!

I think what he's saying is that most TVs have clear QAM capability. Generally if they have an ATSC tuner they throw in a QAM tuner, too.

If you commit to the move the only way to find out is to go for the minimon package and see what happens.

That's what I say. What, cancel the move if the new provider doesn't? I never understood why people at the airport asks if the plane is full? What, cancel the trip if too many people?

once you call in the cable company when the installer comes out he will put a modem trap to eliminate video signals.

Which you might be able to remove yourself, or the installer might 'forget' to install for the appropriate tribute [IT IS Long Island after all... LoL]... But like others have said, depending where you are moving too you'd be surprised what you can get with a pair of rabbit ears

The traps are usually in a padlocked service box. If they find the lock has been jimmied or otherwise tampered, and the trap inside removed, they'll know you did it and cut off your service entirely.