[TechWonder]

I have been searching for questions similiar to mine but it seems that I have an unusual issue.


My Cable Company (cablevision) told me that they do not provide an HD Set Top Box, only the basic digital.


They told me that I can go buy any HD receiver but I am skeptical because every description says either Satellite or OTA decoding. What is the term for what am I looking for on a HD box that will decode HD programming from Digital Cable. (All NTSC, Terrestrial?) I don't want to dump $500-$600 on something that I didn't need.


I had a DST-3000 but it was broken and now discontinued, so would that have worked and what is comparable?

 

[Stephen Tu]

If your cable company doesn't provide an HD STB, it is almost 100% likely that they are not providing any HD signals at all. The number of local providers transmitting 8VSB which an OTA receiver could pick up is infinitesimal. Ask them if they are transmitting 8VSB, and which channels. I wouldn't believe anything from a random low level customer service representative; 80% of them are clueless.


If you get an HD box, do it planning on getting signals via antenna, not cable.


No cable company is going to be transmitting HD w/ QAM and leave it up to the consumer to find a STB. It's just not done at this time. Won't happen until the recent agreement concerning "digital cable-ready" TV sets comes to fruition and a lot of these sets are deployed. Years from now.

 

[vegggas]

Actually there are several markets where you have to go to Best Buy or Circuit City to buy your HD cable box. The typical price is $500, and the local stores have an agreement with the cable co. This agreement is usually along the same lines as the modem purchase in a retail store. You have to buy the approved equipment and then provide the mac address t the cable co to get authorized for service.

Off the top of my head, I think Oklahoma City and Phoenix are two areas where retailers are selling the cable box and the Cable co does not provide them for their service. Before buying anything, be sure your cable co is actually carrying HD and if local retailers are providing the equipment.


vegggas

 

[John Mason]

Recall one post a while back where someone dug up the local licensing details in his location that permitted his cable company to operate. A section specified that his cable company must rent cable converters. Might apply elsewhere.


I used to get, a few years back, HBO and CBS HD via a direct cable connection to my HDTV RPTV's built-in HD receiver. Time Warner Cable here was delivering 8VSB (HD) versions of these sources, the same as CBS's OTA signal. A while later TWC here switched entirely to 256 or 64 QAM signal delivery, which requires a QAM-based cable converter, or one of the newer HD sets that handle QAM or 8VSB.


A standard 8-VSB decoder/tuner (see the 'sticky-note' thread) will handle OTA and usually satellite reception (a different modulation scheme). But the few cable companies that deliver a little HD as 8VSB probably will switch to QAM delivery because 8VSB requires a full 6-MHz cable slot for each program source, while 256 QAM permits up to 4 sources in each 6-Mhz slot. -- John

 

[Bowls 300s]

Yep, Cox here in Pheonix provides that you buy the box (S.A 3100 HD) in order to receive their HD service. Additionally they charge for the HD channel service. Best Buy now carries the boxes at 499.00. Kinda sucks since its not really a very good box that has no DVI or OTA capability.


San Diego area is where I believe forum members utilized the local ordinances to possibly pressure Cox to provide a rental service by inundating (spelling?) them with calls.


....Scott

 

[Ken H]

Quote:

Originally posted by TechWonder I have been searching for questions similiar to mine but it seems that I have an unusual issue. My Cable Company (cablevision).....

Where are you located?

 

[Bill Paul]

Quote:

Originally posted by John Mason Recall one post a while back where someone dug up the local licensing details in his location that permitted his cable company to operate. A section specified that his cable company must rent cable converters. Might apply elsewhere.

Not sure if it was my post you read on that, and I'm not even sure if I posted it here, but I did post something to that effect.

When Cox Cable announced the HD rollout here in San Diego last Nov, 02, they originally planned to sell the box. I never could get any return emails from them, but I did forward some clips of my local municipal code for the City of La Mesa that bascially said if there is any special equipment needed to view cable programming, they have to rent it out. The City of San Diego has no such code though, so I bet they never checked the codes for all the small outlying citys they also operate the same system in.

-Bill

 

[TechWonder]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken H Where are you located?

I am in Stamford, CT.


I love the fact that I have to rely on stupid salesmen to answer questions like this. I am going to Circuit City today so wish me luck.

 

[vegggas]

The "where" question should have been revealed earlier.

As far as I can tell, Cablevision in your area doesn't do HD yet. They only have digital cable. Others in your area are using OTA tuners and trying to pick up a few stations around them and from NY.

As noted before, call your local cable co and ask if they have any HD and what is needed to get it on their system. That is the only way to know for sure.

If they say they have digital cable that looks like or as good as HD, then they are completely ignorant of HD and what it looks like. Steer clear. Do a forum search for your area (I did and only saw OTA users) and possibly ask a few members in your area what they are doing.


vegggas