Clear QAM Gone

[EdwardATeller]

Originally Posted by darcilicious

I don't think cable companies are looking to encrypt SD channels, are they?

(Clear QAM channels are digital, I suspect you're referring to old analog SD channels?)

My local cable company (RCN) encrypted 100% of their cable channels as of last week. They'll probably make a lot more money with zero percent cable theft and a rental box for most TVs. They'll lose some people to OTA + NetFlix and other alternatives but overall should come out ahead.

BTW, I just hooked up a little ribbon antenna, and I get OTA 9 channels, including the PBS affiliate.

[nyplayer]

Originally Posted by EdwardATeller

My local cable company (RCN) encrypted 100% of their cable channels as of last week. They'll probably make a lot more money with zero percent cable theft and a rental box for most TVs. They'll lose some people to OTA + NetFlix and other alternatives but overall should come out ahead.

BTW, I just hooked up a little ribbon antenna, and I get OTA 9 channels, including the PBS affiliate.

One great plugin to get is the Signal Strength OSD meter it will show you the signal strength. You can use it to reposition antenna.

[EdwardATeller]

Originally Posted by nyplayer

One great plugin to get is the Signal Strength OSD meter it will show you the signal strength. You can use it to reposition antenna.

Thanks! Works like a charm.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by darcilicious

I don't think cable companies are looking to encrypt SD channels, are they?

(Clear QAM channels are digital, I suspect you're referring to old analog SD channels?)

YES! Comcast, Calaveras County, Ca. has encrypted everything on the line, and wants $1.99 per drop just to receive SD basic channels. I'm assuming their rental box returns the signal to analog for my usage?

[Tiki]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

YES! Comcast, Calaveras County, Ca. has encrypted everything on the line, and wants $1.99 per drop just to receive SD basic channels. I'm assuming their rental box returns the signal to analog for my usage?

The $1.99 boxes from Comcast are what they call "DTA"s (Digital Transport Adaptor). They are a small box (not much bigger than a pack of cards). A coax cable connects from the wall to the DTA. A second coax cable connects from the DTA to your TV.

The DTA tunes the digital channels, converts them to a conventional analog signal, and spits them out on channel 3 or 4 (like an old VCR). You leave your TV always tuned to channel 3 or 4. The DTA comes with a remote control and a remote IR Sensor, so you can change the channel that the DTA is tuned to. The DTA does not have a display, but it overlays the channel number and name on your TV for a few seconds when you change channels. The remote is a simple universal remote, so you can program it to turn on the TV and adjust the TV's volume.

The DTA cannot display OnDemand, Premium channels (like HBO), or HD Channels. Also, even if you have a subscription that includes "all the channels", the DTA may not be able to tune some of the SD channels in the expanded basic range (for example, I cannot watch The Science Channel SD - channel 110, or the local weather channel - channel 101).

I saw another post here somewhere that Comcast was planning to roll-out a newer version of these DTA's that could support HD, but I haven't heard anything else about them.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by Tiki

The $1.99 boxes from Comcast are what they call "DTA"s (Digital Transport Adaptor). They are a small box (not much bigger than a pack of cards). A coax cable connects from the wall to the DTA. A second coax cable connects from the DTA to your TV.

The DTA tunes the digital channels, converts them to a conventional analog signal, and spits them out on channel 3 or 4 (like an old VCR). You leave your TV always tuned to channel 3 or 4. The DTA comes with a remote control and a remote IR Sensor, so you can change the channel that the DTA is tuned to. The DTA does not have a display, but it overlays the channel number and name on your TV for a few seconds when you change channels. The remote is a simple universal remote, so you can program it to turn on the TV and adjust the TV's volume.

The DTA cannot display OnDemand, Premium channels (like HBO), or HD Channels. Also, even if you have a subscription that includes "all the channels", the DTA may not be able to tune some of the SD channels in the expanded basic range (for example, I cannot watch The Science Channel SD - channel 110, or the local weather channel - channel 101).

I saw another post here somewhere that Comcast was planning to roll-out a newer version of these DTA's that could support HD, but I haven't heard anything else about them.

then doesn't this make the tuner built into every, new HDTV completely useless? So the FCC demands all HDTV's have built in tuners, then disables them so cable companies can rent you a tuner?
Yet another remote control sitting on the table?
What am I missing here?
I used to be able to connect my Series Two Tivo directly into the wall drop, and the Tivo's internal tuner changed SD channels to record programs.
Now, from what I read here, that isn't possible anymore...the tuning adapter must be used to select "basic", SD lower-tier channels?
Nice one, FCC...I hope you're pocketing a cut of the lobbyists cash

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

then doesn't this make the tuner built into every, new HDTV completely useless? So the FCC demands all HDTV's have built in tuners, then disables them so cable companies can rent you a tuner?
Yet another remote control sitting on the table?
What am I missing here?
I used to be able to connect my Series Two Tivo directly into the wall drop, and the Tivo's internal tuner changed SD channels to record programs.
Now, from what I read here, that isn't possible anymore...the tuning adapter must be used to select "basic", SD lower-tier channels?
Nice one, FCC...I hope you're pocketing a cut of the lobbyists cash

I don't believe the FCC ever mandated QAM tuners - only ATSC.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

then doesn't this make the tuner built into every, new HDTV completely useless? So the FCC demands all HDTV's have built in tuners, then disables them so cable companies can rent you a tuner?
Yet another remote control sitting on the table?
What am I missing here?
I used to be able to connect my Series Two Tivo directly into the wall drop, and the Tivo's internal tuner changed SD channels to record programs.
Now, from what I read here, that isn't possible anymore...the tuning adapter must be used to select "basic", SD lower-tier channels?
Nice one, FCC...I hope you're pocketing a cut of the lobbyists cash

Technology has to move forward somehow. If the old existing technology is a roadblock at some point you have to abandon it and move beyond.

HDTV as a standard was great 15 years ago when it was originally devised but the standard has now become a roadblock to adopting better technologies such as H.264 video compression. While H.264 has been adopted as part of the ATSC standard nobody is going to use it because no TV's support it. NTSC stood for so long for this very reason even though there were even analog technologies for transmitting higher resolution video.

Again, at some point we have to decide to shrug off the old in order to bring in the new. But we also should be mindful about creating standards such as ATSC that are created in such a way as to not really be mindful of future advancements in technology.

[tvmaster2]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

Technology has to move forward somehow. If the old existing technology is a roadblock at some point you have to abandon it and move beyond.

HDTV as a standard was great 15 years ago when it was originally devised but the standard has now become a roadblock to adopting better technologies such as H.264 video compression. While H.264 has been adopted as part of the ATSC standard nobody is going to use it because no TV's support it. NTSC stood for so long for this very reason even though there were even analog technologies for transmitting higher resolution video.

Again, at some point we have to decide to shrug off the old in order to bring in the new. But we also should be mindful about creating standards such as ATSC that are created in such a way as to not really be mindful of future advancements in technology.

Sure, move forward - agreed.

However...a simple solution would have been a basic-channel pass-through on the new box, and if you weren't subscribing to extra tiers, digital channels or premiums, you wouldn't have to pay for the box.

Everyone wins.

Except the cable company.

Seriously - it's all about the $1.99 per drop, isn't it? That's $10 per household for the average home built before 2009.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

Sure, move forward - agreed.

However...a simple solution would have been a basic-channel pass-through on the new box, and if you weren't subscribing to extra tiers, digital channels or premiums, you wouldn't have to pay for the box.

Everyone wins.

Except the cable company.

Seriously - it's all about the $1.99 per drop, isn't it? That's $10 per household for the average home built before 2009.

Cox Cable here in OKC doesn't have an additional charge per drop/TV unless you use their technicians to do the wiring. They got rid of that nonsense a long time ago. At least for as long as I've been an adult paying for the service.

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by tvmaster2

Sure, move forward - agreed.

However...a simple solution would have been a basic-channel pass-through on the new box, and if you weren't subscribing to extra tiers, digital channels or premiums, you wouldn't have to pay for the box.

Everyone wins.

Except the cable company.

Seriously - it's all about the $1.99 per drop, isn't it? That's $10 per household for the average home built before 2009.

This is not as 'simple' as you think. The channels are encrypted individually. It is not so simple to tune every basic channel, demodulate each, decrypt each, modulate each, and combine them back into a tun-able signal for your TV's tuner to tune - demodulate - decode and display. To do so would be hardware that would likely cost much more than the $1.99/box/month they are currently asking.

In my opinion, the company has a right to protect itself from theft - and that is what the encryption does. Installing and maintaining a network throughout an entire city, and in the case of the big companies, a LOT of cities - costs a lot. And those maintenance costs are the same whether you subscribe to every single channel, or just the 'basic tier'. Over the years, cable companies, especially in large cities, have been forced to let themselves be ripped off, because they simply couldn't afford to send someone around to install/remove a blocking device on taps whenever a service is started or stopped. The head-end authorized encryption system is the best solution, because service can be restricted only to currently paying customers, without rolling a truck.

[Taddeusz]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

Over the years, cable companies, especially in large cities, have been forced to let themselves be ripped off, because they simply couldn't afford to send someone around to install/remove a blocking device on taps whenever a service is started or stopped. The head-end authorized encryption system is the best solution, because service can be restricted only to currently paying customers, without rolling a truck.

Yea, Cox will disconnect people or put a blocking device if they happen to be in the area but otherwise it goes untouched.