HDTV

[Humbled Survivor]

My cable tv company switched the signal to HDTV, so naturally my tube TV
doesn't pick up the signal. All I get is fuzz.

I have found not one converter that switches HDTV back down to analog. All
the ones on the market are for antennas only. They try to dupe you that it
converts a coaxial cable HDTV signal from the cable company to analog, but
none of them do that.

It's like taking an upgrade from the past and downgrading it to the past
again. Nobody is making such junk. Prove me wrong, but I have found
nothing.

The only solution I have in sight is to buy an HD TV for hundreds of
dollars.

I've been checkmated.

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Humbled Survivor:

The only solution I have in sight is to buy an HD TV for hundreds of
dollars.

If you don't need a huge screen, think more like $130-$200 for something
in the twenties size-wise.... at least that's what I saw today at HH
Gregg.

OTOH, I wonder if the cable supplier has done something proprietary to
the signal and you would need some sort of box (which might make the
converter work) even for a new TV...

 

[Michael Black]

My cable tv company switched the signal to HDTV, so naturally my tube TV
doesn't pick up the signal. All I get is fuzz.

I have found not one converter that switches HDTV back down to analog. All
the ones on the market are for antennas only. They try to dupe you that it
converts a coaxial cable HDTV signal from the cable company to analog, but
none of them do that.

It's like taking an upgrade from the past and downgrading it to the past
again. Nobody is making such junk. Prove me wrong, but I have found
nothing.

The only solution I have in sight is to buy an HD TV for hundreds of
dollars.

When Canada went to DTV in September 2 years ago, I did put off dealing
with it until the May of that year. We didn't get the free converter deal
that the US got, and initially the flyers were showing $80 coverters.

And at that point I decided I might as well spend $120 more and get an
actual HDTV set. I got the better definition, I got an LCD set (so much
smaller, and less heat it seems), I got closed captions (I was using a
Commodore monitor with a VCR for reception for about 15 years, before that
a TV set too old to do captions), and some other new and neat things. It
was also the first new tv set I'd gotten since 1982. SO the money wasnt'
that bad, and I would have had to spend just under half for a converter.

Sometimes change is good, you'll actually get better definition, rather
than the new transmission on an old tv set.

Mytv set runs Linux, my old tv set didn't even have a computer. And that
blu-ray player that I found in the garbage on July 1st is working fine,
and it too runs Linux.

Michael

 

[William Sommerwerck]

You can buy a converter. I have an unused Zenith I'd be happy to sell.

 

[William Sommerwerck]

Whoops. I posted without reading carefully. I thought the OP said broadcast.

The cable company's conversion is to digital, not HD. As someone else pointed
out, Comcast provides a free converter that feeds channel 3 or 4 on an analog
set. (It has no baseband output.)

 

[Humbled Survivor]

Stuff a QAM tuner in your computer. Hapaugue cards are on Ebay for
about $23, and the work OK. You need an original install disk to install
WinTV7, or Windows Media Center. I've had one for about six months, in
a spare PC running Vista Basic & WinTV7.

I looked around and determined this is what I should get:

http://www.firebird-systems.com/graphics/dct210/digital-tv-tuner-hdmi-dct210.shtml

Thank all of you for your feedback.

 

[Bob F]

ClearQAM more specifically. I get well over 50 channels of unscrambled
digital on my "Broadcast Basic" from TWC.

Comcast has eliminated clear QAM from their cable service here. Legally, they no
longer have to offer even local channels unencripted.

The OP needs the free box from his cable company to see the signals on his
analog TV. HE does not want an HDTV box. A DTA would get him the basic channels.


DTV converters are usually just for over the air TV. They cannon decode cable
signals.

 

[Bob F]

I looked around and determined this is what I should get:

http://www.firebird-systems.com/graphics/dct210/digital-tv-tuner-hdmi-dct210.shtml

Thank all of you for your feedback.

You can try that, but it may not work. Your best bet is to get a box from your
cable company. Unless that box includes the capability to accept a cablecard
provided by your cable company, it may not work at all, and if it does, that
could end tomorrow when the cable company eliminates clear QAM signals.

IF you are not a real cable customer, your prospects are limited.

 

[Bob F]

When Canada went to DTV in September 2 years ago, I did put off
dealing with it until the May of that year. We didn't get the free
converter deal that the US got, and initially the flyers were showing
$80 coverters.
And at that point I decided I might as well spend $120 more and get an
actual HDTV set. I got the better definition, I got an LCD set (so
much smaller, and less heat it seems), I got closed captions (I was
using a Commodore monitor with a VCR for reception for about 15
years, before that a TV set too old to do captions), and some other
new and neat things. It was also the first new tv set I'd gotten
since 1982. SO the money wasnt' that bad, and I would have had to
spend just under half for a converter.
Sometimes change is good, you'll actually get better definition,
rather than the new transmission on an old tv set.

Mytv set runs Linux, my old tv set didn't even have a computer. And
that blu-ray player that I found in the garbage on July 1st is
working fine, and it too runs Linux.

Michael

It still may not work with cable without a cable company provided settop box.

 

[Humbled Survivor]

Whoops. I posted without reading carefully. I thought the OP said
broadcast.

The cable company's conversion is to digital, not HD. As someone else
pointed out, Comcast provides a free converter that feeds channel 3 or 4
on an analog set. (It has no baseband output.)

I don't have Comcast, Verizon or any of the big places. My cable company is
a one-man show out of Bellaire, Ohio called Bellaire Television Cable Co.
Inc. I called in and they said try back in a week as they are testing units
to see which worked. Depending on the cost I may rent/buy one, or just get
a new flat screen with a QAM tuner built into it. I don't watch much TV
anyway. I just use cable broadband from him, which I can't get unless I
have TV too. But if I get TV and am paying for it, I'd like to have TV to
watch an occasional show. Do you get what I'm saying?

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Humbled Survivor:

But if I get TV and am paying for it, I'd like to have TV to
watch an occasional show. Do you get what I'm saying?

This might be a long shot, but it might be worth checking into how many
OTA stations you have access to.

We are in a built-up area, have a rooftop antenna and; personally, I
have yet to see a reason to spend money on cable.

There's a little more to it than I'm saying.... but I'd still check what
local OTA stations are available. NB that with digital, rabbit ears
don't do the job (at least around here) and a rooftop antenna is needed.

 

[Michael Black]

Per Humbled Survivor:

This might be a long shot, but it might be worth checking into how many
OTA stations you have access to.

We are in a built-up area, have a rooftop antenna and; personally, I
have yet to see a reason to spend money on cable.

There's a little more to it than I'm saying.... but I'd still check what
local OTA stations are available. NB that with digital, rabbit ears
don't do the job (at least around here) and a rooftop antenna is needed.

He gets high speed internet from the cable company. He has to take cable
tbv along with it. Hence he might as well watch tv, and that's where the
issue of being compatible with the digital signal from the cable company
comes in.

If he relied on over the air, then he'd not need cable, but he'd lose his
internet connection.

Michael

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per Michael Black:

He gets high speed internet from the cable company. He has to take cable
tbv along with it. Hence he might as well watch tv, and that's where the
issue of being compatible with the digital signal from the cable company
comes in.

If he relied on over the air, then he'd not need cable, but he'd lose his
internet connection.

I didn't think of that.

For me, cable and internet are unbundled. I just pay $40 per month
for the internet access.

As a side benefit, every few months a nice young person comes to the
door to call my attention that fact that we are apparently the only
household for many miles that don't have cable and wouldn't we like to
join the 21st century....

 

[(PeteCresswell)]

Per dave:

Nobody around you has DiSH or DTV?

Audio-visual Luddite that I am, when I think "cable" it includes all of
the above.

 

[Leif Neland]

dave har bragt dette til verden:

Unless the cable guy has looked in back yards and such I don't see how he'd
know.

Perhaps they have a deal with NSA?
The cable company provides NSA with access to your internet usage, and
NSA gives the cable company surveillance photos to scout for sattelite
dishes?

 

[mike]

dave har bragt dette til verden:

Perhaps they have a deal with NSA?
The cable company provides NSA with access to your internet usage, and
NSA gives the cable company surveillance photos to scout for sattelite
dishes?

I find all this amusing...
Didn't anybody else read "1984"?
Big brother IS watching you.
Get over it.

 

[mike]

As in just throw up our arms and say "OK"? Not likely. The people who
don't mind being spied on are traitors and cowards. They have no right
to surrender our Bill of Rights to the Corporation.

TRAITORS???
How did you come up with that leap??

People who don't do things that are illegal, immoral, antisocial...
Are not as bothered by it as you are.

Don't like it? Vote for someone who will change it.
Life is not nearly as black-and-white as you seem to wish.

 

[Phoena]

My cable tv company switched the signal to HDTV, so naturally my tube TV
doesn't pick up the signal. All I get is fuzz.

I have found not one converter that switches HDTV back down to analog. All
the ones on the market are for antennas only. They try to dupe you that it
converts a coaxial cable HDTV signal from the cable company to analog, but
none of them do that.

It's like taking an upgrade from the past and downgrading it to the past
again. Nobody is making such junk. Prove me wrong, but I have found
nothing.

The only solution I have in sight is to buy an HD TV for hundreds of
dollars.

I've been checkmated.

Did you pay your bill?

I don't think they would just shut NTSC off all of the sudden without
sending you an email or snail mail letter which would go something like
this:


Dear Cable T.V. Customer

We wish to inform you that on June 13, 2013, NTSC channels will be
discontinued.

If you are one of the 5 people left in this world that still use an NTSC
television and wish to continue viewing Progressive Car Insurance
Commercials and "How I Met Your Mother" reruns, then you will need to
rent a set top box for an additional fee of $4.95 per month. Remote
controls for are also available for an additional $2.95 per month.

We regret any inconvenience this may of cause you, but shutting down
analog NTSC will be profitable for us in the long run. We're hoping in
the future that the bandwidth now available will allow us to increase
your Internet speed, and charge you more for access. We will be offering
more landlines, which nobody uses anymore and offer even more TV viewing
choices such as On-Demand, where you can watch movies all you want for
24 hours at a cost which is a only a few bucks less that purchasing the
DVD or Blu-Ray and owning it forever. Additionally look for even more
channels which will be on their own tier, adding yet another monthly
charge to your already expensive bill. These channels offer you the
latest in Cell Phone commercials and sports you don't care about and old
reruns of shows you got sick of in 1990.

We thank you for being a loyal cable subscriber and we look forward to
you and your family going without groceries for 2 weeks so we can get
richer than we already are.

Sincerely Yours,

The CableCo.

 

[Phoena]

No need to prove you wrong. You've done an adequate job of doing that
yourself.

Yeah, and you've done an adequate job of proving you are a Jew.

 

[josephkk]

Yeah, and you've done an adequate job of proving you are a Jew.

So how is this meaningful? In the civilized parts of the world it is a
legally enforced as being irrelevant.

?-)