On Wed, 7 Jan 2009 05:31:06 -0500, "Eisboch"
wrote:




I guess the real question is, "How much longer will the cable companies
continue to provide the analog signal on their cable lines?" I suspect
that eventually (if not starting this February) that they will phase out the
analog signal and do everything in digital. It only makes sense because
analog consumes much of the bandwidth capacity of cable and they want it for
other things (like digital voice for telephone). If my assumption is
correct, then anyone with an analog only TV will eventually require either a
cable box from the cable company, a digital to analog converter box or a
digital TV.

On the bandwidth point, they're not having a problem - here, anyway -
currently sending digital, analog, HD, broadband, and digital phone on
the same cable. I think the digital mandate was to free up the air
waves.
Then, I suspect, as gfretwell does - that requiring boxes on every
analog TV will push customers to satellite. It would push me there.
I don't need much excuse to leave Comcast behind.
Only the fact I'd have to pay for the extra sat boxes has kept me
from going to sat.
Thirdly, Comcast has been harping in ads for months now that their
customers don't have to get a converter box. Be pretty dumb to go
back on that any time soon.
I figure they have a 5-10 year time frame for dropping analog.
Probably have statisticians working on analog TV obsolescence and
psychologists analysing public response.
They have plenty of money to pay them.
I've been in meetings with these types. If they're any good they'll
keep as many customers as they can.
But its always possible they'll go for cost-cutting bonus money and
screw the pooch.

Meanwhile, this is funny. I made a copy and sent it to my mother.

http://www.eisboch.com/digitalconversion.wmv

Funny. We'll all get there soon enough. If we're lucky.

--Vic

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...

On Jan 6, 11:53 pm, "Eisboch" wrote:
"Mike" wrote in message


As long as the tv is digital ready you are ok.. it's only older tv's
that will be effected. If the tv works now with cable from the wall,
it is digital and you will not have a problem if I understand
correctly..

--------------------------------------

I don't think that is true. The older analog TVs work now connected
directly to the cable (no box) because the cable company also provides an
analog signal in addition to digital.

The reason I asked is because the people living in the assisted living
place that my mother is in are all concerned that their older analog TVs
won't work. Most of them are on fixed incomes and have basic cable
service that does not require a cable box. I've tried to decipher the
Comcast advertisements on the subject and they are not very clear. They
say, "if you are a cable subscriber" you don't need to do anything, and
the ads show a TV connected to one of their boxes.

I guess the real question is, "How much longer will the cable companies
continue to provide the analog signal on their cable lines?" I suspect
that eventually (if not starting this February) that they will phase out
the analog signal and do everything in digital. It only makes sense
because analog consumes much of the bandwidth capacity of cable and they
want it for other things (like digital voice for telephone). If my
assumption is correct, then anyone with an analog only TV will eventually
require either a cable box from the cable company, a digital to analog
converter box or a digital TV.

Meanwhile, this is funny. I made a copy and sent it to my mother.

http://www.eisboch.com/digitalconversion.wmv

Eisboch

If you do not need the converter box coupon's you can order 2, the max per
address and deliver them to senior centers or assisted living centers. They
can also only get 2 coupons.

On Wed, 7 Jan 2009 05:31:06 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


wrote in message
...

On Jan 6, 11:53 pm, "Eisboch" wrote:
"Mike" wrote in message


As long as the tv is digital ready you are ok.. it's only older tv's
that will be effected. If the tv works now with cable from the wall,
it is digital and you will not have a problem if I understand
correctly..

--------------------------------------

I don't think that is true. The older analog TVs work now connected
directly to the cable (no box) because the cable company also provides an
analog signal in addition to digital.

The reason I asked is because the people living in the assisted living place
that my mother is in are all concerned that their older analog TVs won't
work. Most of them are on fixed incomes and have basic cable service that
does not require a cable box. I've tried to decipher the Comcast
advertisements on the subject and they are not very clear. They say, "if
you are a cable subscriber" you don't need to do anything, and the ads show
a TV connected to one of their boxes.

I guess the real question is, "How much longer will the cable companies
continue to provide the analog signal on their cable lines?" I suspect
that eventually (if not starting this February) that they will phase out the
analog signal and do everything in digital. It only makes sense because
analog consumes much of the bandwidth capacity of cable and they want it for
other things (like digital voice for telephone). If my assumption is
correct, then anyone with an analog only TV will eventually require either a
cable box from the cable company, a digital to analog converter box or a
digital TV.

Meanwhile, this is funny. I made a copy and sent it to my mother.

http://www.eisboch.com/digitalconversion.wmv

Eisboch

Rich, tell your wife to get those folks to apply for the $40 coupons! Hell,
the boxes are almost giveaways once you have the coupon. Here's an idea of
what they cost.

http://tinyurl.com/5f3wnl

I ordered from them last night. Ended up ordering two of them, the Zinwell
and the Tevax. With the coupons, the totol cost was about $34, for both.
About $13 of that was shipping.

On Wed, 7 Jan 2009 05:31:06 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


wrote in message
...

On Jan 6, 11:53 pm, "Eisboch" wrote:
"Mike" wrote in message


As long as the tv is digital ready you are ok.. it's only older tv's
that will be effected. If the tv works now with cable from the wall,
it is digital and you will not have a problem if I understand
correctly..

--------------------------------------

I don't think that is true. The older analog TVs work now connected
directly to the cable (no box) because the cable company also provides an
analog signal in addition to digital.

The reason I asked is because the people living in the assisted living place
that my mother is in are all concerned that their older analog TVs won't
work. Most of them are on fixed incomes and have basic cable service that
does not require a cable box. I've tried to decipher the Comcast
advertisements on the subject and they are not very clear. They say, "if
you are a cable subscriber" you don't need to do anything, and the ads show
a TV connected to one of their boxes.

I guess the real question is, "How much longer will the cable companies
continue to provide the analog signal on their cable lines?" I suspect
that eventually (if not starting this February) that they will phase out the
analog signal and do everything in digital. It only makes sense because
analog consumes much of the bandwidth capacity of cable and they want it for
other things (like digital voice for telephone). If my assumption is
correct, then anyone with an analog only TV will eventually require either a
cable box from the cable company, a digital to analog converter box or a
digital TV.

Meanwhile, this is funny. I made a copy and sent it to my mother.

http://www.eisboch.com/digitalconversion.wmv

Eisboch

Very good. I'm about to forward it to a potfull of folks. Hope your site
can take the heat.

On Tue, 6 Jan 2009 23:53:05 -0500, "Eisboch"
wrote:


"Mike" wrote in message
.. .

"John H" wrote in message
...
Holy crap.

Anyone bought one yet? Suggestions?

Do you need one? If you have digital cable or Sat, you're all set. If you
are still using rabbit ears on an analog TV, then you do need one. I only
have one analog TV left, and it's hooked up to Sat, so no probs here.

If you do need one, they're only about 40 bucks, but if you act quickly,
you can get a $40 coupon from the Feds to cover it. I read recently, that
the coupon program is rapidly running out of cash.

--Mike


What about people that have basic cable service without benefit of a cable
co. supplied box?
In other words, their cable connects directly from the wall to the back of
their analog TV?

That's what I have here with Comcast cable, and there's no issue.
Apparently they still send the analog signal.
They did move 4-5 channels away recently, to the "digital package."
I would need a box on each of my analog TV's for the "digital
package." That's why I haven't purchased it.
$18 bucks extra monthly becomes $33 bucks extra with box fees.
A million here and a million there..........

--Vic

wrote in message
...


The cable company will probably be migrating everything to digital
eventually but they know that will make satellite more attractive for
anyone without a QAM tuner equipped TV (not the same as the OTA
"digital" the FCC requires). If you need a box for every TV anyway,
satellite really starts looking good.

We have four Comcast provided HD Cable boxes in the house hooked up to
either plasma or LCD large screen TVs. We rarely watch any programming on
them and I am thinking of getting rid of 2 or 3 of the boxes. The digital
flat screens will display several channels in HD anyway without the box
(connected directly to the cable feed).

I also purchased a portable sat dish and got a Direct TV account for use on
the boat. It works great and during the winter I bring it home and have the
dish temporarily mounted on a rear porch. All the programming is digital
obviously, and the quality of the picture is superior to that provided by
Comcast which has some of the programming in digital and some in analog
(without use of a box). I just have the basic service but I get over 500
channels, which is kinda stupid because I only watch about 4 of them. It's
not HD, but for some reason the quality of the picture is very good. When
people see it they think it's HD until I show them the difference.

If it weren't for Internet service, I think I could easily dump Comcast and
go to Direct TV.
I know they offer Internet as well, but I don't think it's as fast as cable.
I don't know for sure.

Eisboch

On Wed, 7 Jan 2009 05:43:53 -0500, "Eisboch"
wrote:

I also purchased a portable sat dish and got a Direct TV account for use on
the boat. It works great and during the winter I bring it home and have the
dish temporarily mounted on a rear porch. All the programming is digital
obviously, and the quality of the picture is superior to that provided by
Comcast which has some of the programming in digital and some in analog
(without use of a box). I just have the basic service but I get over 500
channels, which is kinda stupid because I only watch about 4 of them. It's
not HD, but for some reason the quality of the picture is very good. When
people see it they think it's HD until I show them the difference.

Two questions - how's the HD service between the two in terms of
number of channels and where can I get one of those protable satellite
deals? :)

Oh, third - 500 channels?!?!?

Dude....

"Eisboch" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...


The cable company will probably be migrating everything to digital
eventually but they know that will make satellite more attractive for
anyone without a QAM tuner equipped TV (not the same as the OTA
"digital" the FCC requires). If you need a box for every TV anyway,
satellite really starts looking good.

We have four Comcast provided HD Cable boxes in the house hooked up to
either plasma or LCD large screen TVs. We rarely watch any programming
on them and I am thinking of getting rid of 2 or 3 of the boxes. The
digital flat screens will display several channels in HD anyway without
the box (connected directly to the cable feed).

I also purchased a portable sat dish and got a Direct TV account for use
on the boat. It works great and during the winter I bring it home and
have the dish temporarily mounted on a rear porch. All the programming is
digital obviously, and the quality of the picture is superior to that
provided by Comcast which has some of the programming in digital and some
in analog (without use of a box). I just have the basic service but I get
over 500 channels, which is kinda stupid because I only watch about 4 of
them. It's not HD, but for some reason the quality of the picture is very
good. When people see it they think it's HD until I show them the
difference.

If it weren't for Internet service, I think I could easily dump Comcast
and go to Direct TV.
I know they offer Internet as well, but I don't think it's as fast as
cable. I don't know for sure.

Eisboch

Direct and/or Dish do not provide the Internet service. In the case of Dish
here in my area they partner with Embarq and they provide DSL service.

I found for me it was better not to bundle the DishNetwork and Embarq
Internet service. When you get the Embarq DSL and landline phone service
they force a bundle of phone "services" that would make my phone bill part
of the service go up about 20 bux per month.

Embarq offers different Internet speeds for different monthly prices. I
have the 3MB service and it is just fine. I have never seen Comcast in
action but I've heard they have higher d/l speeds that 3MB.

On Wed, 7 Jan 2009 05:43:53 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


wrote in message
.. .


The cable company will probably be migrating everything to digital
eventually but they know that will make satellite more attractive for
anyone without a QAM tuner equipped TV (not the same as the OTA
"digital" the FCC requires). If you need a box for every TV anyway,
satellite really starts looking good.

We have four Comcast provided HD Cable boxes in the house hooked up to
either plasma or LCD large screen TVs. We rarely watch any programming on
them and I am thinking of getting rid of 2 or 3 of the boxes. The digital
flat screens will display several channels in HD anyway without the box
(connected directly to the cable feed).

I also purchased a portable sat dish and got a Direct TV account for use on
the boat. It works great and during the winter I bring it home and have the
dish temporarily mounted on a rear porch. All the programming is digital
obviously, and the quality of the picture is superior to that provided by
Comcast which has some of the programming in digital and some in analog
(without use of a box). I just have the basic service but I get over 500
channels, which is kinda stupid because I only watch about 4 of them. It's
not HD, but for some reason the quality of the picture is very good. When
people see it they think it's HD until I show them the difference.

If it weren't for Internet service, I think I could easily dump Comcast and
go to Direct TV.
I know they offer Internet as well, but I don't think it's as fast as cable.
I don't know for sure.

Eisboch

My neighbor got rid of his cable tv connections and just uses an antenna.
He's getting great reception on his HDTV and is very happy with what he's
getting.

If he were married to my wife, he wouldn't get away with it. There are too
many cable shows she won't do without.

On Jan 6, 11:53*pm, "Eisboch" wrote:
"Mike" wrote in message

...







"John H" wrote in message
.. .
Holy crap.

Anyone bought one yet? Suggestions?

Do you need one? If you have digital cable or Sat, you're all set. If you
are still using rabbit ears on an analog TV, then you do need one. I only
have one analog TV left, and it's hooked up to Sat, so no probs here.

If you do need one, they're only about 40 bucks, but if you act quickly,
you can get a $40 coupon from the Feds to cover it. I read recently, that
the coupon program is rapidly running out of cash.

--Mike

What about people that have basic cable service without benefit of a cable
co. supplied box?
In other words, their cable connects directly from the wall to the back of
their analog TV?

Eisboch- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

It'll work. The only thing that the going digital thing will affect is
if you use an antenna. What I'm ****ed about is that now the History
Channel has went to digital format, the only way you can get it is
with the Comcast box. Only have one on the main TV, all the other TV's
are just wired directly to cable.