Is HD programming by law supposed to be free?

[Celestine]

Ok, someone told me that by law HD programming should be free to all cable and satellite tv customers. Is this true?

Update: I mean HD programming on non-local channels.

 

[yaz96]

Obviously not, because we are all paying for it.

 

[mike123abc]

Ok, someone told me that by law HD programming should be free to all cable and satellite tv customers. Is this true?

The only thing I can think of that might be related to that is that cable companies are not supposed to scramble digital locals. If they get a wavier they are allowed but then they have to provide free descramblers for their subscribers.

 

[Celestine]

The only thing I can think of that might be related to that is that cable companies are not supposed to scramble digital locals. If they get a wavier they are allowed but then they have to provide free descramblers for their subscribers.

So for local channels, HD is free. But for other channels like Discovery, Bio, HBO, and the like; HD is not free, right? Is the only covered free HD channels in the law is local channels, right? Because even myself find it impossible for those HD channels from non-local channels to be free.

 

[KE4EST]

Right.

 

[mike123abc]

It depends on your cable company if they give HD for free, but free usually means you rent their expensive HD capable box. But, there is not a law requiring that they provide free HD, the law is just that they cannot block/scramble the HD locals.

If they give HD for free and you will need either to rent their box or a box like TiVo or a PC with the cablecard system and you rent cable cards from the cable company.

 

[Tampa8]

Mike123abc seems to have the best answer. They have to provide through a lifeline package the locals, not scrambled, nothing about them being in HD. Not even the locals are compelled to provide HD OTA, only digital. There are to this day some that are not in HD.

 

[Celestine]

Please correct me if I'm wrong or misunderstood the idea.

[1] Cable and satellite TV providers have HD service, regardless "free" or with fee, required if customer(s) have HD capable receiver(s), only for the non-local HD programmings that is why we need to pay their HD service fee?
[2] Consumers are able to get digital signals from locals only for free without any kind of fee aside from the equipment OTA.

That explains why even the basic programming packages have some non-local networks broadcasting in HD in addition to SD broadcast. I had a hunch that the person who told me that by law HD programming is free is just spouting bs and just wants free stuffs from cable and satellite TV providers.

 

[yaz96]

It depends on your cable company if they give HD for free, but free usually means you rent their expensive HD capable box. But, there is not a law requiring that they provide free HD, the law is just that they cannot block/scramble the HD locals.

If they give HD for free and you will need either to rent their box or a box like TiVo or a PC with the cablecard system and you rent cable cards from the cable company.

Mike123abc seems to have the best answer. They have to provide through a lifeline package the locals, not scrambled, nothing about them being in HD. Not even the locals are compelled to provide HD OTA, only digital. There are to this day some that are not in HD.

BUT, they still charge you for the so-called "lifeline" or "basic" service. There is nothing compelling them to provide it for free.

The only way to can truly get "free" HD locals is over the air.

 

[yaz96]

Please correct me if I'm wrong or misunderstood the idea.

[1] Cable and satellite TV providers have HD service, regardless "free" or with fee, required if customer(s) have HD capable receiver(s), only for the non-local HD programmings that is why we need to pay their HD service fee?
[2] Consumers are able to get digital signals from locals only for free without any kind of fee aside from the equipment OTA.

That explains why even the basic programming packages have some non-local networks broadcasting in HD in addition to SD broadcast. I had a hunch that the person who told me that by law HD programming is free is just spouting bs and just wants free stuffs from cable and satellite TV providers.

That's what it sounds like. No cable or sat company is required to provide non-local channels for free, SD, HD, or otherwise.

 

[jayn_j]

Please correct me if I'm wrong or misunderstood the idea.

[1] Cable and satellite TV providers have HD service, regardless "free" or with fee, required if customer(s) have HD capable receiver(s), only for the non-local HD programmings that is why we need to pay their HD service fee?
[2] Consumers are able to get digital signals from locals only for free without any kind of fee aside from the equipment OTA.

That explains why even the basic programming packages have some non-local networks broadcasting in HD in addition to SD broadcast. I had a hunch that the person who told me that by law HD programming is free is just spouting bs and just wants free stuffs from cable and satellite TV providers.

No, you are able to get HD BROADCAST networks for free, even if they are not offered in a package. Try this experiment. Disconnect the cable box and connect the cable directly to your TV input. Perform a channel scan and see what you get. You may find some analog cable channels if they haven't all been converted yet, but you will also find the digital HD broadcast networks. Now, you won't have any guide information, but they will be there. This is considered sufficient to meet the FCC requirement.

Your confusion is regarding what comes through the cable box. The cable company is not required to map these clear-QAM channels through the box or provide guide information unless you pay for the HD box and service.

Now, you could place a splitter on the cable comoing into the set and run one cable directly to the TV and the other to the box. You would get the HD broadcast channels that way, although it would be less convenient.

 

[mike123abc]

BUT, they still charge you for the so-called "lifeline" or "basic" service. There is nothing compelling them to provide it for free.

The only way to can truly get "free" HD locals is over the air.

Yes, that is true. But, I read the original question as "if I subscribe to cable, is HD required to be free from the cable provider", not the cable company having to give me free service.

 

[yaz96]

No, you are able to get HD BROADCAST networks for free, even if they are not offered in a package. Try this experiment. Disconnect the cable box and connect the cable directly to your TV input. Perform a channel scan and see what you get. You may find some analog cable channels if they haven't all been converted yet, but you will also find the digital HD broadcast networks. Now, you won't have any guide information, but they will be there. This is considered sufficient to meet the FCC requirement.

Your confusion is regarding what comes through the cable box. The cable company is not required to map these clear-QAM channels through the box or provide guide information unless you pay for the HD box and service.

Now, you could place a splitter on the cable comoing into the set and run one cable directly to the TV and the other to the box. You would get the HD broadcast channels that way, although it would be less convenient.

You can no longer do that here locally. They have scrambled the QAM channels.

 

[jayn_j]

You can no longer do that here locally. They have scrambled the QAM channels.

A sad time, but then I never did have much luck with the Loveland Cable system, no matter who owned it at the time.