My local cable offers off-air digital HD on basic service!

[miguelaqui]

I live in an area serviced by a locally owned CATV company.

They seem to simply convert the digital channels, not remodulate. The signal goes up and down, like from 75-80, that's why I don't think it's remodulated.

For example, they convert VHF 3 (digital) to UHF 58 and insert in the system, so that customers with a HDTV tuner, not Cablecard, can receive these channels without a converter.

They have all the nets! Including WB and UPN!

These channels are included in the $11 basic service!!

I wish more companies could do this!!

 

[digiblur]

Wow! What a waste of bandwidth. 3 HD channels take the place of 3 analogs. Or take a company that gets the OTA feed either via OTA or fiber, puts it on a QAM256 carrier in "ITC" mode WITHOUT reducing the bitrate. Now they have 6 HD channels in the place of 3 analogs with room left over for 3 or 4 SD channels to boot!

 

[miguelaqui]

As a customer, I think it's great. This is what I like about it...I can feed it into my DVR

 

[charper1]

Damn, I though all cable cos were already required to offer a "life line" type service in that $9 - $15 range; that included all the area affiliates, public access and a weather radar if there was one.

 

[digiblur]

As a customer, I think it's great. This is what I like about it...I can feed it into my DVR

It's not a smart business decision. You'll get your customers used to this and later down the road you are going to have to yank it when you are looking for bandwidth on the plant.

QAM256 carriers feed just fine into my DVR, and no it's not owned by the cable co. I only have basic service from them for about $12 and use them and OTA for my HD locals.

 

[miguelaqui]

Damn, I though all cable cos were already required to offer a "life line" type service in that $9 - $15 range; that included all the area affiliates, public access and a weather radar if there was one.

I didn't think they had to offer any digital at all for the lifeline service. I have no idea what "QAM256 carrier in 'ITC' mode means. Will a standard HDTV tuner read that?

 

[cablewithaview]

most (not all) cable operators offer the OTA HD/SD feeds at no extra cost. of course the "no extra cost" would depend on if the broadcaster charges for carriage.

 

[miguelaqui]

most (not all) cable operators offer the OTA HD/SD feeds at no extra cost. of course the "no extra cost" would depend on if the broadcaster charges for carriage.

I had never seen that before. All the ones I had seen required their HD converter.

 

[iafirebuff]

Ours require and extra "HD Pack" for $12 per month PLUS a HD cable box for $7 per month.

 

[cablewithaview]

I had never seen that before. All the ones I had seen required their HD converter.

as I mentioned, it would depend on cash for carriage agreements. some broadcasters are charging for there feeds so some cable operators are passing it along to the viewers.

 

[miguelaqui]

Ours require and extra "HD Pack" for $12 per month PLUS a HD cable box for $7 per month.

That's the kind of thing that makes people upset.

This cable provider is is in direct competetion with another company;about 50% of his sytem is in competetion. He only has 3,000-4,000 customers.

He has to offer things people want like....

Analog HBO, MAX and SHO on positive traps so customers don't have to use converters.

FM service (something I haven't seen in years on a large system.)

A 72 channel basic pack for less than $40/month.

High speed internet for $29/month (with customer owned modem)

Little things of the past with lots of cable providers.

I hope his simple idea of putting off-air digitals on as a part of the $11 package works to get some HD satellite customers to at least get his basic service.

 

[jegrant]

I'd love to just have analog HBO back. Our cable system took it away many years ago, and never put anything else on the channel (did it take 5-8 *years* to get all the traps off?). Now the channel is a Governmental Access channel; basically a digital loop of infomercials telling us how great the city government is.

 

[cablewithaview]

jegrant, I still offer HBO and Cinemax in analog but the thing about it, cable operators wants to secure them and by going digital they are able to achieve that. people use to have "hacked" boxes, or get access to positive traps or climb up the pole and take the negative traps off or drill through them to watch HBO and Max. by far going digital is the best way to secure them. plus you can get the extra channels for each HBO, Show, etc.

 

[jegrant]

Well, I wouldn't have nearly as much of an issue with digital cable channels in general if the cable industry and the TV set industry could have gotten together on this issue much earlier than they did.
I think it's awful that I can't go out today and buy a "digital cable ready" TV set that supports two-way interaction (VOD, PPV).
Or, for that matter, where are the independent navigation devices (i.e. cable boxes) that the public was supposed to be able to buy by now? They keep getting delayed.

What I'm not interested in is renting several digital boxes from my local cable operator at $5+/mo each.
While I know it is not the fault of the small to mid size operators, I wish that the bigger cable companies and TV makers would work together better to offer what consumers want.

(FWIW, I do agree that in the long run, digital is better because it increases capacity, can increase PQ (or at least the perception of PQ), and offers more security.)