Anyone still using analog cable?

[PaulKTF]

I'm probably the only one here still using analog cable from TWC. I'm actually kind of shocked they still offer it; since they want everyone to rent their digital converter boxes. For some reason the picture quality sucks on the higher number channels (high 60's and 70's).

[Jack 1000]

Paul,

If analog cable meets your needs and you're happy with it.  That's cool!  But, by February 2009, you will need to get a digital box if you still have cable or go to Dish or have a digital capable TV because analog signals will be turned off at that time.

For people without any cable or dish, if you have a TV that is 5 years old or less, you should be fine.  But if you have a TV that is more than 6 years old (no cable or dish) you will either have to get a new TV that can handle digital signals OR a special converter box for your old set (rumored to be about $40-$50) to convert the digital signals being sent back to analog so your TV can receive them.

If you have cable or dish, it won't matter what type of TV you have.  But at some point they will do a box upgrade to digital if you stay with cable.  Later next year, to prepare for the conversion, analog boxes will be defunct.  You will still be able to keep your standard service, but you won't be able to do any cable upgrades without having a digital box. (i.e Premium Channels, Video on Demand, Program Guide, Music Choice, etc.)

You might want to consider spending about $6.00 more/month and get a digital package.  You don't even need the HBO or Showtime stuff, but if you get what is called the Digipc 1000 package. (Next year to be named the Digital Standard Package) if you have Time Warner Cable, you'll get another 150+ channels the interactive on-screen guide and 45 Digital Music Stations.  Not to do a sales pitch, but an upgrade to digital cable DOES make your viewing experiance so much more meaningful.

Jack

[PaulKTF]

Paul,

If analog cable meets your needs and you're happy with it.  That's cool!  But, by February 2009, you will need to get a digital box if you still have cable or go to Dish or have a digital capable TV because analog signals will be turned off at that time.

I believe that's incorrect.

As I understand it; analog OTA is what's going away in 2/09 . Analog cable will be around for the forseeable future; and TWC hasn't announced any plans to discontinue it (yet, anyway- i wouldn't be too surprised for them to discontinue it by 2010 or so in an effort to force every subscriber to buy the digital cable boxes).

[PaulKTF]

TWC still offers analog cable boxes? Wow... I havn't used one of those in about 12 years; back when I used to have to have one to order Pay Per Views... but that might have been back when the cable company was Paragon/Century; I don't quite remember... but I think we had to have an analog cable box to order PPVs from TWC too.

I think it's kind of funny that TWC is going back to making people use a bulky set to box just to watch cable TV. I feel like we're back in the early 80's or something... Can't wait 'till the set top boxes are made obsolete (again) by a standard for digital cable that will allow for digital cable-ready TVs.

[Jack 1000]

I believe that's incorrect.

As I understand it; analog OTA is what's going away in 2/09 . Analog cable will be around for the forseeable future; and TWC hasn't announced any plans to discontinue it (yet, anyway- i wouldn't be too surprised for them to discontinue it by 2010 or so in an effort to force every subscriber to buy the digital cable boxes).

Thanks Paul,

Do they still rent the non-digital boxes?  I know that TWC wants the world to think that they don't exist anymore.  Story for me was back around 2002 we had analog cable and at the time TWC still had analog HBO and Showtime, which we had.  We were contacted about an "upgrade" and the tech came out and gave us a digital box. (A Pioneer)  Than I figured, well as long as I have a digital box, I picked out a digital package and never looked back.  I now have an "All the Best Package" with cable, Road Runner, and Digital Phone and love it. (In addition to free DVR service for a year!)

What is the brand of your analog box BTW?

Jack

[PaulKTF]

Thanks Paul,

What is the brand of your analog box BTW?

Jack

You're welcome. I don't use an analog box. We have 3 TVs in our house- two use TWC digital boxes (with DVRs), and one (mine) gets analog cable straight from the wall. My TV indicates that it gets 76 channels this way; but some of them are just 24/7 infomercial channels.

[Tom Snyder]

Cable companies must support analog until 2012.  The FCC had voted to require that cable operators must continue to make all local broadcasts available to their users, even if they have analog TVs. When the locals have to turn off their analog signals in 2009, the cable companies will have two choices to keep providing for the analog users, either provide its subscribers with converter boxes or convert the digital SD signal to analog SD and provide it across the lines. And if it goes down the lines in analog, the analog boxes (and old analog TV tuners) would continue to get the analog signals.

Having to send three separate signals down their pipes (Digital DH, Digital SD and analog) could cause a bandwidth problem, but if significant numbers of viewers still have not upgraded to digital that may be the lesser of the evils.  

I just think we won't know what they're going to do until they do it.

[LoadStar]

Here's the deal:

If an MSO offers analog cable, from February 2009 until at least 2012, they must also offer an analog equivalent of the digital OTA broadcast stations that they carry, despite the fact that the broadcasters no longer offer an analog version of their broadcast.

MSOs do have an out: if they convert their entire customer base over to all digital (i.e. offer a digital cable box to all customers), they can discontinue transmitting the analog broadcast channels at that time, and only offer the digital version.

The rule was passed to prevent MSOs from just dropping broadcast channels from the analog tier, forcing those who receive only analog cable to either get a separate digital OTA receiver and antenna, upgrade to digital, or just not get broadcast channels at all.