TW Lineup changes

[ArgMeMatey]

From Time Warner SE WI's legal page
http://www.timewarnercable.com/Wisconsin/learn/programming/legalnotices/legalnoticeSE.html

Starting on or about November 16, 2010, digital equipment will be needed to view Oxygen.  Oxygen will continue to be part of the Standard Cable package but will only be viewable with digital cable ready equipment such as a digital set-top box or a CableCARD-equipped Unidirectional Digital Cable Product ("UDCP"). At that time, the channel location for Oxygen in the standard lineup will change to 73, Bravo will move to channel 45 in the Metro Milwaukee and Racine/Kenosha lineups and BET will move to channel 45 in Plymouth and Cleveland lineups.

So here's what I'm wondering.  Currently on Ch. 73, 516-522 MHz, I don't think there's anything, but I haven't checked recently.  They are not trapping that range out for Basic subscribers even though they won't tell anyone that.  

So if it's part of "standard cable" but does require "digital equipment", are they saying they're putting Oxygen on Clear QAM?  Or that they're changing it to 73 and encrypting it?  I thought "standard" could go straight into the back of the TV.  

Does standard just mean "You get all the analog stuff, you get locals in Clear QAM, and you get a bunch of digital stuff that you won't be able to see unless you pay monthly $7.95 for a converter or $2.50 for a cable card"?

[WITI6fan]

Sounds to me like it's some sort of test run for removing Analog channels?

[Tivoman44]

Prior to reading everyones response I read the link, about channel 73.  Just tried tuning to 73 and got the black screen with a message saying "channel not provided by tuning adapter."  

I thought Basic cable meant analog, connect a coax cable to the back of a TV and you get basically channel 2-70.  Isn't that illegal?  

One mentioned about how maybe this is a way to get rid of analog channels, didn't it used to be 2-78?

I can't remember the last time I watched Oxygen, but the point is, until cable comes out with Ala Carte, I want every channel to be viewable (unless of course it is a pay channel like HBO) as a basic choice.

[gparris]

Sounds to me like it's some sort of test run for removing Analog channels?

That is it exactly, IMO, other cable systems are tight, even with SDV, so 1 analogue channel equals 2-3 HD channels and TWC has been posting at least double that for adding more HD channels in its site, but it has been months since the posting and nothing has been added...yet...maybe this is their way.

What was a former analogue channel is going to be a digital one, which takes a smaller  fraction of the space it did before as a SD digital (not HD) channel, but then it will need to be accessed only with equipment like a cablecard or digital set top box.

My associates in Illinois with Comcast got fewer and fewer analogue channels to tune into with their so-called "cable ready" TVs, then got a notice that a free converter to get the balance of what used to be analogue channels was coming, including how-to instructions to connect it to their sets. It happened and no one I know of fled cable, they just got at least 2 freebees and if they wanted more, they installed their digital box to get more SD programming, unless they finally broke down (or the old set did) and bought a new flat panel set for the HD box.

[ArgMeMatey]

...
I thought Basic cable meant analog, connect a coax cable to the back of a TV and you get basically channel 2-70.  Isn't that illegal?  

One mentioned about how maybe this is a way to get rid of analog channels, didn't it used to be 2-78?

I can't remember the last time I watched Oxygen ...

Basic officially means analog 2-26 and local OTA digital via clear QAM.  However I know multiple people with basic who do not have 63 and up trapped.  TW only trapped 27-62.  I have speculated that they did this so they would not have to change traps for future spectrum reuse in that range.  

I seem to recall there is some federal regulation now saying that even if TW does not trap a channel, and knows they are not trapping it, and that channel is not part of your programming package, it is illegal to watch that channel.  Although I can appreciate that it was inserted by lobbyists to circumvent the pole-climbers defense of "I was just watching what was there", I doubt the courts are clogged with prosecutions and civil suits on these grounds.  

I agree that standard analog cable will gradually dwindle to nothing as those subscribers find better deals elsewhere or knuckle under and get a converter.  After all, who's going to spend $66 a month plus fees for analog cable these days?  People who have a whole bunch of TVs and only want to pay for converters for a couple of those TVs, that's who.

I doubt I've ever watched Oxygen.  I really don't care about the programming; I am just interested in their strategies for global domination, or maybe just getting the Krabby Patty recipe.  

[ddeerrff]

Technical question.  An OTA analog channel is 6 MHz wide.  An OTA digital channel is 6 MHz wide.  I would have to assume an analog channel on cable (2-70) is 6 MHz wide.  How wide are the digital cable channels above 100? The HD channels above 1000?

[ArgMeMatey]

Technical question.  An OTA analog channel is 6 MHz wide.  An OTA digital channel is 6 MHz wide.  I would have to assume an analog channel on cable (2-70) is 6 MHz wide.  How wide are the digital cable channels above 100? The HD channels above 1000?

As I understand it, with QAM they don't change the channel width or physical numbering from the "legacy" analog assignments, but they overlay their own numbering so you typically don't know what program stream is being carried at any particular frequency.  Apparently they can get about two full-rate HD streams on a 6 MHz channel.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_cable

[ddeerrff]

Apparently they can get about two full-rate HD streams on a 6 MHz channel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_cable

And "Each 6-MHz channel is typically used to carry 7–12 digital SDTV channels ".  

So they can actually squeeze a digital SD feed into substantially less the 500 KHz of BW, amazing.    Was wondering how they were getting as many 'channels' as they were in the (approx) 1 GHz of total bandwidth used.

[ArgMeMatey]

So if it's part of "standard cable" but does require "digital equipment", are they saying they're putting Oxygen on Clear QAM?  Or that they're changing it to 73 and encrypting it?  I thought "standard" could go straight into the back of the TV.

Just answering my own question here:  I re-scanned today, after changes took effect, and Ch. 73 does not appear to be Clear QAM.