Home audio &amp; video forum: LCD TV--Analog or Digital

Answer Best answer as chosen by user uncledewey

Which statement is true?

by ahtoi - 8/11/12 4:02 PM

In Reply to: LCD TV--Analog or Digital by uncledewey

"and state 'any' TV without a DA will not function."

"They warn that without the DA I may lose 'some' of my current channels"

Both can't be true.

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Comcast appears to have 2 systems they move to.

by R. Proffitt - 8/11/12 4:08 PM

In Reply to: Which statement is true? by ahtoi

One is the rather draconian iron curtain where the entire cable system is all digital and only their decoder boxes will give you access.

Another leaves a few clear channels that a HDTV's ATSC (see google for the alphabet soup names) can decode.

Only the Comcast in your area can tell you which they are going to.

Bob

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Answer Best answer as chosen by user uncledewey

Cable and broadcast channels

by mjd420nova - 8/12/12 8:40 AM

In Reply to: LCD TV--Analog or Digital by uncledewey

Being that signals sent over a cable are not broadcast, they use frequencies for channels that your digital TV cannot tune to unless you use their cable set top box. In the old analog days, a block converter could take those channels and put them higher in the spectrum where your set could tune them in. Yes, you might lose some of those channels if you don't use their box. The advent of LCD displays made digital tuning easier and enabled the digital broadcasts by local stations, thus the need for a converter box for the older analog sets to tune the new digital channels. This advance freed up a large part of each stations allocated spectrum and allowed them to add multiple channels within the same bandwidth of the older analog stations. Once that happened there was nothing to stop the cable industry from using their own scheme for sending signals over their cable.

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LCD TV and Comcast Digital without analog

by uncledewey - 8/17/12 10:36 AM

In Reply to: Cable and broadcast channels by mjd420nova

I finally understand what is happening to me. I have three LCD TVs and have been receiving digital and HD signals from Comcast that the TVs could display--who could be happier with digital and HD? Now, however, the Comcast signal will no no longer have analog (which is okay with me), but Comcast has encrypted their digital signal so you must use their adapter and thus use their remote control on each TV. A real bummer from my point of view. So far I haven't found a better alternative, but would love to cancel Comcast, but not to bite off my nose and spite my face. I'm still looking for an alternative, but so far no luck. Also, my one year $14.95 for AT&T DSL is about to expire and had thought I will have to get Comcast's special as my Internet provider. I really hate this world of providing TV and Internet service--oh for the good old days.

Thanks for listening.

Uncle Dewey

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Been there, done that

by Pepe7 - 8/18/12 11:36 AM

In Reply to: LCD TV and Comcast Digital without analog by uncledewey

Just ask to be transferred to their retentions department. Threaten to leave if they don't keep your current service at no more than $20 a month. That's the best way to roll IME w/ ATT. They lose too many customers unless they play hardball. They know for most folks, Comcast is probably a better solution. YMMV.

-Pedro

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