Cable without a box

Are the new TVs "cable ready? When Comcast went digital I dumped them because I had a lot of old TVs and I didn't want to buy a box for all of them. I heard if you had a TV with a QAM tuner they would work for the basic cable channels. Is that still true and how many new TVs actually have that tuner.

Reply to
gfretwell
Loading thread data ...

Without a cable box you will get all the basic channels on the new HD TV's...but sorting them out is another matter!

Reply to
Bob_Villa

I think what exactly you get with a TV connected to cable without a cable box probably depends on the cable system in question. Many, you probably get the local channels at least on any new TV with the QAM tuner they all have. But beyond that you probably won't get much.

If you want to avoid a cable box and have access to most of cable, some TVs and other devices, like Tivo, have a slot for a cablecard, which is essentially a cableTV decoder that you get from your cable company. I have one from Cablevision. It's $3 a month less than renting a cablebox, which helps, but it's not free.

Reply to
trader4

I had to have a box for my new flat screen, but I have a package that provides more than basic. Comcast provides 3 boxes at no charge. You're better off asking your provider what's required.

Reply to
Vic Smith

Hi, Here, Shaw cable has nothing on the cable if you don't have any subscription. Your cable is off the circuit at the central plant. At least you should subscribe for some thing like Internet use or phone. Then cable is alive.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

That sounds like a strange system. Comcast has a hard line coming down the road and if you are plugged into that line you get a signal. The Dmark may be blocking it but the signal is on the cable. It is not like the phone company where every line is a pair going to the "central office" (which might be a box on the side of the road these days)

Reply to
gfretwell

I think when broadcast went digital the FCC required cable to provide the basic channels unencoded, or provide a couple simple free decoders for a period of time.

Minneapolis Comcast was unencoded for the broad cast channels, then went scrambled with 2 free decoders. The required free period has elapsed and the 2 simple decoders now cost. I think that has happened or will happen everywhere with Comcast. (We also rent one decoder that is more sophisticated, but not hidef.)

A digital TV likely will get unencoded cable. To get encoded you need a cable card in the TV. I think cable cards were forced on cable companies and they really don't like them. Far as I know, cable cards are all one-way and you can't do interactive, in particular on-demand.

I hate Comcast.

Reply to
bud--

Yes, you get the signal but how much of those channels require the cable box to decode is the issue. They certainly encode the premium content channels. And they usually don't bother with the local OTA channels, but AFAIK, nothing says they can't.

Reply to
trader4

Reply to
Higgs Boson

  1. All new TVs have a QAM tuner (and many have a couple more besides, e.g. NTSC tuner for analogue VHF.)
  2. But all new TVs are wired "cable ready," viz. accept cable signals that bypass the receiver's tuner. All nowadays scan for available channels, and before the user does that he must usually select between CATV (cable) and antenna or satellite control box.
Reply to
Don Phillipson

My wife talked to the A/V guy who set up the super bowl stuff at her club today and he said Comcast was like that here. All you get without a box is "lifeline" channels, basically what you get with a coat hanger hooked to the RF jack of your TV. Actually not even that good because you don't get the broadcast sub channels. I guess I am staying with my Dish and DSL until FIOS shows up ... and I am going to let the dust settle on that for at least a year when it does.

Reply to
gfretwell

It depends upon your provider. In Oct 2012 the FCC allowed cable providers to encrypt all of their signals, even those for the local over the air channels. If your provider does that, the QAM tuner won't allow you to watch any channel coming in on the cable.

See:

formatting link

Reply to
Peter

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.