# Myth busted (Cable company transitions)



## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

according to this thread http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=159178

if you subscribe to cable you may not be ready for the transition to digital if you cable company goes all digital.

the myth that cable subscribers don't have to worry is busted.


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## redfiver (Nov 18, 2006)

That's a choice for the cable providers, not a mandate. The cable company could keep the analog signal going for as long as they want, if they want. it's not the same as the OTA broadcast and isn't subject to the government mandated change.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

I saw no such statement at your link.

The references to OTA analog signals and cable signals after the deadline are totally unrelated issues.

It would appear to be a misinterpretation of what was said.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

No not busted--unless you want to greatly exaggerate the small number of people who's cable company fails during this time.

Everyone else's cable company will still (more or less) take care of you thru their transition (because it is not the OTA transition, it is purely the cable company's transition.)

Other thoughts:
Most cable companies are only reducing their analog channels, but still leaving the locals as analog for now.
Anyone using digital cable boxes today (or satellite of course) are still going to be fine on June 12.
Besides--anyone not on DIRECTV should be worried anyway...  (Oh, am I biased...) :lol:

Cheers,
Tom


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

All very true. It's not possible to blame everything that happens on June 12 on the digital transition.


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## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

Tom Robertson said:


> No not busted--unless you want to greatly exaggerate the small number of people who's cable company fails during this time.
> 
> Everyone else's cable company will still (more or less) take care of you thru their transition (because it is not the OTA transition, it is purely the cable company's transition.)
> 
> ...


the FCC forced verizon to turn off all analog channels on fios.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I was not aware of such a myth... nor does it seem that this "busts" it.

Cable companies have the same issue with analog cable that Dish & DirecTV have with their MPEG2 compression.

Cable companies would love to go all digital, just like Dish/DirecTV would love to go MPEG4 across the board with their digital... but there are far too many legacy customers that either would be cut-off from service OR would need to be upgraded before such a conversion/cutoff can happen.

What that means is immediate loss of revenue OR immediate expenditure of upgrades by the cable/satellite companies... and in the case of upgrades, far too many customers to upgrade overnight.

I suspect cable companies to do what satellite has done... and start a slow migration with no longer adding new channels to the old service and moving some existing channels over to the new systems in batches to encourage people to upgrade over the next few years until most do it voluntarily.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

dorfd1 said:


> the FCC forced verizon to turn off all analog channels on fios.


Link? And did anyone have to "worry about it?"


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

dorfd1 said:


> the FCC forced verizon to turn off all analog channels on fios.


How does FIOS deliver channels in analog? The same way DirecTV and DISH Network deliver channels in analog?

There is some confusion between the mandated OTA analog shut off and what some cable companies are doing to convert their systems to all digital delivery. As long as cable companies want to keep charging customers they will have to provide a way for those customers to receive a signal. Yes, that means that some people with many TVs pulling analog channels off of a cable without paying "outlet fees" will have to start paying for individual converter boxes (the way satellite customers pay for each outlet, or with DISH duo receivers each pair of outlets). But it does not mean cable customers are out of luck.

They just have to pay for the service they want.


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## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

Tom Robertson said:


> Link? And did anyone have to "worry about it?"


I read somewhere that if a cable company wants a waiver from the fcc so they have more time to produce digital boxes with seperable security they had to shut down all analog channels.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

dorfd1 said:


> I read somewhere that if a cable company wants a waiver from the fcc so they have more time to produce digital boxes with seperable security they had to shut down all analog channels.


Now you need to provide two links to back up your statements: FIOS and this one.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

James Long said:


> How does FIOS deliver channels in analog?


In much the same way as any other modern cable company does: using fiber. The slight difference being that the media conversion is done somewhere inside the home. Once converted to coax, the signal can then be distributed without the need of a digital tuner.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

dorfd1 said:


> I read somewhere that if a cable company wants a waiver from the fcc so they have more time to produce digital boxes with seperable security they had to shut down all analog channels.


You need to find different sources. Your sources have been substantially wrong to date.

What has happened is that the cable companies have had to start using the technology that they offered to "give customers choices" in decoding hardware (CableCard) and they're hating it.


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## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

harsh said:


> You need to find different sources. Your sources have been substantially wrong to date.
> 
> What has happened is that the cable companies have had to start using the technology that they offered to "give customers choices" in decoding hardware (CableCard) and they're hating it.


here you go http://www.cedmagazine.com/Verizon-cease-broadcasting-analog-channels-FiOS.aspx


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

dorfd1 said:


> according to this thread http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=159178
> 
> if you subscribe to cable you may not be ready for the transition to digital if you cable company goes all digital.
> 
> *the myth that cable subscribers don't have to worry is busted*.


But you see... FIOS customers didn't have to worry:


> As Verizon phases out the transmission of all analog channels, on a region-by-region basis, it will provide a STB to all FiOS customers who lack one for no additional fee.


FIOS took care of their customers. Where is the worry and therefore a myth?


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## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

Tom Robertson said:


> But you see... FIOS customers didn't have to worry:
> 
> FIOS took care of their customers. Where is the worry and therefore a myth?


the myth is will existing cable subscribers need any extra equipent to continure reciveing cable tv services? the answer is obvisously yes if your cable service shuts down analog.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

dorfd1 said:


> the myth is will existing cable subscribers need any extra equipent to continure reciveing cable tv services? the answer is obvisously yes if your cable service shuts down analog.


But that is misstating the situation. No one is saying "you will never need new equipment" or even you "won't need new equipment."

What is stated is "if you have cable or satellite, you won't need new equipment _because of_ the transition from OTA analog to OTA Digital." And that is obviously true. And you don't need to worry.

Now, if your cable company decides to ALSO switch off analog within their system, they are required to provide service to all analog devices until 2012. (IE a set top box.) You still don't need to worry--it behooves the cable companies to do things so they don't loose customers. 

Again, I don't see the myth to be busted.

Cheers,
Tom


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## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

Tom Robertson said:


> But that is misstating the situation. No one is saying "you will never need new equipment" or even you "won't need new equipment."
> 
> What is stated is "if you have cable or satellite, you won't need new equipment _because of_ the transition from OTA analog to OTA Digital." And that is obviously true. And you don't need to worry.
> 
> ...


source please

I thought 2012 was when the manufacture of blu-ray players with out analog outputs would happen and the image constraint token would start to be used?


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

I must be mything something here....


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

dorfd1 said:


> source please
> 
> I thought 2012 was when the manufacture of blu-ray players with out analog outputs would happen and the image constraint token would start to be used?


Widely talked about here at DBStalk, but this is the FCC Order.

Important notes: The extension of the transition date, has automatically extended this order. And this order can further be extended via review after the second year.

I'll leave it to you to search about blu-ray dates. (Hints: There are more than one and I've posted them at DBStalk...) 

Cheers,
Tom


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

And if a cable company caries one digital station in a market thats a local, then they have to carry all of them... I think that starts on the 12th, as I recall...

Not sure how that flows with the rest of this thread, but hey, it appears to be in the realm of this thread of facts about the changeover and digital and timelines that seem to be collecting here......


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## lostman72 (Nov 28, 2005)

dorfd1 said:


> the myth is will existing cable subscribers need any extra equipent to continure reciveing cable tv services? the answer is obvisously yes if your cable service shuts down analog.


Once again this has nothing to do with TV station going digital. I think some cable companies are telling their customers they need set-top box, so they can move the process along to shut down there analog service. I would say most cable systems will have analog for many years to come.


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## Tower Guy (Jul 27, 2005)

James Long said:


> How does FIOS deliver channels in analog?


I have been told that the old FiOS system had an analog signal that modulated multiple channels of analog TV onto the RG-6 distribution system in the house. This way cable-ready analog TV sets worked without a digital box.

I have no confirmation or first hand experience.


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## Stuart Sweet (Jun 19, 2006)

I'm going to close this one as the initial statement has been countered.


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