"analog" cable switching to digital

[toomanyhandles]

I've stuck with the basic cable service (USA) for ages, but friends in other parts of the country are starting to get notices from comcast that the analog cable service they are using is going to be going away.

I haven't received anything in the mail about my current mode of service having an end-date yet but...

So, I'm using the 350 happily (never a problem with it really that wasn't user-error).

Should I get a digital tuner now, probably one of the Haupauge models? Are there going to be more DRM/content restrictions on the chipsets in future tuners, or those already in place? I kind of lost track of what has happening with all that. I'll just be doing the basic service, no fancy stuff- so I should be able to avoid an external box, I believe.

Thanks!

[TonyXL]

Unfortunately, there exists no tuner cards that handle digital cable. I believe ATI is working on a tuner that takes a CableCard (google search ATI OCUR), but there are some issues to be worked out with Vista, OEM restrictions, etc. Until then the best you can get is a tuner that reads QAM, but that only gives you the OTA HD channels, or you can use the IR blaster with a digital cable box.

[flyswatta]

Uh, you should be able to use your 350 just fine. Route the svideo and audio outputs from your digital cable box to your PVR350 inputs. Then set up a capture source using svideo as the input source.

You'll need to get some sort of IR blaster to change channels on your cable box - I'm not familiar with the 350, so I don't know if a blaster came with it. Most people use the USB-UIRT and some (myself included) use a serial blaster.

[flyswatta]

Oh, hey - I just noticed that you were referring to "basic cable". I had that for a while then (the wife) upgraded to a bigger package. Anyway, I started playing around with Over The Air (OTA) reception (ie. antenna on roof) and found that I got as many (actually a couple of more) channels than I did with the "basic cable" :mad: AND I get digital channels too (I'm mad because I *paid* for basic cable!)

Anyway, it might be worth the 10 minutes to go to http://www.antennaweb.org and see what sort of channels are available at your house. You put in your address and it'll tell you what analog and digital channels are in your area and what kind of antenna you'll need to recieve them.

Anyway, you might actually end up saving money on the deal...

Let us know how it works out...

[toomanyhandles]

Thanks for all the replies-

I'm hopeful that whatever their notification was, it didn't mean what they thought it meant

If not, an IRBlaster will be in my future then. Thanks!

I'll check out the OTA informational link, too.

[Smoker]

So might the possible answer be to go with the dish ?

[nightwalker]

So might the possible answer be to go with the dish ?

Or the cable companies stb, or a fios stb . I foresee in the not too distant future there will be no more broadcast analog. Great just what i needed, 15 more channels of leave it to beaver.

[ram4x4nut]

I'm a little unclear as to this law change. The government is requiring the broadcasts to be off of analog. However, they say nothing about the cable conection coming into your house. It's my understaning that the connection can still be analog since it is NOT being broadcast. Dunno if I am right on that or not .... Anyone know for sure?

[whurlston]

I'm a little unclear as to this law change. The government is requiring the broadcasts to be off of analog. However, they say nothing about the cable conection coming into your house. It's my understaning that the connection can still be analog since it is NOT being broadcast. Dunno if I am right on that or not .... Anyone know for sure?

Correct. The cable company is not required to stop analog transmission. The analog cutoff is stictly for airwave transmissions. Cable companies are phasing towards digital though but for their own benefit (bandwidth mainly).

[zaphod7501]

Correct. The cable company is not required to stop analog transmission. The analog cutoff is stictly for airwave transmissions. Cable companies are phasing towards digital though but for their own benefit (bandwidth mainly).

At the current rate, cablecos may be all digital before the broadcasters are. If they go "Clear QAM" on extended or expanded 'Basic" cable, then the PC and TV digital tuners (with QAM) will be just fine with no "box". This is technologically simple using existing infrastructure and is what hardware manufacturers envisioned (TV manufacturers especially).

Cable companies, however, decided to encrypt everything they legally could (even encrypting illegally local stations in some cases). This will require a set-top-box and a "blaster" of some sort.

Something to be aware of; the typical tuner hardware in a HTPC will capture the output of a 'box just fine. The software and Operating System in use may override the capture ability however. MCE will apply DRM to captured input and may/will prevent recording: use GB-PVR instead. Vista also has methods that can disallow recording (and XP also?). Vista seems to be able to even disallow third party applications from recording and it is unclear if those methods also exist in XP and can be turned on by an "Auto Update".