The end of the HTPC?

[Dave72]

might as well just buy monitors and not TV's since the tuners in them are unused unless you get your signal OTA.

I asked about that (no tuner option) for each tv Ive bought over the last 20 years, since Ive never used a channel tuner in em. Its quite a bit more money for a monitor, than for a 'tv'. Maybe as demand slides towards just having a monitor function with some types of outboard equipment.. the price might come down ?

[nightwalker]

I asked about that (no tuner option) for each tv Ive bought over the last 20 years, since Ive never used a channel tuner in em. Its quite a bit more money for a monitor, than for a 'tv'. Maybe as demand slides towards just having a monitor function with some types of outboard equipment.. the price might come down ?

Hopefully you're right about that. It seems to me that TV is going to go the way of Audio, using separates and tying it all together as opposed to the old, all in one HiFi cabinet of years gone by.

[clevemire]

That was my experience when Comcast did the digital conversion here. Mostly only channels that are broadcast, a few junk channels and a few music channels were all that were in the clear. Seems to me we un the USA might as well just buy monitors and not TV's since the tuners in them are unused unless you get your signal OTA.

Oh well. Thanks for the info.

Time to call Comcast and cancel, I think. Now to figure out whether to go Dish or OTA.

[nightwalker]

It doesn't much matter all that much. Go with the best deal you can get. Weather it's Comcast or some other Cable Co. or Dish, or Verizon, or whoever they all require a STB or at least a DTA and don't give much as far as QAM in the clear. OTA, depending on your area can be OK as long as you're not used to those cable channels that will never be coming into you OTA. The only upside is OTA won't cost you anything and you'll get HD, again depending on your area.

I ended up canceling Comcast and going with Verizon. No real difference as far as programming and I still need the STB but it was a little cheaper for the same channels for the next two years, after that who knows.

[clevemire]

Oh no I've hated Comcast for a while, but the no box thing was what kept me with them. And no competing cable companies in the area (well AT&T has a fiber thing that I'm told is a disaster). But the dish is no different from cable to me now, except I don't already hate the company I'd be getting it from. And OTA would save me big piles of money. So those are the two options. Maybe I can get a super cheap rate from Comcast for a while for threatening to cancel, so I'll at least buy some time to figure it out.

[nightwalker]

You're reasoning was exactly why I dumped Comcast, I'd had enough of them too. Verizon did give me a bit of a price break that holds for two years. I have to admit though if they hadn't I still would have dumped Comcast, just on general principals. Their clear QAM channels was the only thing holding me to them.

[whurlston]

The main problems I have with Dish/DirecTV are:

1. I'm not giving anyone my SSN for TV service. A drivers license number would work for what they need but they insist on the SSN, even if you purchase the equiptment and don't sign the contract.
   
2. Dish (I'm not sure about DirecTv) no longer allows for self installation and I'm not paying someone to do something that I'm probably more qualified to do.
   
3. They still want a contract even if you purchase the equiptment instead of renting it.
   
4. The additional fee for not having a phone line connected.
   

That said, they do have better packages than my cable provider. I just won't make the jump with no self installation and the SSN requirement.

Of course, I don't have Comcast and have not dealt with the horror stories I have read.

[nightwalker]

I didn't realize they were still requiring a SSN number. That's one reason I didn't go with them 5 years ago. As far as the extra charge for no phone line, that almost seems silly in this day and level of technology. There is no way I'd be letting an installer touch anything to do with my wiring, or drill a hole in my roof.

They really have taken the fun out of TV, even if you don't consider that there isn't much on.

[Dave72]

Dont forget theres still C/Ku band subscription stuff too. Not a gazillion channels like dish/dtv.. but might be enough. (plus motorize it so you can hunt feeds n odd things).

[whurlston]

Dont forget theres still C/Ku band subscription stuff too. Not a gazillion channels like dish/dtv.. but might be enough. (plus motorize it so you can hunt feeds n odd things).

But there is no wife friendly way to watch the HD material, which I have finally sold her on. I don't think that I can go back to standard def and since 99% of what we watch are the locals, QAM is the best option for me. (She didn't even like the OTA antenna on the house.)