Are your televisions prepared for 2009?

[Rock'n Robin]

We have a digital cable box on our 8 year old family room set, and regular cable boxes on our 3 year old bedroom set and our 15 year old basement set. I don't want to buy new TVs. DH and I have had a deal for a long time that we don't upgrade to the new, fancy, breaks in 3 years type of TV until one of ours craps out (we only have a newer bedroom set because the older one had a VCR built in, and now we have one with VCR and DVD built in).
I am going to assume that the cable company will give us what we will need for these older sets without a lot of grief. If not, we may just use the basement set for DVD watching as I'm not going to upgrade that one in any way. The bedroom and family room sets will need whatever cable requires, I guess, since they are used much more. Thank God the kids don't have TVs in their rooms!
Robin M.

 

[tink1978]

I am still really confused about all of this. I guess I will wait to see if my television no longer works next February. My television is not yet 10 years old (about 6). However, I have Comcast digital cable and it is run through a digital converter box. Will I still have to purchase another television???? I guess I will find out.

 

[Charade]

I am still really confused about all of this. I guess I will wait to see if my television no longer works next February. My television is not yet 10 years old (about 6). However, I have Comcast digital cable and it is run through a digital converter box. Will I still have to purchase another television???? I guess I will find out.

No. You'll be fine as long as you stay with (Comcast or any other large provider) cable and use their DIGITAL box(es).

The only people who's TVs will not work (if they do nothing) are those that have older sets (probably older than 5) and only use an external antenna (on the roof or rabbit ears). These are the people that should get the converter boxes that the government is handing out $40 coupons for. These boxes are only for those NOT using cable or satellite (or Verizon FIOS) to get TV.

 

[Mocharilla]

Just wanted to say I'm very upset about this. I'm taking telecourse classes, so I can be home with my son while still getting some college stuff done. Due to this change affecting our local channels, Comcast made us upgrade to digital from our regular, so our TV bill went from $13/month to $80/month!!

We decided to wait it out and see if we really wouldn't be able to get it anymore, and sure enough, we couldn't, starting the date they said. So, we had to quickly get the digital installed so I didn't miss any classes.

 

[Charade]

Just wanted to say I'm very upset about this. I'm taking telecourse classes, so I can be home with my son while still getting some college stuff done. Due to this change affecting our local channels, Comcast made us upgrade to digital from our regular, so our TV bill went from $13/month to $80/month!!

We decided to wait it out and see if we really wouldn't be able to get it anymore, and sure enough, we couldn't, starting the date they said. So, we had to quickly get the digital installed so I didn't miss any classes.

Can you still get that channel using an antenna? (since you said it's a local channel but it could be cable only (they don't broadcast over the air)).

This isn't the same thing as far as I can tell. Only stations that broadcast OVER THE AIR (not cable, not satellite) are changing in 2009. If the cable channel you were watching your classes on is a local CABLE (only) channel, you CAN blame Comcast for this. The change that's coming in 2009 had really no affect on this. It was more of a decision by Comcast to force it's customers to rent new boxes or add channel line ups when they switched to digital.

What channel is your program on? And what area do you live in?

I don't understand how it jumped from $13 to $80. I'm looking at a price guide from my local Comcast and during 2008 you can get "Limited Basic Service" (analog ABC, CBS, NBC) for $16. "Expanded Basic" (still analog but more channels) is an ADDITIONAL $37. "Digital Classic" is $13 but you must have "Limited Basic Service" to add "Digital Classic" so that would be $31 for Basic Cable and Digital Classic. How many TVs do you have? What happens if you connect the cable (from the wall) right to the back of the TV? Maybe they tried to pull a fast one on you.

 

[Mocharilla]

Can you still get that channel using an antenna? (since you said it's a local channel but it could be cable only (they don't broadcast over the air)).

This isn't the same thing as far as I can tell. Only stations that broadcast OVER THE AIR (not cable, not satellite) are changing in 2009. If the cable channel you were watching your classes on is a local CABLE (only) channel, you CAN blame Comcast for this. The change that's coming in 2009 had really no affect on this. It was more of a decision by Comcast to force it's customers to rent new boxes or add channel line ups when they switched to digital.

What channel is your program on? And what area do you live in?

I don't understand how it jumped from $13 to $80. I'm looking at a price guide from my local Comcast and during 2008 you can get "Limited Basic Service" (analog ABC, CBS, NBC) for $16. "Expanded Basic" (still analog but more channels) is an ADDITIONAL $37. "Digital Classic" is $13 but you must have "Limited Basic Service" to add "Digital Classic" so that would be $31 for Basic Cable and Digital Classic. How many TVs do you have? What happens if you connect the cable (from the wall) right to the back of the TV? Maybe they tried to pull a fast one on you.

My step-dad (who works with computers and crap) talked to the guy and messed with it and said there was no other way. I don't really understand it all, I'll admit.

I keep saying they might be just scamming us on it, but he insists that there's no other way. But, it's his money not mine, so if he's just going to give in and pay, his decision.

It sounds like we had the Limited Basic. I guess it was $16. He just always said $13.

We have only one TV with Cable hooked up. We also go through a computer to use Windows Media Center Edition, so I really don't know how all that works and what we could do to try and get around their thing.

We're in Grand Rapids, MI.

It's a public access channel, which is why I found it very strange that we couldn't get it anymore. I thought we were supposed to get those no matter if we had cable or not. But, my school sent out a letter saying...

"The Grand Rapids College Channel 28 is going digital!

2008 will be a big year for television: all broadcasting will be transitioned to digital signals, whether you tune them in off the air or over cable (like the College Channel.) This means you need to get a digital tuner, either through a new television or for free from Comcast.

We are one of the first in town to make this transition:
by January 15, 2008 Channel 28 will be moving to Comcast Digital Channel 903.

You may call Comcast toll-free at 877-824-2984 to request your free digital tuner. You will need one tuner for each television. Every household that subscribes to Comcast is entitled to TWO FREE DIGITAL TUNERS, WITH REMOTE CONTROLS, for the first 12 months. Additional tuners are available for $1.99 per month."

So, my step-dad called, argued for a while, and said we had to go from $13 to $80 (although I guess he had the $13 wrong, if it says $16).

All I know is that everyone said it was because of this, and what my step-dad says. I'm really so totally clueless. I'm sorry!

 

[Planogirl]

I'm still not clear on what satellite (Dish in our case) plans to do about local programming. I assume that they'll let us know at some point.

 

[Charade]

I'm still not clear on what satellite (Dish in our case) plans to do about local programming. I assume that they'll let us know at some point.

I don't know how Dish gets it's locals fed to it's system. It's gonna be up to them to figure that out if they still want to offer locals (for $$). We shouldn't have to anything on our end.

 

[suzimar57]

no, we're not set - DH is planning for us to buy all new sets at xmas....

 

[D&DDisney]

No cable...no dish...no converter yet.
Going to have to buy a new TV before then or buy the converter.

 

[RLccweems]

We have Dish so it won't effect us....

 

[bicker]

Actually, my Tivo tapes in rather crappy quality

They've been selling the TiVo HD less and less expensive as times has gone on ...

 

[bicker]

We have a digital cable box on our 8 year old family room set, and regular cable boxes on our 3 year old bedroom set and our 15 year old basement set. ... I am going to assume that the cable company will give us what we will need for these older sets without a lot of grief.

If you have a cable box with each television, then you're not going to encounter any issues.

However, I have Comcast digital cable and it is run through a digital converter box. Will I still have to purchase another television????

As above, the key is whether you have a converter box on each television; if you do, then don't worry. While there are very old boxes that won't work with new technology, none of the large cable companies are using them any longer, and all will replace old boxes with new boxes without increasing your monthly rental fee on the boxes.

 

[bicker]

This isn't the same thing as far as I can tell. Only stations that broadcast OVER THE AIR (not cable, not satellite) are changing in 2009.

Yes. Cable companies do not have a specific date at which they must change over, so they could change over at any time.

If the cable channel you were watching your classes on is a local CABLE (only) channel

I doubt that's the case. Comcast has not removed analog broadcast channels from any systems yet, as far as I recall -- even their "all-digital" system in Chicago still offers analog service for broadcast local channels.

you CAN blame Comcast for this. The change that's coming in 2009 had really no affect on this. It was more of a decision by Comcast to force it's customers to rent new boxes or add channel line ups when they switched to digital.

I actually "blame" DirecTV, for making this into a "How many HD channels do you have?" game. They refocused the discussion away from quality on towards quantity, so now cable companies nationwide have to take extreme measures like doing away with analog channels. Note that DirecTV always has required a box on every television; so they were smart to do whatever they could to force cable to do the same, since not requiring a box on every television was a major competitive advantage for cable. So "blame" is really the wrong word: Both satellite and cable are doing what they're supposed to, trying to drive the marketplace towards their own services.

I don't understand how it jumped from $13 to $80. I'm looking at a price guide from my local Comcast and during 2008 you can get "Limited Basic Service" (analog ABC, CBS, NBC) for $16. "Expanded Basic" (still analog but more channels) is an ADDITIONAL $37. "Digital Classic" is $13 but you must have "Limited Basic Service" to add "Digital Classic" so that would be $31 for Basic Cable and Digital Classic.

I'm looking at our just-released price list. The charge is $59.20 for Basic Service + Expanded Basic Service + Digital Starter.

 

[bicker]

It's a public access channel, which is why I found it very strange that we couldn't get it anymore. I thought we were supposed to get those no matter if we had cable or not. But, my school sent out a letter saying... "The Grand Rapids College Channel 28 is going digital!

I am not sure, but I believe the move of that channel to the digital tier was reversed by court order.

(These are related issues, but I believe the same order applies.)
http://www.mlive.com/news/annarbornews/index.ssf?/base/news-26/1200411709125420.xml&coll=2
http://www.ilecamera.com/stories/011808/loc_20080118003.shtml

You should check to see whether that order has remained in force. If so, you can probably revert back to analog service now, and save yourself a lot of money.

 

[bicker]

I'm still not clear on what satellite (Dish in our case) plans to do about local programming. I assume that they'll let us know at some point.

Probably just before they're ready to do it. The FCC hasn't really made the decision to force them yet. Satellite services have always been favored by the FCC (i.e., by waiving requirements for carriage of local channels, for starters), but that favoritism seems to be waning.

 

[2Poodles]

I didn't read the whole thread. I live in Fairfield County Southwestern Connecicut. I called our cable service (Cablevision of CT) and asked what I'd need in 2009. Their anwser was as long as you have digital service and a digital cable box you'll be fine. I have digital service and digital boxes. I do have one TV split of another legally and will need a get a cable box for that.

It's confusing and I had the same discussion with friends and relatives. If you're uncertain just call your cable provider.

Mary

 

[bicker]

Good advice Mary, but with a proviso: The cable providers' agents don't generally know what's coming. The cable companies focus on training their staff to know how to support current operations and services. When agents are talking to you about things more than a few months into the future, they're generally just basing that on what they've personally read, perhaps on the Internet, from threads like these. Future plans, especially those affecting the analog to digital transition, are considered highly proprietary information. Cable companies treat this as "need to know" information, because if competitors get wind of future plans, then those competitors can use that information to their advantage and to the disadvantage of the company whose information it is.

 

[katerkat]

They've been selling the TiVo HD less and less expensive as times has gone on ...

I know, but we're waiting to see where we're moving next. An American TiVo HD box won't help us much in England. If our move is CONUS, an HD TiVo is a requirement of the move.

 

[TurboKitty]

In our house, we are set. We were using indoor antennas for our signal, so we knew we would need he converter boxes. We got the coupons for $40.00 off the price of the boxes. We are hoping our CW affiliate hasn't yet switched to digital because that's the only channel we don't receive with the new converter boxes.

As far as I can tell, and what I was told when we purchased the coverters;

If you have cable, satellite or a brand new tv, you do not need a converter box.

If you are getting your tv from a signal picked up from a rooftop or indoor "rabbit ears" antenna, you will need a converter box.

I purchased our boxes from Best Buy, and after the $40.00 off was applied, they were $24.00 out of pocket for me, each. It was only a weekend or two ago that we bought and installed the boxes. At that time, no other stores currently had any digital converter boxes in stock, so we couldn't comparison shop for price.