Purchase Converter Box for Comcast Digital Cable

[CaptainGHz]

Greetings Forum,

We are in the market for a cable converter box for our not-cable-ready TV. This is for our kitchen TV and is the only one of our three TVs still connected to the roof antenna. The customer support person at Comcast (my cable service provider) is useless. All she wants us to do is rent a box from them. I am quite miffed at their abuse of power. Technologically there is no reason why we can't own the box. I would replace the kitchen TV with a cable ready unit before we would rent a box from them. For this TV we don't need all of the digital channels -- just the basic cable.

The converter box in our family room uses a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 2100 which we rent from Comcast. They are available from ebay, but none of the offers assure compatibility with any service. What are our options?

Cheers,
Dave

 

[TeraMedia]

If you have an old cable-ready VHS VCR lying around, you could use that. Plug the cable into the VCR, and use its tuner to tune into the analog cable channels. Connect to your kitchen TV over S-Video, Composite, or RF (if that's your only option), and there you go.

 

[CaptainGHz]

Hi TeraMedia,

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately I don't have such a unit.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[lovechild]

I think you should get your own instead of renting from Comcast. You can go to www.dtv2009.gov to get 2 $40 coupons, that will save you a lot of money. I personally recommend Sansonic converter box, it's retail price is $54.99, with the $40 coupon, you will be paying $14.99 plus tax. I've already heard from several friends that this is the only one that works. You can go to www.sansonic.net for more info.

 

[Graogrim]

Not to resurrect an old thread or anything (though that's already been done here), and no disrespect to lovechild is intended, but do not rely on his/her advice.

The converter boxes that are covered by the $40 coupons are ATSC converters for over-the-air standard definition digital television broadcasts. While such a device will allow you to continue using your old television with your antenna after the digital switchover in 2009, it will be of no use whatsoever for cable service.

Your best bet is indeed as the original reply suggests to get a cheap cable ready VCR, DVR, or DVDR to act as a cable tuner.

Additionally, should you decide that you want to get an ATSC convertor box to continue making use of your antenna, be aware that the coupons are treated as a form of tender at the time of purchase, meaning that their value is deducted from the price you pay AFTER tax is applied. So in the above example you would pay the tax on the full $54.99. The difference is only a few dollars, of course, but is still one you should plan to encounter.

 

[babblefish]

I am still missing something here.

I am a subscriber to Comcast Analog cable. Comcast promises to continue with it for some period of time. However, they continue to remove channels from that offering ( the history channel being the last in a series). So I assume they want to drive the subscriber to their digital offering.

But the monthly rental of the converter boxes ( the digital cable to analog TV) are prohibitively expensive (it will double the monthly cost in my case).

So I am looking for a way to buy my own box that will allow me to make the switch to digital.

I have not been able to find any VCR, DVR, or any other boxes that claim to be digital cable ready.

What is the standard that I need to be sure the box or even TV has?

 

[americanaudiophile]

A new TV with a QUAM tuner would allow you to pick up any unscrambled digital channels off of the cable. How many you would get is the question?
There are standalone ATSC/QUAM HD tuners available but they would be at least $250 and your old TV would need at least a composite video and audio input which it probable doesn't have. A new TV makes more sense and you would get over the air Digital TV as well.

If you wanted just the analog signals then get an old analog cable box If you can get a model that Comcast used from a local source it should work. Try a flea market or garage sale. Old analog boxes that were hacked to get free premium services are useless today so would be very cheap and pick up the channels still available.

Cable companies rent their boxes to minimize theft of services so they don't want them on the market. Digital cable boxes are much harder to hack than the old analog boxes

 

[Guest]

did you ever get your cable box? I bought one on ebay from a comcast user who switched to satellite. It's the identical Scientific Atlanta box that Cox uses but somehow they know it's not theirs so all I get is a screen with an 800 # to call and be told I have to rent from them. Seems illegal, especially under the present administration that just wants the rich to get richer and let's the cable companies do whatever they want to make more money.

If Comcast would allow you to use it, I'm only asking $20 + shipping from Mesa, az, 85207. Mike fortunare@cox.net

 

[Guest]

I am an RCN customer in Boston, and they have just switched to digital cable -- requiring their cable boxes for each TV (although based on your post, it sounds like I also have the option of getting new TVs with ATSC/QUAM HD tuners). I also had a cable connected to my PC so that I could watch TV. Do you know of any application that I could load to continue watching the new digital TV, or would I have to get a new TV tuner card with ATSC/QUAM HD (do these exist?)??

 

[jherome]

I read this thread and I had to respond. A lot of the comments on the tread couldn't be more misleading. I mean no disrespect to anyone nor am I forcing my information on anyone. Without further delay, here is your answer.

Digital Vs. Analog

On February 17, everything (supposedly) will change over to digital and no more analog.

That means, they will shut down the broadcast of all analog signals. It DOES NOT matter how old your tv is or if it has a digital or analog tuner. Here is why.

TV's have came with Analog tuners for a long time. Analog tuners will not work with Digital signals.

Here is the kicker, newer TV's have been coming with digital ATSC tuners. ATSC tuners are for over the air DIGITAL signals which will not work for cable signals. A QAM tuner, will allow you to pick up UNSCRAMBLED cable TV signals. QAM tuners will not get you the mtv's, hgtv, etc. etc. channels because the cable company SCRAMBLES those signals. End result is you will need a cable box to UNSCRAMBLE the encrypted signal that the cable company puts out.

So to go with a VCR tuner WILL NOT work either. Because the tuner in VCR's are ANALOG (some may have an ATSC or an ATSC and QAM digital tuner but this will not work for scrambled digital signals). They may work now but will not work after Feb. 17th.

So with all the responses to this thread, the only option you have is to rent a cable box from your cable company so that you will be able to unscramble the digital signal they are putting out.

Here is a quick guide for you to follow:
--------------------------------------
Analog TV with Analog Tuner: You will get nothing!!!

Digital TV with Analog Tuner: You will get nothing!!!
--------------------------------------
Analog TV with Analog and ATSC Digital Tuner: You will need a TV antenna to get Digital signals over the air. Good ole rabbit ears of the past.

Digital TV with Analog and ATSC Digital Tuner: You will need a TV antenna to get Digital signals over the air. Good ole rabbit ears of the past.
---------------------------------------
Analog TV with Analog and ATSC Digital Tuner with QAM capability: You will be able to plug in the coax cable from the cable company and be able to watch all UNSCRAMBLED digital broadcasts by your cable company. Additionally, if you throw in some rabbit ears, you can get over the air ATSC digital signals.

Digital TV with Analog and ATSC Digital Tuner with QAM capability: You will be able to plug in the coax cable from the cable company and be able to watch all UNSCRAMBLED digital broadcasts by your cable company. Additionally, if you throw in some rabbit ears, you can get over the air ATSC digital signals.
----------------------------------------
Analog TV with Cable box from your cable company: You get to watch everything you are paying for.

Digital TV with Cable box from your cable company: You get to watch everything you are paying for.
-----------------------------------------

Notice the pattern? It doesn't matter how old your TV is. It is all about what kind of Tuner you have.

For your reference: Your cable company's cable box IS???
The cable box is a Tuner!!! Not just any tuner but a tuner that they have programmed to unencrypt the signals they are broadcasting. That is the reason why it has to come from your subscriber. You cannot throw a cable box from WOW onto a Comcast cable feed and expect it to work. It is their way of controlling who gets what based on what a person is paying for.

The cable is a Digital to Digital passthru AND a Digital to Analog converter. The reason why they are built like this is so it doesn't matter what kind of TV you have. You can have an old tv or a new tv. Now not all old TV's will work, you might have to buy a box to convert coax to composite, S-video or component. That is a topic for another discussion and is specific to what kind of inputs your tv has.

So the bottomline. Unless you can get a hold of a cable box configured for your cable company provider and is activated to work, then you are pretty much stuck renting. Keep in mind that it needs to be activated. So if you go online and buy one from somebody on eBay, it may or may not work. And if it is working, the cable company can shut it down without setting a foot in your home.

My credentials: I have nothing to do with the cable company or anyone for that matter. I am just like most people that dont want to rent 6 cable boxes from the cable company and also looking for a way to get it to all my TV's without paying monthly.

 

[jherome]

I am an RCN customer in Boston, and they have just switched to digital cable -- requiring their cable boxes for each TV (although based on your post, it sounds like I also have the option of getting new TVs with ATSC/QUAM HD tuners). I also had a cable connected to my PC so that I could watch TV. Do you know of any application that I could load to continue watching the new digital TV, or would I have to get a new TV tuner card with ATSC/QUAM HD (do these exist?)??

Here is the answer to this question. They do have QAM TV Tuner cards out there for your PC. One that I have used is made by Avermedia. BUT BUT BUT!!! HUGE BUT!!! This will only work with CLEAR QAM or in otherwords Unencrypted digital cable broadcasts.

 

[jherome]

I am still missing something here.

I am a subscriber to Comcast Analog cable. Comcast promises to continue with it for some period of time. However, they continue to remove channels from that offering ( the history channel being the last in a series). So I assume they want to drive the subscriber to their digital offering.

But the monthly rental of the converter boxes ( the digital cable to analog TV) are prohibitively expensive (it will double the monthly cost in my case).

So I am looking for a way to buy my own box that will allow me to make the switch to digital.

I have not been able to find any VCR, DVR, or any other boxes that claim to be digital cable ready.

What is the standard that I need to be sure the box or even TV has?

Here is the answer to this question:

What you are looking for is a VCR or DVR that is QAM capable. However all you will get will be unencrypted digital signals. To get the the encrypted digital signal, you will need a box from your cable provider.

 

[sandanie]

I'm receiving digital channels from my cable w/o a cable box

I live in an apartment where we LEGALLY get Comcast cable as part of our rent. No box. Converter boxes don't work. However, my DVD recorder (+/-R/RW)has a tuner in it and I get both digital and analog channels from the tuner through the cable connection. My old analog TV has "TV, video 1, video 2" and I have the DVD recorder in Video 1. When analog TV goes kaput, I will not be able to watch any channel on the TV setting, but will get all the cable digital channels on the Video 1 setting. (I have a receiver and attached DVD player hooked in through Video 2 and do not get any television reception there.)

 

[jherome]

I'm receiving digital channels from my cable w/o a cable box

I live in an apartment where we LEGALLY get Comcast cable as part of our rent. No box. Converter boxes don't work. However, my DVD recorder (+/-R/RW)has a tuner in it and I get both digital and analog channels from the tuner through the cable connection. My old analog TV has "TV, video 1, video 2" and I have the DVD recorder in Video 1. When analog TV goes kaput, I will not be able to watch any channel on the TV setting, but will get all the cable digital channels on the Video 1 setting. (I have a receiver and attached DVD player hooked in through Video 2 and do not get any television reception there.)

What do you mean you are receiving digital channels? Are you getting ALL digital channels or just some? There could be 2 different things happening.

1. You are getting ONLY unencrypted digital channles. Which would mean you have a QAM tuner in your digital recorder.

OR

2. Your DVD recorder somehow is able to decrypt the encrypted digital signal sent by Comcast.

Bottomline is something has to be decrypting the encrypted comcast signal for you to get it.

My guess is you are only getting the unencrypted digital channels and not all the channels.

 

[sandanie]

It's a JVC DR-MV100. We only have basic cable. Its specifications state, "ATSC QAM clear."

You're obviously more in the technical know than I am. I found Tom's by using Dogpile search engine.

Until three hours on the phone with customer service from Insignia (brand of converter box we have), Comcast and Best Buy (where we got the Insignia) did I realize the converter boxes are useless on cable and only good for rooftop or rabbit ears antennae and only for local channels.

We are getting all of the same cable channels we have on analog now, on digital. It takes some searching to find them, though.

 

[jherome]

It's a JVC DR-MV100. We only have basic cable. Its specifications state, "ATSC QAM clear."

You're obviously more in the technical know than I am. I found Tom's by using Dogpile search engine.

Until three hours on the phone with customer service from Insignia (brand of converter box we have), Comcast and Best Buy (where we got the Insignia) did I realize the converter boxes are useless on cable and only good for rooftop or rabbit ears antennae and only for local channels.

We are getting all of the same cable channels we have on analog now, on digital. It takes some searching to find them, though.

Still a little bit fuzzy to me. Do you get lets say MTV in analog and you can get MTV in digital?

If that is the case, you are lucky. MTV would have to be unencrypted for it to work through your QAM tuner or should I say Clear QAM tuner.

 

[sandanie]

MTV, no. the country music channel, yes. ESPN, Sci Fi, Discover and some others we don't have on analog. I'm on the phone with Comcast now finding the equipment needed - I saw something in another message board about a Motorola DCT700. It referred me back to COMCAST. They have to activate it if I had one.

I'm on hold listening to classical music now. La, la la...

 

[sandanie]

Now I'm on hold with the DTA orderling line.

Tech Support told me they will send us 2 digital adapter boxes at no charge.

The apartment complex is on a bulk account and none of us has a cable box or individual account number so they are setting up an account number now.

I think lots of people are going to be surprised. I could only find this type of DTV information that was truthful about cable vs. rabbit ears/rooftop by going to tech talk boards. That's not much of a percentage of the total population who uses cable and thinks they're either doing OK with the unscrambled channels, or doing something wrong for their converter box to not work with cable.

 

[sandanie]

http/www.multichannel.com/article/133776-Comcast_Picks_DTA_Partners.php

great article that covers a lot of this topic. They set up an account for me and the 2 DVA's are on their way. When they get here, I call a toll-free number and then enter in the number on the package and VIOLA - activated.

I had seen a guide on the gov DTV site that talked about how to set up your converter boxes so you could watch TV and record a different channel at the same time. I assume, now, that this is for the rooftop or rabbit ears antenna converters?

http/www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/converterbox_vcr.html

 

[sandanie]

http/search.dell.com/results.aspx?s=gen&c=us&l=en&cs=&k=digital+tv+tuners+&cat=all

Next question. I have Win XP Pro with Media Center 2005 update rollup 2. It is analog only. Will any of the tuners at the above link get digital Tv to my computer that is coming off the cable, or will I need to get another digital adapter box? And if I get a digital adapter box, I assume the hardware still won't support DT?