Purchase Converter Box for Comcast Digital Cable

[iammusic]

My family and I just got the letter in the mail from Comcast about the conversion. Our confusion is that we have a tenant that the cable technically goes through and we use a splitter (shh) to get cable. Our TV is an older style, with one A/V input, and one coaxial port. We currently have extended cable, and have no idea whether we need the cable box and a DTA, or just the DTA. Would the cable box have to go to the tenant's TV, or do we both need the box? We also use a VCR to record shows, how would this conversion affect that? It says on the Comcast site that we won't be able to record using the VCR with the Comcast equipment.

 

[Guest]

Comcast is required to keep some analog signal for 3yrs and then they can go all digital. If you connect any Comcast box to cable first then to your vcr and set it to record ch3, then you can record any digital channel. TIVO nad other dvr's have cable cards and can record 2 ch at the same time. Most new QAM turner tv's will pick up digital channels but the channel may be hard to find as it goes by what QAM pkg they are in. 81-5 may be the History ch and 2 will be analog ch 2 but 2-1 may be sd ch2 and 2-2 may be hd ch2. You can rent a box for about $3 dollars from Comcast if you have basic cable to view the other than analog basic channels. Anything above basic includes 1 digital box and 2 dta's(these only get basic services, no premium or pay channels Ondemand or interactive menu. Most that subscribe now to expanded or standard cable can get the starter pkg for the same price and get the 3 boxes with no extra cost(1 dct and 2 dta's.) which would include the 10,000 + titles of On Demand content. I believe that going down and caliing to some at the cable store or calling in you would find this out.

 

[nikijfg]

To Jherome: Very clear - thanks for taking the time to do so; I too read some of the threads and the misunderstandings out there are amazing but understandable. I understand Comcast concern about theft of their signals, but wish there was some way to provide for free the cable boxes required to de-scramble their own signal to their legitimate paying customers. It simply sucks to have to rent and pay a monthly fee, over and above the package you subscribe to; further they must agree, because they sure don't make it clear - oops, your TV, and our signal arent sufficient to "receive" what we are selling you.

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.

 

[sirknight115]

If I get my two free digital adapters (these are the ones for the analog TVs that are plugged directly into the cable in the wall) from Comcast and then borrow a couple from someone else who doesn't need them, will Comcast see that I am using more than my two free ones and charge me a monthly fee for other two? I'm pretty sure they can detect cable boxes, but I don't know if they can detect these new adapters. It does say that I have to have them all plugged in before I activate them so it does seem that they would see them.

Hello Bostongirl,
I have the same problem! I needed one more comcast DTA and one of my friends gave it to me but did they ever find out if you connect it to your cable? did they charge you extra for having one more on your cable? Please let me know? I wanted to plug this one into one of my TV's but I am afraid they are going to find out? Let me know what you found out?
Thank You
Sirknight115

 

[sirknight115]

If I get my two free digital adapters (these are the ones for the analog TVs that are plugged directly into the cable in the wall) from Comcast and then borrow a couple from someone else who doesn't need them, will Comcast see that I am using more than my two free ones and charge me a monthly fee for other two? I'm pretty sure they can detect cable boxes, but I don't know if they can detect these new adapters. It does say that I have to have them all plugged in before I activate them so it does seem that they would see them.

Hello Bostongirl,
I have the same problem! I needed one more comcast DTA and one of my friends gave it to me but did they ever find out if you connect it to your cable? did they charge you extra for having one more on your cable? Please let me know? I wanted to plug this one into one of my TV's but I am afraid they are going to find out? Let me know what you found out?
Thank You
Sirknight115

 

[iammusic]

So we got everything set up and activated, and the TV works fine with just the DTA's. We are unhappy that we cannot record anything to our VCR anymore. Is there any way to bypass that?

 

[nuanced]

Either a lot of people have not read the fine print about their DTA boxes or else Comcast has a different policy for different regions. My DTAs are "free" for 6 months and then the monthly rental starts. Another misleading gotcha from Comcast I fear.

 

[samdaman]

Hi TeraMedia,

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

Cheers,
Dave

Hey Dave,
I think they are trying to tell you that for the price of a cheap Chinese VCR, you can replace the rental Comcast boxes. In other words, if you do not have such a unit, go buy one. I refused to rent from comcast, so I run the cable wire into the VCR, run a wire from the VCR to the same type of tv you have, leave the tv on 3, and change channels on the VCR as if it were a cable box. Freedom of choice, not freedom of comcast to fleece.

try it

 

[nhgranite1]

I have always used multiple vcrs here in NH to record various shows on at the same time, tapes are very convenient. With the new system I cannot use my old Sony vcr (3 years old) to record. the cable boxes rented from Comcast at 6.95/month will not translate the "activated" signal from the box to the vcr, and from what I read here, the only solution is satellite with the bargain intro prices but a 24 month commitment. Should I throw the vcrs away (they also play dvd) as now useless and go with satellite? I am in my 60s and may not live out the 24 month commitment.
nhgranite

 

[HryThdBst]

Chicago area;
Comcast is pure crap, pure scam. "Saving bandwidth, preventing theft" my ass. It's all about these greedy bastards getting paid for a DTA box for every TV in your home. An annoying slow one, one that screws up scheduled recording, one that you'll be dying to upgrade from, netting more $ for the pr#&%s.

I had all the channels in my package, through an old 1994 Proscan CRT, no problems, until today. My cable was damaged at the HV pole by a neighbor. A Comcrap tech came out and ran a new cable, simple right?.. BS.. I immediately lost 14 channels, they now say "the TV you're watching isn't prepared for Comcast's digital network enhancement" ...uhm, it was perfectly fine 20 minutes ago, before "the new cable line".

He had to have put a filter that "encrypts" these channels in the box on my house. They aren't coming to my house encrypted to save bandwidth, they are being encrypted at my house, in order to force the use of a crappy DTA, that will cost $ per TV, and eventually torture me into an
upgrade for more cash (that most likely feeds back viewing habits, i.e. digital "network").

My new Panasonic DVR/VCR "Diga Tuner" can't get these channels now either, no problem before the tech visit.

I may splice the cable at my house, after they bury it, to get the channels back, I PAY FOR THESE CHANNELS. APL, TWC, AMC, E, NIK, TOON, TNT, TLC, HGTV, MSNBC, FOOD, TRAV, TRUTV, VERSUS.

Absolute Horseshit !!!

Will take a very motivated look at satellite, congrats CC morons.

Idiocracy

 

[nuanced]

In the beginning all was analog cable. Then came digital and I paid a premium to get digital, added a digital tuner to my computer DVR and I was happy -- I was getting analog, digital and HD digital channels and my old analog TVs still functioned and my digital TV was getting HD. Then the analog channels were eliminated and they provided the DTA boxes which I put on my analog TVs -- no problem except when the monthly fees start for the DTAs. Now over the past month all of my HD channels were encrypted and they want me to pay a monthly fee for set top boxes to decrypt to get HD on my HD digital TV and my computer DVR. I have lost services I'd paid for with my digital subscription and now they want monthly fees to get back what they took away. How is this an improvement?

 

[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

*****YOU SHOULD RETURN THAT BOX BECAUSE YOU NEED THE DIGIAL CAABLE COMPANY TO PROGRAM THEIR CARD NUMBER INTO THE BOX.. EACH COSTOMER GETS THEIR OWN NUMBER ( LIKE A CREDIT CARD NUMBER) AND THATS HOW THEY MONITOR YOUR USAGE AND CAN CLICK YOU OFF IF YOU DONT PAY YOUR BILL...YOU GOT HAD

 

[rockfish]

Thank you! This is the first clear and comprehensive explanation of the whole digital cable conversion mess that I have found. It also clears up something that has bugged me. I have comcast cable. They are forcing a conversion to all digital (except for a few channels below 30-something). They insist we need a digital adaptor or set top box (from them) for every TV, irregarless of whether it is analog or QAM enabled. So I asked why, but the explanation was useless and meaningless. Why, I asked, do I need the same "digital converter" for both my analog tv and my HD QAM digital TV? If the box is a digital-to-analog converter, then it should work only for the analog tv, right? Of course the grade school educated "technical support" people who answer the phones at comcast are incapable of explaining how this works or why I need the converters for all tvs. You explain this clearly.

The answer is comcast is now scrambling all its digital channels (switch over in two phases starting next month in my area) and the "convertor" is necessary to descramble them. This is only marginally related to digital conversion. It is more about descrambling channels.

Comcast will provide the convertors free of charge for up to 3 tvs, but now my expensive new QAM enabled HD TV will require yet another remote control, and we will no longer be able to record one channel while watching another. I also get to have yet another electronic device parasitizing electricity 24/7, and the only purpose is what?

I think the only purpose is for comcast to force people to switch to more expensive digital packages they don't want or need. For me and many others they are the only game in town. Verizon, DSL, other cable companies, are not available in my area. Only satellite offers an alternative. I guess I need to start reseaching dish networks.

 

[rockfish]

I am not sure what area you live in but in southern New Jersey Comcast has converted alll the channels above 23 in my area to digital only. I receive 1 through 23 in analog and digital. I have to use a DTA (digital transport adapter) to decrypt channel 24 and above.

They do not charge for use of a DTA unless you have more than two units. If they want to charge you for a box it is probably not a DTA but instead a digital set top box that has more programming capability than a DTA. I would check into it.

I think they make a DVD recorder that it digital ready. Amazon.com may be a good place to look for one.

In Maryland (at least my part of Maryland, as Comcast is different for every county), they give 2 adaptors and 1 set top box free of charge. You pay for any additional adaptors or boxes after this. Seems like Comcast treats their customers differently depending on what state and locale they happen to be in.

 

[unhappycomcaster]

I'll be sure to look into Satellite when Promo Period Ends!!!

Well had to switch over to Digital when the cutover period started this month in my area. All of the Channels except basic (12 channels) went to digital.

Now the confussion begins:

I called and set up an appointment to go to digital when I received one of the comcasts nicely printed flyers. It showed a new wide screen HDTV with a beatiful picture of a new release movie and advertised the enticing rate for the digital starter package (promo rate). So I called to set up serivce and finally went with there Digital Preferred service to get the channels that I want (for quite a bit more a month).

The Comcast "Contractor" showed up which is a whole other issue I had a problem with. He spent an hour or so in his truck and on his cell phone and 5 minutes of actual work at the box. Well to my horror he brought in an old outdated basic cable box with no HD hookups and smelled like smoke. I asked him about it and he just talked down to me like that's what you ordered and it was my fault... Also he wanted something like $20 for each additional connection to connect there basic digital convertors and I said no way. After calling in to Comcasts support I found out that I could get an HD box and the additional basic digital boxes (no additional charge) at my local Comcast center.

I took the old outdated box in the next day and found out that theres an additonal $8 or so charge a month for the HD box which I wasn't to happy about but accepted. The rep I was dealing with brought out a Very Large oversized box with no HDMI outputs (just a DVI to HDMI converter cable). The rep told me that that was the latest out and I would have to go to DTV to get HDMI and yet another $15 a month...I said no way and left p...d off!!! I got it home and acctivated it and more problems persued. Picture kept going out of sync when I switched from non HD to HD programing and I had to unplug the box each time.

Well a week later and another trip to Comcast on a Saturday and low and behold I got a brand new box a quarter of the size of the previous box and did have HDMI output. Every step of the way it seems that Comcast was very misleading and deceptive and non-forth coming about there products and services and well behind the game with there technology. One good note I did get ahold of a very friendly and some what informative service rep on the initial call when the contractor tried to rip me off.....


Morale of the story: Know the differnce between Digital and HD and ask questions as they will not offer any guidance or help. Also don't settle for outdated equipment or extra fees from there contractors (just order there basic converter boxes or pick up in person).

 

[nuanced]

In Maryland (at least my part of Maryland, as Comcast is different for every county), they give 2 adaptors and 1 set top box free of charge. You pay for any additional adaptors or boxes after this. Seems like Comcast treats their customers differently depending on what state and locale they happen to be in.

I am in Maryland too and I hate to tell you but those boxes are not free. I read the fine print, I called and asked and the answer is that they are free for 6 months and then you start getting monthly fees. Since I didn't want a set top box I got 3 DTAs for the "free" 6 months. I'll let you know in a couple of months if the fees start.

 

[rockfish]

I am in Maryland too and I hate to tell you but those boxes are not free. I read the fine print, I called and asked and the answer is that they are free for 6 months and then you start getting monthly fees. Since I didn't want a set top box I got 3 DTAs for the "free" 6 months. I'll let you know in a couple of months if the fees start.

I really hope you're wrong. I don't see how they can advertize no cost no monthly fee then start charging you for something they are forcing you to use. I will definitely return the box if they start charging, and stick with what ever channels I can get on my digital HD tuner and start looking more seriously at satellite. God, they really are bas***ds. How do these people sleep at night?

I'm hoping they've just gone too far this time, and it comes crashing down on them in the form of congressional action. This has always been a problem with cable...no competition...they make the rules. Even if dish and the Verizon systems aren't better than cable, at least they are competition that might eventually improve things for cable subscribers.

To be honest, we have young children and I work long hours, and frankly I don't watch that much TV anyway...and half the time we're watching movies that we either own or get through Netflix. I could easily live without the hundreds of channels I don't have time or desire to watch anyhow.

I hope someone from Comcast monitors these blog sites. What we need is a Tea Party for cable subscribers lol.

 

[rockfish]

I am in Maryland too and I hate to tell you but those boxes are not free. I read the fine print, I called and asked and the answer is that they are free for 6 months and then you start getting monthly fees. Since I didn't want a set top box I got 3 DTAs for the "free" 6 months. I'll let you know in a couple of months if the fees start.

by the way, what county are u in, and where is this fine print located?

 

[nuanced]

by the way, what county are u in, and where is this fine print located?

I am in Montgomery county. Actually the waiver on DTA fees is for 1 year during the transition. There are 6 months left on this waiver. It is not really fine print; it is normal size print right on my monthly bill on one of the itemized charge lines.

There is a line on the bill that says "Digital Adapter Service" with a charge of $0.00. Under that it says "Included with Package 2 @ $0.00 each." Under that line it says "Your promotion ends on 09/21/10"

When I called Comcast and asked what it meant that my promotion was ending on 09/21/10, I was told that I would start paying rental on the DTAs. When I asked how much, I was told that had not yet been determined.

 

[rockfish]

Wow...I'm just blown away by the level of intentional deceipt here. They know they're going to charge a rental fee and there is absolutely nothing about this in any of their literature they are sending out to customers. When I asked about cost on the phone, they emphatically stated "no cost" and "no monthly fee", and it states that on the flyer they sent out. So if what you are saying is accurate, this has to be illegal. I've already told my wife if they pull this on us, we're pulling the plug. I'll pay twice as month on principle alone.

Thanks for the info....we're in Fred Co...I guess Fred is 6 months behind Montgomery in the transition. I just cannot believe they are trying to pull this off nationwide. They have to know there will be class action suits and congressional inquiries. Maybe they just don't care. Gotta be one of the worst run large corporations in the country.