Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucy Goose
Dont you have to give back the digital tuner to them? So how would you do that to get the few channels?
Just curious.
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Digital is not cable. Think of it like a record and CD. The record is analog, the CD is digital. Both hold music, but they need different machines to make them work. Analog TV signals were broadcast, then cable companies came along and sent the same signal over wires. Now everything is digital...both broadcast and cable signal.
The cable box is cable co property. It's a digital tuner *and* also does the premium channel decryption stuff and DVR, etc. It gives you the ability to convert the signal so you can connect to an old (analog) TV on channel 3, or using the red/white/yellow plugs, or using an HDMI cable to a newer TV, etc. The cable co likes those because they support all TV sets, but mostly because they bypass your TV's tuner so they have absolute control over what signals will get to your TV.
Newer TV sets (basically everything that is a flat LCD screen) have built-in digital tuners. You can connect them to an antenna and get a digital SD or HD signal...if you're in the broadcast area...no cable required.
Here's where the 'leak' comes in. With internet-only TW service, and a TV with a built-in digital tuner (and no cable box) I get the 6-8 channels by hooking the cable to the TV. (Ironically, I think the Hallmark movie channel is one of them) The digital TV signals are blocked for most channels, but some still leak through. If you actually pay for even basic cable, you'd get more channels.
An analog TV will not work directly with broadcast (antenna) signals or the digital feed on the cable since the national cutover to digital signals a couple of years ago. You can however get digital converter boxes that are (NOT from the cable co) that will convert the broadcast digital signals to analog channel 3, or the red/white/yellow plugs. That will probably work to take advantage of the leak too.
Probably more than you wanted to know...