[mythtv-users] Questions about MythTV and Digital Cable (slightly off-topic?)

[Michael Tiller]

I realize this is only slightly related to MythTV so my apologies if it is
too off topic...

I've gotten a bit frustrated with my analog cable so I was considering
upgrading to digital cable.  The potential advantages I considered were:

1) Better picture quality (I have some analog interference from splitting,
etc).
2) Possibility to get local channels in pure digital form via firewire/QAM.
3) Bigger range of channels (not that there is anything good on most of them
:-().

But, I just realized that there might be a major fly in the ointment here.
In talking with the Comcast (and WOW) rep on the phone (ob. grain of salt) I
was told that all channels below 100 in my area (i.e. the channels that are
available for analog cable) are not digital even if you have digital cable.

The bottom line is that everything I watch is on those <100 channels now and
I don't see any reason to think there are digital versions of my shows on
any of the channels >100.

Am I missing something?  I hear people talk about getting their local
channels via firewire in digital format...where do these come from if there
isn't a "digital" version of the channel in the lineup?!?

It seems crazy that if I get digital cable I don't get digital versions of
NBC, Comedy Central, TNT?! But, I get digital versions of CSPAN3 (for all
the things that were too niche for CSPAN and CSPAN2!) and Noggin' (WTFIT?).

By the way, my provider is Comcast.

If I go with digital satellite, I get all digital, no?  Why should digital
cable be so stingy with the digital feeds?!?

Thanks for any enlightenment.

--
Mike
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