[mythtv-users] OT: cable TV moving broadcast channel to digital tier?

[Brian Wood]

On Thursday 23 July 2009 12:13:31 Mark Knecht wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 10:36 AM, Johnny<jarpublic at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> It's my understanding that cable companies aren't being required to
> >> continue analog feeds for these channels.  Afterall, the broadcasters
> >> themselves have stopped analog broadcasts by now.
> >
> > The rule is that if they have any stations in analog then they have to
> > have all of the OTA channels in analog. If they switch their entire
> > lineup to digital then they are allowed to move the OTA channels to
> > digital as well.
>
> Additionally I believe that if they do go completely digital then they
> also must have a way for customers to get access to the OTA stations
> which requires them to provide at no/low cost the cheap converters.
> Comcast here does that for up to 3 TVs, or so they told me a while
> back.

That's the rule, but of course the "free" or "cheap" converters will simply be 
subsidized by higher rates for everything else.

In the "old days" you needed a converter to receive any channels other than 
2-6 and 7-13. The problem was the integration of the descramblers with the 
channel converters, precluding allowing customers to purchase their own 
converters and allowing manufacturers to compete on price.

That's what CableCard was supposed to solve, but somehow has not.


-- 
Brian Wood
beww at beww.org