Will my pc tv tuner work in 2009?

[Gplracer]

I live in the U.S and have comcast as a cable provider. Will I still be able to use my analog pc tv tuner in 2009? Also, is there a better solution coming to the market? Thanks!!!

[olyteddy]

CATV will continue using Analog Signals but if and when they do drop Analog the Digital Set Top Box will still put out Channel 3 and Composite NTSC video for the foreseeable future.

[edDV]

I live in the U.S and have comcast as a cable provider. Will I still be able to use my analog pc tv tuner in 2009? Also, is there a better solution coming to the market? Thanks!!!

Yes, nothing will change for analog cable but there will be subtle differences.

- more letterbox since the main channel will now be 16:9
- more four side black bars for SD source until the local stations get on the ball
- fewer cable analog channels as they expand their digital line up. Local channels will remain available in analog for years.

New tuners are coming. ATSC tuners are for over the air and do nothing for cable. QAM tuners will tune unencrypted cable channels including local SD and HD. The FCC has required that "must carry" local stations that offer HD be carried in unencrypted HD by cable systems.

[Video Head]

Good question

[handyguy]

If you have cable you won't have to make any changes. Cable has to carry analog far into the future.

Not to mention you would have heard from Comcast by now....

[olyteddy]

If you have cable you won't have to make any changes. Cable has to carry analog far into the future.

Not to mention you would have heard from Comcast by now....

Actually that's not quite true. Cable is required to accomodate Analog for quite a while but not required to provide a separate analog carrier for each channel. This accomodation can be through a set-top box. There are already all digital systems (mostly older 550 MHz systems) and as the demand for more two-way apps (Internet, Telephone, PPV, etc.) increases systems are starting to drop the lower analog carriers so they can use that spectrum to increase return bandwidth. So, while Cable will provide an NTSC signal for quite a while longer, you may not be able to access that signal directly with your tuner.

PS Who says Comcast's gonna let you know?

[edDV]

If you have cable you won't have to make any changes. Cable has to carry analog far into the future.

Not to mention you would have heard from Comcast by now....

Actually that's not quite true. Cable is required to accomodate Analog for quite a while but not required to provide a separate analog carrier for each channel. This accomodation can be through a set-top box. There are already all digital systems (mostly older 550 MHz systems) and as the demand for more two-way apps (Internet, Telephone, PPV, etc.) increases systems are starting to drop the lower analog carriers so they can use that spectrum to increase return bandwidth. So, while Cable will provide an NTSC signal for quite a while longer, you may not be able to access that signal directly with your tuner.

PS Who says Comcast's gonna let you know?

In those cases the cable provider must provide a cable box (but only one) to basic plan subscribers without rent. An analog only tuner won't work since there is no analog on the cable but a tuner with QAM capability will tune all the unencrypted digital channels which will include the locals (SD and HD) plus whatever the cable company chooses to offer unencrypted.

Most cable companies have 750MHz or more bandwidth so will continue to offer analog service. Each analog channel uses the same bandwidth (6MHz) as 8-10 SD MPeg2 or 2 HD MPeg2 subchannels.

[DarrellS]

PS Who says Comcast's gonna let you know?

I already lost 2 channels on Cox cable this month. They never gave me a warning that I would be losing those channels but after I did, they put a message up that if I wanted to still receive those channels that I would either have to pay for their digital service or buy a digital tuner.

Everyone says that cable has to do this and has to do that but I expect them to do exactly what they did with these channels when February 2009 rolls around. I don't see the government offering us a coupon to get a QAM tuner or replace our analog TVs.

[SmokieStover]

My cable TV company has been running ads making reference to all the misleading ads being run on the rebroadcast network channels such as "Bought a new TV or Digital Converter Box lately?"

These cable ads make it very clear for their customers:

1) You will need NO special equipment after the cut-off date for analog over the air TV;

2) If your TV works now with Cable, it will continue to work after the cut-off date; and

3) Isn't Cable TV Great!

Cass Cable TV

[bendixG15]

Here's a place for feb 2009 answers in the US
http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner.html

[SmokieStover]

Here's a place for feb 2009 answers in the US
http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner.html

The problem with that web site is that it's about DTV........most people don't even know that means Digital Television, and it's really geared toward BROADCAST, OVER THE AIR, ANTENNA TV! Those who know enough to click on the Cable tab end up with a big what if.....more confusion and fear.

I say these so-called public service announcements are poorly made and even intentionally misleading. They should start out with "if you DO NOT watch TV off an antenna (everyone knows what the hell that is), then please ignore this message! Hell, last night on TBN, scrolling across the bottom of the movie (The Robe) was a message that my VCR and such would not work after Feb 19, 2009!

These FCC required messages should be stopped!

[edDV]

I don't see the government offering us a coupon to get a QAM tuner or replace our analog TVs.

I was hoping the gov't rebates could be used for any ATSC tuner but they seem so far to be limited to tuners with ATSC in and 4:3 SD RF (ch 3/4), composite or S-Video out plus analog RCA (white/red) audio out.

So far I've seen in the stores.

Fry's - Channel Master (has S-Video)
Best Buy - Insigna
Walmart - RCA (Funai), Magnavox

All are very basic intended for analog NTSC TV sets. The Channel Master at least had S-Video. The RCA had something called an advanced antenna port plus a standard F connector.


PS: None of these do anything with cable. They require an antenna.

With the gov't issuing $40 coupons, expect every flim flam company to be going for the gov't gold and many households will be rushing to buy tuners that will never be used. If you need one read the reviews to get a good tuner. Most of these will go unused directly to landfills thanks to the Congress' rebate program. Your tax dollars at work? The few people that need them will probably need external help to get them properly installed and programmed. Learn this stuff so you can help the non-cable elderly in your neighborhood keep their TV reception.

List of flim flam (gov't rebate) ATSC to SD analog tuners so far can be had here.
https://www.ntiadtv.gov/cecb_list.cfm