Analog carriage requirement expiring for US cable providers

[usually_quiet]

It looks like Comcast and other cable providers can legally get rid of analog completely. The FCC decided to allow the analog carriage requirement for local over-the-air broacast stations to expire on June 12, 2012. I lost my remaining analog channels a few days ago. I'm curious as to whether any other digital cable subscribers lost the analog versions of all their local channels recently.

My provider, Comcast, removed most of their cable-only analog channels some time ago, except for 17, consisting of the primary subchannel for the local over-the-air network affiliates, plus a few miscellaneous others. I found out all remaining analog channels were gone on May 31, when my elderly parents, who live near by, called on me for help because they couldn't tune The Weather Channel using their TV. They have a cable box, but didn't like using it if they could get a channel using the TV's tuner. Luckily, HD locals are still available in clear QAM.

As a side note, I got in touch with Comcast support today. I asked the CSR if all analog service was now permanently eliminated from the Digital Starter plan, or if this was a temporary glitch. I couldn't get an answer. The CSR claimed that the government had forced Comcast to convert to all digital in 2009, and my parents should order a DTA box for the TV. Where do they find these people?

[edDV]

I got notice from Comcast that all analog channels will be taken away June7. That means all my older NTSC TV sets, VCRs and computer capture devices will stop working unless connected to a cable box or DTA. The first two DTAs are free.

I've recabled my house so that one central DTA feeds a 1x4 splitter to feed Ch3 to old TVs in guest bedrooms, kitchen, basememt and garage. These TVs must all share one channel selected in the kitchen (but most also have a DVD player).

My HDTVs and capture devices are fed by 2 HD cable boxes and a second DTA*.


* for example I record many shows off CNBC during the week. Quality isn't important. For this I feed Ch3 off the DTA to a Hauppauge PVR-350 and record at low bit rate. The PVR-350 is also connected S-Video to a cable box for higher quality recording.

[usually_quiet]

Thanks for confirming that this is not a temporary problem, but a permanent change to Comcast cable service.

Unfortunately a DTA won't help my parents record TV. Before they lost analog service, they could still use their VCR to record shows from local analog channels that were not available On Demand. Although I have demonstrated how to do it, they can't understand how to record from the cable box composite and stereo audio output, and I doubt if they could understand recording from the DTA's coax connection any better.

My poor parents... It took two years of coaxing for them to really try using Comcast's On Demand to catch up on missed episodes. They still can't use the program guide.

[edDV]

Yes permanent. More changes coming after the election.

Unfortunately a DTA won't help my parents record TV

They just keep the TV and VCR on Ch3 or 4 then tune on the DTA. Loop the coax through the VCR to the TV.


If they have "ON Demand" that means they have a cable box. In that case they can do the same as above or use S-Video.

[usually_quiet]

Unfortunately a DTA won't help my parents record TV

They just keep the TV and VCR on Ch3 or 4 then tune on the DTA. Loop the coax through the VCR to the TV.


If they have "ON Demand" that means they have a cable box. In that case they can do the same as above or use S-Video.

Easy for you and me, not so for my parents. They could program the VCR to record using its tuner, or manually set the clock, without problems but they can't grasp the idea of changing the channel on the cable box/DTA, then recording the output from one of its connections. I'm not kidding. I tried to teach them for 2 years before giving up. Thank goodness they finally learned how to use On Demand.

[yoda313]

Yep I received something like that in the mail the other week (I have comcast too). I already got the adapters when they were first available. I actually just got newer replacements the other month because one of them kept acting up so they ended up replacing them all.

@usually_quiet - have you looked into getting the vcr/dvd combos with the digital tuners in them? I know it would just be for ota but would that be a step in the right direction?

And also I feel your pain - I have a 90 year old grandmother who is using just an ota adapter. Took forever to get her to first agree to get it and second to have her learn to use two different remotes. (back a few years ago before the switch occurred)

She recently had her power go out and the box reset. Something went weird with it and I had go to her house and physically unplug the unit and plug it back in to get the picture back. Strange thing was the power light was on but no picture was on the set.

Also she was messing with the sound. She had turned the sound down on the ota box so you couldn't hear it on the set. After boosting the volume back to a 100% on the box it was back to normal (read BLASTING at full on the tv as she still refuses to get hearing aids if you can believe it.....)

Anyway you are not alone usually_quiet.

Oh and my family and I have tried to get her to get cable for awhile now but no go. Its not that she can't afford it its just a change she doesn't want to make.......

[usually_quiet]

Yep I received something like that in the mail the other week (I have comcast too). I already got the adapters when they were first available. I actually just got newer replacements the other month because one of them kept acting up so they ended up replacing them all.

@usually_quiet - have you looked into getting the vcr/dvd combos with the digital tuners in them? I know it would just be for ota but would that be a step in the right direction?

And also I feel your pain - I have a 90 year old grandmother who is using just an ota adapter. Took forever to get her to first agree to get it and second to have her learn to use two different remotes. (back a few years ago before the switch occurred)

She recently had her power go out and the box reset. Something went weird with it and I had go to her house and physically unplug the unit and plug it back in to get the picture back. Strange thing was the power light was on but no picture was on the set.

Also she was messing with the sound. She had turned the sound down on the ota box so you couldn't hear it on the set. After boosting the volume back to a 100% on the box it was back to normal (read BLASTING at full on the tv as she still refuses to get hearing aids if you can believe it.....)

Anyway you are not alone usually_quiet.

Oh and my family and I have tried to get her to get cable for awhile now but no go. Its not that she can't afford it its just a change she doesn't want to make.......

Thanks for the suggestion, but I think a DVD/VCR combo recorder is too complicated for them. Since they have On Demand they don't need to record much. I think it will be less trouble for me to do it for them.

My parents are nearly the same age as your grandmother, and have the same aversion to hearing aids. Truthfully, hearing aids may or may not help an older person with hearing loss.

[yoda313]

Truthfully, hearing aids may or may not help an older person with hearing loss.

Its not so much weather or not it would work that is her problem - its the outright refusal to even try! I mean if she tried and it wouldn't work for her case thats different. But not even trying - thats where the frustration comes in.... Among other things

I think it will be less trouble for me to do it for them.

Yep I know usually it is - here let me do it is usually the least aggrevating approach to take.

Good luck