What will happen to analog cable after the digital switch???

[yoda313]

So my question is what is going to happen with analog basic cable in the US after the switch to digital? Will it disappear and you'll be forced to pay extra for digital cable? Or can you continue to subscribe to analog cable? Would you need to get a signal converter even if you have an older tv with all the "old" analog tuner equipment?

Also I was wondering is all you need for "air" channels like your local abc, nbc, cbs etc a settop unit with a digital tuner? Would a dvd recorder with an atsc tuner be enough? How about recording one channel on the recorder and then watching another on the tv? Would you be able to do that like your "old" setup but be using the new tuner instead?

One note when we got the basic cable installed we did not get a cable box. Would we simply be able to order a "digital" cable box for each of our tvs to handle the switch over?

Thanks for any heads up on this.

[zzyzzx]

Most likely you will still be getting (basic) analog cable. If they forced you to recieve digital cable, then they would be forced to lower the price for basic digital cable. At least that's my guess since basic cable is still analog and I believe mandantory.

[yoda313]

SO then for cable customers the switch is isn't a factor unless they dump analog cable alltogether as well? That would make sense.

Or I could live with buying a box so that it could be "compatible" if they'd keep the same rates instead of going up.....

[zzyzzx]

SO then for cable customers the switch is isn't a factor unless they dump analog cable alltogether as well? That would make sense.

Or I could live with buying a box so that it could be "compatible" if they'd keep the same rates instead of going up.....

Why buy a box when you can buy a DVD recorder that has a built in QAM tuner instead? You know you want one!

[yoda313]

well I already have an analog dvd recorder. I don't think I'll do anything until the last minute when this stuff is more finalized....

[Conquest10]

Comcast here has cut off all analogs other than locals and public access stuff and CSPAN. Now all digital. Comcast does provide each household one free box, though. So they're not all SOL.