Non digital cable

[cog4030]

I have the same cable package since I had TWC installed 10 years ago.
I thought I'd get into the 21st century and see what all the HDTV is about.

My question is will I be able to see any local HD channels on cable ?
I do not have a outside antenna so OTA is not a option.
I do not have digital cable.
I don't have any type of cable box except for the RR cable modem.
I live about 30 miles SW of Milwaukee

TIA

 

[jayn_j]

Yes, but...

TWC in Milwaukee provides the OTA broadcast channels and subchannels in something called clear QAM format. Most modern receivers are able to display this signal. However, the channel mapping may be strange. Some channels will appear with their proper numbers and others will appear at strange numbers.

In addition, the cable companies occassionally remap the channels that have these signals. The cable box automatically downloads the new mapping and you don't see it. However, if you are using the TV's tuner, sometimes stations will disappear. When that happens, you need to do a new channel scan and find them again.

 

[yaz96]

Easiest solution, get digital cable, or a digital box from TWC. Probably just a buck more.

 

[harshness]

At some point in the not-too-distant future, TWC is going to discontinue analog service across the board. You're being grandfathered as it is and it will be a matter of months before you're going to be forced to go digital.

As for what their "lifeline" clear QAM offerings will be, you'll have to ask them.

 

[jayn_j]

I agree that the future is cloudy and that analog cable's days are numbered. However TWC here is just getting started on switched digital channels and the channel loss will be slow for awhile yet. The OP still has a couple of years left. Maybe by then they will understand cablecards and let the OP stay with a solution where he just tunes his TV instead of forcing the additional box.

 

[harshness]

It is because switched digital is progressing so slowly that they MUST hack out as much analog content as possible.

 

[cog4030]

Picked up the TV yesterday after work.
During setup it found 70 analog channels and 14 digital.
Channel 4 was regular , 4.1 was HD.

All I can say is WOW !!

 

[jayn_j]

Cool, but as others have mentioned, you can probably expect that TWC will slowly take away those 70 analogs over the next couple of years. The Milwaukeee office has been removing a couple at a time every few months. Eventually, you will need to either give in and get a box or a cablecard. Don't panic yet, but be prepared for change.

The cablecard will work the most like your current TV, but will not have the fancy guide that you get with the converter box.

 

[Steve Mehs]

It is because switched digital is progressing so slowly that they MUST hack out as much analog content as possible.

SDV is doing pretty good here. We've been using it since late 2006, just about all the HD channels are SDV except for locals and the orginal HD channels like HBO and TNT, and about 100 SD channels are as well.

 

[cog4030]

Called TWC on Friday and the next day the tech installed a Cisco Explorer 8640HDC box with built in DVR.

So far real happy with the TV, digital cable and TWC...

 

[jayn_j]

Called TWC on Friday and the next day the tech installed a Cisco Explorer 8640HDC box with built in DVR.

So far real happy with the TV, digital cable and TWC...

Good, that's the best long term answer. I expect you will get even happier as time goes on. Once you have had a DVR it is hard to go back to live TV.