Digital TV signal from analog cable question

[fecmech]

Gentlemen: I have been laboring under the delusion that I was receiving a digital signal for my TV through Spectrum(formerly Time Warner). I got rid of a newer tube type TV in the bedroom and replaced it with a 42" LEDTV. When I turned it on after setup my picture was not real sharp and thought I had a problem with the TV or cable connections. Ruled that out when accessing Netflix on my WIFI, TV was sharp as a tack. Cleaned cable connections to the TV, no joy. Called cable co. and was informed cable was analog and only going through cable co. box could I get digital signal to TV ($5./mo.). Is there some kind of item that I can purchase 1 time to get the digital signal to this tv and avoid a monthly rental fee?

[David2011]

As far as I know all of the digital cable boxes are encrypted or coded to the provider. That's "as far as I know." Could be wrong; my expertise is in the computer world.

[lucifers]

$5.00/ month ? For 1080 ? Sounds like a deal to me.

[OeldeWolf]

Here ib CA, they sold a converter box to make analog tv's work with digital air wave signals. But you need the reverse, and I have not heard of that problem before. I also thought all cable signals were digital. I think they are, around here.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP...

Called cable co. and was informed cable was analog and only going through cable co. box could I get digital signal to TV ($5./mo.). Is there some kind of item that I can purchase 1 time to get the digital signal to this tv and avoid a monthly rental fee?

did you ask to buy a cable box from them? instead of rent?


When the previous cable provider in my town started offering Cable internet, they'd either rent you a cable modem or sell you one.

[popper]

Did you sign up for HD or just regular TV? Try to set the TV for non HD. Cable can be digital or analog, TV can be either.

[fecmech]

Did you sign up for HD or just regular TV? Try to set the TV for non HD. Cable can be digital or analog, TV can be either.

My understanding from the cable co. that they are in the process of upgrading our cable to a digital signal the tv's can access without the box. I will look into changing tv input.
The reason I don't want to rent a box is this tv gets very little use, less than 1-2 hours a week.

[Finster101]

I don't have cable. Just an ant. in the attic. Digital signal over air if you are not to rural is an excellent picture.

[abunaitoo]

We have Spectrum. same as you Time Warner got bought out by them. Don't care for Spectrum.
We also don't have digital. Never had.
Spectrum is pushing for us to get digital, but we're fine with what we have now.
Is your cable going directly into the TV????
If it's connected through a DVD player. The player needs to be turned off.
On some HDTV sets you need to change the input settings to analog.
Your instructions should tell you if you need to change it.

[jsizemore]

You need an analog to digital converter. In the end you'll rather pay $5/mo when you see the price of one that's worth a darn.

[mold maker]

Antenna will get local news and up to 70 junk channels, but to satisfy the family "needs" I have 4 boxes at $5. ea from Spectrum. It's the price I pay for having young folks constantly in the home. I spend most of my time on line. The older I get the more I find I didn't know.

[abunaitoo]

Do you have cable or an antenna?????
We have Spectrum cable and don't have a box.
We get all the basic cable channels.
If your using an antenna, your not getting TV from Spectrum, your getting off the air wave.
All air wave is now digital, so you'll need a converter.
I have two old portable TV's that run off battery.
Used to take them to the park to watch.
They don't work now without a converter.

[fecmech]

Do you have cable or an antenna?????

I do have cable and get many channels. The difference is that on my main living room TV with the box all channels are razor sharp, the same channels without the box are not so sharp. This is a new Hisense 43" TV so it can handle digital. What I'm picking up from this thread is without the box the TV can't decode the digital signal from the analog cable input. It appears without the box "I can't get there from here". Not that big of a deal as that TV gets very little use and anything I stream over WIFI is crystal clear on that TV.

[6bg6ga]

All TV signal being broadcast from your local TV stations is digital. The old TV's need a digital to analog converter. Don't take offense but the cheaper TV's being sold (like the one you purchased) are not super good quality and the picture isn't good. I also have a TV that is receiving the local cable signal without a cable box and the quality isn't the best. When I hook up the cable box to it the quality increases. Yes, they have their (premium) box that is a digital box and upscales the picture quality. They also have the cigarette package cable converter and the cheaper box the size of a VHS recorder. They say the cigarette sized converter isn't digital and the cheaper VHS sized box isn't digital either. Their goal is to push the (digital) box with the upgraded signal and the extra channels at the higher monthly cost.

Yes, the newer TV's are setup to receive the digital signal being broadcast from local carriers. The add on box allows for more channels and some features.

[RogerDat]

What he said ^

There is also no such thing as a "digital TV antenna" The antenna is a "dumb" device, it just catches a signal, be it AM, FM or TV, or Shortwave. The content of that signal might be digital but the antenna doesn't care.

Look for a way to set the TV to analog input. That may well activate an "up convert" function to enhance the cable signal a bit.

[kens]

all TV signal now is digital, there is no more analog. what you are seeing may be standard definition compared to HD. All the new purchased TV's are digital, and HD. your signal may vary, but your signal is digital. I'm getting HD from a regular rabbit ears antenna from common airwaves. the converter box you got sounds like it is not letting HD through put

[6bg6ga]

Your getting standard resolution because the cable companies and other wish to market the additional features for that added price. Like I said earlier the signal is digital. Mediacom for example calls their basic and standard boxes analog which indeed is incorrect and a lie. The "Digital" buzz word is one that has been around for years and people seem to want to recognize it as being better. Thus the Words "Digital Speakers" "Digital Interconnect cables" and I could go on and on.

As pointed out a "antenna" is a simple antenna as it receives the digital or analog signal being broadcast. The digital convertor was marketed and sold for the OLDER TV's without digital input capabilities. As I have mentioned all the NEW TV's are digital and will receive the DIGITAL signal that is being sent out by ALL TV stations and all Cable providers.

There needs to be some truth to the BS that is being pushed out there. The cheap cable boxes output a digital signal. The standard boxes output digital signal and both are marketed as ANALOG in the effort to get the general public to buy and or rent the "DIGITAL" box with the better resolution and features.

The signal being sent to the TV that was purchased is digital but is not high resolution.

[poppy42]

Get an antenna and a fire stick! Antenna for live local channels (news and such) fire stick for movies. ( net flicks and such). Depending on how far away antenna’s any were from $15 to $100 Bucks. Fire stick is about $40.00. You still have to pay for net flicks but it’s a lot cheaper than cable?

[fecmech]

Antenna does not work for me due to location. I live just below the Niagara escarpment (what Niagara Falls goes over) and the TV stations broadcast from Buffalo which is on top of the escarpment. Since TV signals have become pretty much line of sight I would need about a 150 high antenna. I can access netflix through the internet on the new TV and our main living room tv has a Roku.
Talking to a fellow at the range this AM it appears in about a year Spectrum will have all of it's system full digital so that my TV will then be able to get a sharp picture without the box. Again not that big a deal due to the very limited use of this TV. Thanks to all who responded.

[mold maker]

I thought electronics were supposed to make life simpler, like "the paperless society". Remember when if the round TV picture was fuzzy, you went outside and turned the antinna. If that didn't help, ya just watched a different station, after all there were three.
Now I pay almost $200 a month for a Kzillion channels that have nothing to watch, but they are clear and loud, and I don't have to go outside and turn the antinna......