[mythtv-users] Cablevision requiring STB for all TVs in my area soon

[Brian Wood]

On Tuesday, August 31, 2010 09:38:18 am MacNean Tyrrell wrote:
> On Tue, Aug 31, 2010 at 10:22 AM, Fred <ffluvssg1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hi everyone,
> > 
> > I am trying to figure out my options now that I have received a letter in
> > the mail from Cablevision on Long Island (NY) informing me that "all your
> > televisions will require a digital cable box by September 28, 2010. Also,
> > without a digital cable box, your TV cannot access iO TV (r)." For those
> > who don't know, iO TV is Cablevision's digital channel package (anything
> > over channel 99).<snip>
> 
> Question: The second line, does this mean your regular TV without a box can
> access 1-99?  I have TWC without digital (even tho it's free with box
> rental, just regular analog has been fine my whole life, and I get sports
> in HD with my TV tuner except ESPN Monday Night, which I can live with) so
> can get 3-76 or w/e it is plus the unencrypted HD channels
> (fox/cbs/cw/etc).  So just curious if the box is really "required" for all
> content, or just digital content.

I think any non-digital (ie: analog) content will go away eventually. The cable companies want to make room for things 
like the upcoming left-handed Lithuanian Frisbee channel. (apologies to any left-handed Lithuanian frisbee fans out 
there).

NTSC does waste a lot of bandwidth, that was one of the major points about the digital changeover, but most of what's on 
cable these days is crap anyway, but putting obscure channels up is one way to try and justify rate increases. I think we 
are already at the point where available bandwidth exceeds available programming, and IPTV solutions will make that point 
moot anyway.