Hi,

My parents have Comcast (hate Comcast) TV service and decided to upgrade to the "triple play". I called and set up for one analog TV (they do not own any digital TVs at this time). They use 2 Tvs but I was wondering if it is possible to split the digital signal and input the second cable into a digital/analog converter set to channel 3 and use the telivision tuner to pick up the service for a second or third TV?
If not do I have any other options?

Thanks,

 

You should be talking to Comcast--pay the $5 bucks (per mo. )or
whatever for another setup....................

 

Don't have Comcast but Time Warner the first 70+ channels will tune in through TV tuner but anything else will have to have a box.

 

First 21 Comcast channels here tune without a converter.
Using 1 converter could be done, but both TVs will be on the same channel.

 

I get almost the full range of my Comcast channels (I have most up to channel 78 and then a few local ones in the hundreds) in the loop before it goes into the Comcast box. I can't use any of the special services like OnDemand, but I can see all the channels up to 78 on any of the tvs in the house even though only one is hooked up to the box. I've managed to split the one signal into four without any noticable loss in quality.

 

On most cable systems Channels 2 through 78 are analog. (Channels 95 through 99 are also analog. Their frequencies are actually between channels 6 & 7.) The digital channels are above 78.

One analog standard-def (SD) channel requires 6 megaHertz of bandwith. QAM, the digital cable compression scheme, can pack up to 15 SD digital channels or 4 hi-def (HD) digital channels into the same bandwidth.

The typical "copper" cable system is capable of a total bandwidth of around 860 MHz. The first 550MHz is analog, leaving about 310MHz for digital.

That bandwidth is capable of up to fifty-one 6 MHz channels, each of which can hold 15 SD, 4 HD, or a combination of both.

If it was all assigned to digital channels, it could handle roughly 570 HD and/or over 2,000 SD programs.

(Some of the digital space is used by other services such as cable modems and telephone, so the actual bandwidth available for TV channels is lower.)

It's likely that the system won't change for awhile, although some are already talking about lowering the number of analog channels so they can use the bandwidth for digital.

 

When our cable co. (WOW ) sends us a letter saying
" we got you covered-next year you will not be affected by the effects of the changes " I smell $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

I agree.
I have Comcast and I use no set top box nor do I have any "premium" channels. I also have three Panasonic DVD recorders and (of course) they all are limited to recording analog signals. I suspect that within a year or so of the digital makeover Comcast will be pressured to provide more digital (SD and HD) channels and to do so will mean the end of the analog signals and they will be offering digital STB converters to their customers. At an additional charge per box, of course! That WILL effectively end the ability of any current analog recorder from being able to record via timer action various programs on different channels.

Oh, well, there really isn't much worth watching anyway, even with having some sixty channels available.

 

What they really mean is "You have cable, so it makes no difference that the analog over-the-air transmissions will be going", which is true. It would be really annoying if they made you require a box for each tv.

 

What I think J Howard and I are both saying is that while the cable companies WILL continue to offer analog signals for now there most likely will come a time that the cable companies will want to reduce and/or eliminate the analog channels to allow for more digital channels on what is most definitely a limited pipeline, aka coaxial cable. When that time comes people that do not have STBs or digital tuners WILL be forced to purchase them or lease them from the cable companies.