Do I need HD service from Comcast for my HDTV that has both tuners?
Question:
And do I need the digital service (additional $) to view the digital channels? Or can I pick this up with my tuners once I get the Comcast service.
Overall, I'm looking for alternatives to spending a lot on cable if necessary.
Answer:
Hey I hear ya, i hate paying the cable company. Here are a few options for ya.
1) If you just want your local channels in HD, go to an electronics store and buy an HD Antenna. This will provide you with your local channels in HD. However, if you live in a rural area, or if you local channels don't provide Digital broadcast, you out of luck. Local channels need to have a digital (HD) broadcast by 2007 so that could change soon.
2) Plug the cable into the TV and do an Auto Program. The TV might notice the digital channels and you may get them for free. This has worked for some of my customers in the past.
3) The easiest thing to do is have Comcast give you HD service and a new box. You'll get all the HD channels, however you do need to subscribe to a digital tier of service in order to get HD. Trust me, the money won't be an issue when you see the picture quality. Plus you'll get the DVR which allows you to record and pause live television. This has proven to be very helpful when the g/f calls, trust me.
Also, depending where you live, Verizon is offering HDTV over their FIOS network. With added competition, price of cable may come down.
Hi!
I'm in Arlington, VA, for the record.
Several years ago, Congress mandated that the national networks provide free HD signals as alternatives to their analog broadcasts (it's called "over the air HD"). PBS, in most areas, also broadcasts between 1-3 HD stations. Comcast requires a "digital box" to be ordered/subscribed to in order, at least in VA, to view channels 100-170...some are good, some are not...Your tastes will dictate what's what...
Where the Comcast box will be helpful is when you wish to receive other "non-subscription" HD channels. For example, here, we receive INHD1&2, Discovery HD, TNT and TBS HD, among others. Additionally, all "for pay" HD signals - HBO, title fights, concerts, and On-Demand PPV - need to be ordered through the box and allowed (key checked) before displayed.
Thus, if you're happy with networks only, the extra money for the HD tuner box and subscription is unnecessary (provided, of course, that you don't mind mounting an antenna to your dom if you cannot get a signal to your new HD panel). If, however, you want any other non-pay or pay "cable" HD stations, you'll need the box...And yes, that box will be digital. In fact, if you subscribe to the HD package for $5, you'll get the digital tear included...
Since you have a built in tuner, adding a simple antenna would allow you to view HD content that is being broadcast over the air. However, this content is typically limited to free type channels (such as the big networks) that you would be able to get with a regular antenna anyway. The difference is that it would be in HD, but it could also possibly be affected by interference and problems that would normally affect any other type of antenna.
The content you would most likely want to be watching is the stuff that you have to pay for from a cable or sattelite provider, such as movies and other "subscription" content. Since you spent the money and have the equipment, you may as well bite the bullet and pay a little more for the stuff that will really make you glad you bought into HD to begin with.
If you have an outside antenna, you can recieve local digital channels. No need to purchase a digital antenna if you have a TV antenna. The old (analog) antenna will work fine if not better than an HD antenna if you already have one. The only difference between the two (HD and UHF/VHF) is the Digital antenna will not recieve the UHF/VHF signal, they are tuned only for digital. As you TV has both an ATSC and NTSC tuner.
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