Channels and Programming

[MachineMike]

In Mystic CT, a couple of weeks ago most of my HD channels went bye bye without notice, my 4 HD latest greatest TVs are mounted up on a wall with no place for a box. My kitchen TV touchscreen computer is on the counter with no place for a box.  I dont want any boxes or new remotes.  I do want those channels we used to have with the basic package.

So what are my options?

PS: I do not want any BOXES!

[rog286713]

Comcast was the last provider to give tv without boxes.  Unless you get a box there is really nothing you can do, you need something to decrypt the cable signal.  No matter what provider you have this is the case. 

What might be your issue though is if only the hd channels moved is that comcast moved the channels, they do that frequently.  So do rescan on your tv for channels to see if they have moved them.   If your tv comes up with nothing then theres not much to do.  Most areas of the country have already gone full digital and all channels are encrypted.

Maybe someone else might have an idea for you. 

[MachineMike]

I rescanned and got a lot of stuff back. So I am getting digital channels without any stinkin box.

[rog286713]

thats not going to last forever so best to get some kind of plan together while you still have time. 

[MachineMike]

ESPN is gone!!

[rog286713]

Like I said its slowly going to be totally gone,   some people in your situation have velcroed boxes to the back of the tv or under a cabinet.  you might need a company that specializes in that. 

http://www.ehow.com/how_7601606_hide-cable-boxes.html

[MachineMike]

Why can't there be a secret decoder box where the cable comes into the house?  Let us use the remotes that our TVs come with.  One box for as many TVs as you have in the house.

[edpeters]

MachineMike wrote:

Why can't there be a secret decoder box where the cable comes into the house?  Let us use the remotes that our TVs come with.  One box for as many TVs as you have in the house

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HAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!  

The remote problem is the TV manufactures;  If they had made the remotes with a choice of say 4 or 8 codes to output (and the TV or other media device with the ability to select one of those choices) we could have a common "Universal Remote".  Of course then we might expect media providers to allow personalized channel selection, with the ability to send any channel to any TV/recorder.  That would require technology that has only been around for 20 to 30 years..

[commanguy]

edpeters wrote

The remote problem is the TV manufactures; If they had made the remotes with a choice of say 4 or 8 codes to output (and the TV or other media device with the ability to select one of those choices) we could have a common "Universal Remote". Of course then we might expect media providers to allow personalized channel selection, with the ability to send any channel to any TV/recorder. That would require technology that has only been around for 20 to 30 years..

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What?? You mean we were able to do this once??

But I like the idea of one common decoder for encrypted channels, even inside the house so it would be safer from someone "borrowing" signal.

[Barmar]

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MachineMike wrote:

Why can't there be a secret decoder box where the cable comes into the house?  Let us use the remotes that our TVs come with.  One box for as many TVs as you have in the house.

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Such a box would need a hundred tuners and transmitters, since it would have to decode every channel simultaneously and then retransmit them all on the cable that goes into the house. It would be very expensive -- each of them would cost about as much as a hundred DTAs (or maybe only 50, since there's no IR receiver and not as much packaging).

[OriginalMacRat]

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Barmar wrote:

Such a box would need a hundred tuners and transmitters, since it would have to decode every channel simultaneously and then retransmit them all on the cable that goes into the house.

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Channels shouldn't be encrypted in the first place.

The more they reduce Clear QAM, the more they drive customers to internet viewing.

[BruceW]

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Barmar wrote: Such a box would need a hundred tuners and transmitters, since it would have to decode every channel simultaneously and then retransmit them all on the cable that goes into the house. It would be very expensive -- each of them would cost about as much as a hundred DTAs (or maybe only 50, since there's no IR receiver and not as much packaging).

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Here's a gent who thinks it could be done, although he doesn't have a lot to say about how: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/07/how-big-cable-killed-the-open-set-top-box-and-what-to-do-...

[edpeters]

There are now small boxes that have up to 6 tuners in them, and feed an Ethernet cable or USB cable (maybe others).  You could also have those tuners feed an RF cable and tune each TV or other device to one of the channels.  You would assign an output (or Freq.) to each tuner and then select the channel you want that tuner to work with (that's basically what I do with the tuners that talk to my PC).

[commanguy]

edpeters

Do you have more information on those tuners? Perhaps a link. Sounds interesting.

Thanks in Advance.