Cable TV, help me understand...

lendaddy · 09-14-2005, 04:16 AM

I have Cable internet at home and somebody told me that Cable internet is also cable tv, but they don't tell you that. So I took my little LCD from the bedroom and hooked it up to the cable to see what would happen. Well it worked! Sorta...... I got like 6-10 channels perfect(great picture etc..), CBS, ABC, TNT and a couple others, but the rest were really bad, not scrambled, but like bad antennae reception.

So, do I need a box to "better receive" this signal or what?

RoninLB · 09-14-2005, 05:06 AM

around here the homes get fed with one cable wire.

TV and the net share the single line. If 4-6 TV's are on this one line computer performance will degrade, especially when doing media. I split main in line into two lines. The TV's and the ds apt computer are one one line and this/my computer has its own custom wired line.

ask around about your specific cable routine. There may be filters on it somewhere?

lendaddy · 09-14-2005, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RoninLB
around here the homes get fed with one cable wire.

TV and the net share the single line. If 4-6 TV's are on this one line computer performance will degrade, especially when doing media. I split main in line into two lines. The TV's and the ds apt computer are one one line and this/my computer has its own custom wired line.

ask around about your specific cable routine. There may be filters on it somewhere?

Good point, there is some kind of box on the line outside on my house that appears to serve no purpose. Perhaps a filter?

RoninLB · 09-14-2005, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lendaddy

Perhaps a filter?

around here there is a small $ bounty, maybe $50, for finding a bootlegger. I know guys that have a special prepped drilled out extra filter. They used to be color coded?

VINMAN · 09-14-2005, 05:36 AM

The signal for cable internet is a digital signal, same as most of the cable channels, you need a cable box to decode the signal so you can get your cable channels on tv.

Mule · 09-14-2005, 05:38 AM

All you need is a cable ready tv & you should get extended basic. That's how it works here.

lendaddy · 09-14-2005, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by VINMAN
The signal for cable internet is a digital signal, same as most of the cable channels, you need a cable box to decode the signal so you can get your cable channels on tv.

Interesting, thanks. I really don't care I guess as I have other TV sources, so the whole thing is just interesting to me.

lendaddy · 09-14-2005, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mikester
I've worked for a number of cable companies over the last decade managing their broadband networks.

The internet provided over cable lines is basically provided on a frequency that would be considered a channel. Honest.

The little box you mention may be a filter to filter out the higher end programming. We used to do that back in the days before digital. Now with digital programming you have to have a set top box to get it (which is almost just like a cable modem itself). A cable ready TV still isn't able to get the digital programming without a set top box.

Cable internet operates under the same principles of cable TV except it's two way. Digital TV set top boxes are also two way which is one of the reasons that cable ready TVs still need one (Besides that cable ready TVs are analog). The set top box does some authentication with the cable provider when ever it is turned on and that provider can control it remotely.

Need any more info?

Got ya, so it's a two way communication even with TV. One could not buy a set-top-box and hook it up as the Cable Co. would say "WTF, this dude is wathching ESPN! on his internet line!" or something to that effect. Any idea why I got so many "bad reception channels" without a box but simply hooked up to a TV? Perhaps that filter?

competentone · 09-14-2005, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lendaddy
Any idea why I got so many "bad reception channels" without a box but simply hooked up to a TV?

Could it just be your TV's settings? On some TV's you have to choose a setting for the cable signal.

Joeaksa · 09-14-2005, 07:23 AM

I have most all of the above. Two HD televisions hooked up to cable boxes, as well as one in the bedroom just plugged into the cable with no box.

HD sets get everything (I pay for that is) while the one in the bedroom gets up to channel 100 with no box what so ever, and every channel is crystal clear. The big thing that I had to do is ot get the TV to do an auto search for channels, which it then tuned. This is with Cox cable...

Mike, have been told that you can put a "bypass" filter on the cable input to the box, order a pay per view, and you might not have to pay for it. Any ideas on this?

JoeA

lendaddy · 09-14-2005, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by competentone
Could it just be your TV's settings? On some TV's you have to choose a setting for the cable signal.

I didn't know that either. Would it likely be on the onscreen menu? It's a low dollar LCD flat panel bought new a month ago if it matters.

kang · 09-14-2005, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mikester
Cable internet operates under the same principles of cable TV except it's two way. Digital TV set top boxes are also two way which is one of the reasons that cable ready TVs still need one (Besides that cable ready TVs are analog). The set top box does some authentication with the cable provider when ever it is turned on and that provider can control it remotely.

Need any more info?

What about digital cable TV’s when they come out? Will they be two way?

As I understand it, the digital cable top boxes have a serial number or some other identifying characteristic that is sent back to the cable company. If the number doesn’t match, or if you haven’t paid your bill, you don’t get service. Likewise, if you’ve paid for premium channels (HBO, etc), this enables those channels. How will this work with digital ready TV’s? Will you have to give the serial number of the TV to your cable company?

I just bought a digital cable converter from eBay. It powers up with an error code, presumably because the cable company does not have its serial number. I called and asked them to add the serial number to my account (I already have digital cable and rent one converter from the cable company). They wouldn’t do it. Scum. I guess they want the additional $4/month to rent the converter box. I was hoping to be able to send that box back to them and save that $4/month.

I’m guessing they will have to add these serial numbers once digital ready TV’s come on the market.

kang · 09-14-2005, 09:02 AM

Thanks for the quick reply.

I guess I get the quality control argument, at least for the average consumer. But I’m pretty savvy when it comes to these things. I’m willing to take the risk that the cheap converter box from eBay doesn’t work or might break. I certainly wouldn’t blame the cable company if that happened. Likewise if it needed an update or became out of date, the burden would be on me.

When I mentioned digital TV’s, I meant digital cable ready, not HD. Just like there are analog cable ready TV’s today, I understand that digital cable ready TV’s are on the way. As I understand it, TV’s and cable are gradually switching to digital over the next few years. The cable companies will not have much choice when that happens, I think.

My cable company already washes its hands of things out of its control, like the cables in the walls of my house, etc. They have a policy that if they come out to fix a problem, and the problem turns out not to be in their equipment, then I pay. Big time. Travel time plus an hourly rate, plus parts. They could easily wash their hands of problems in my personal digital converter with the same policy.