Author Topic: semi-OT - comcast basic cable changes...  (Read 1707 times)

skeptic

  • Addicted
  • *
  • Posts: 615
    • View Profile
semi-OT - comcast basic cable changes...
« on: December 12, 2008, 07:56:44 pm »
Last night I hooked up a cable direct to the TV (again).  After a quick channel scan here is what I found:  I can get every channel in the 2-99 range, although some of them are digital so my PVR 150 is still too unreliable to use.  I am able to get HD versions of several channels unencrypted, ie channel 2 is a local network station in SD, 2-1 is the same channel in HD.  The scan also found a bunch of channels in odd locations that appear to be HD versions of standard channels, something like 66-864 is the HD version of 25 (fictitious example, I don't remember the actual numbers), more HD to come?  The HD channels are broadcasting roughly 24 hours of program scheduling.

Sooooo...  All this means I can dump my cable boxes, drop back to their digital starter package (cheaper than standard cable???), pick up a HD Homerun, and after giving up a only a couple channels I typically watch (sci-fi being the biggest downer) have a much better LMCE experience. 

Consider this a heads up for other people using cable with a STB.  If you haven't looked to see what is available via cable without a STB in a while and you have a HDTV with QAM tuner, do a scan.  Recording HDTV just may be an option.