This question is NOT about over-the-air TV broadcast signals, just USA cable TV only.
I have been using an old analog TV – it’s good enough for me, as I rarely watch it anymore – but recently my cable provider (Charter) rearranged some channel assignments from the under-100 numbers to the 9XX range, available only as digital channels.
So I got a converter box from Charter and it’s hooked up and working. It occured to me that it might be time to bite the bullet and spring for a new TV, all of which seem to be digital anyway. Then I’d have fewer remotes and a simpler system.
I assumed that a modern, state-of-the-art digital consumer-grade TV would not have a need for the Charter-supplied converter box. But Charter claims not, and that I won’t be able to receive some channels or access some features without that clunky add-on box.
Is that true? Do the Charter techs (talked to two of them) know what they are talking about? What features does this box have that a new TV doesn’t?
And if I get a digital TV tuner card for my PC, do I need another Charter converter box for it, too? Doesn’t seem logical.