# Digital TV **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 5, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412 "2013-02-05T19:23:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/1 "2013-02-05T19:23:41Z")
This has probably already been answered numerous times, but here goes: I currently have a cable subscription with the following packages: Local Plus TV Family TV Sports and Info Digital Pak Kids and Variety Digtal Pak Movies and Music Digital Pak Starz and Encore Premium Digital Pak The first two are basic cable and the rest are digital add-ons. I recently got a digital TV to replace the one in my kitchen (no cable box) and I cannot get it to pick up anything above the two basic packages. What is different about the cable box that I can’t pick up the digital channels with a digital TV? If it makes any difference, the channels in the digital packs are all three digits but no decimals. ---
**Author:** ![eltro102](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@eltro102](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eltro102)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/2 "2013-02-05T19:30:56Z")
Digital TV requires a specific tuner and a decoder, which your TV might not have ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/3 "2013-02-05T19:32:55Z")
My first step would be to call the cable company. I’m sure they could help more immediately than we could. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/4 "2013-02-05T19:59:48Z")
Probably not **hrhomer** , it is the cable company after all. 🙂 Seriously though, I did just send a message to them. We’ll see what they say. ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/5 "2013-02-05T20:18:34Z")
AFAIK, all television has been digital since June of 2009 ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/6 "2013-02-05T20:32:28Z")
So it’s probably like **eltro102** said and my TV doesn’t have the specific decoder/tuner/descrambler(?) that I need. Bummer. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/7 "2013-02-05T20:43:10Z")
My guess would be that your cable company requires a decoder box to unscramble anything above the two basic packages. So, even if your TV is “digital ready” or “cable ready”, if your cable company is scrambling the higher-tier packages, you’ll need a separate cable box for the TV in your kitchen to use the channels in those packages. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/8 "2013-02-05T20:49:46Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > AFAIK, all television has been digital since June of 2009 Almost. Low-power repeaters were allowed to be analog after that, and some still might be. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/9 "2013-02-05T20:51:01Z")
Yes, most premium content on cable in the US is encrypted (scrambled) and will require the cable company’s decoder box or a device with a cable card in it. In some cities I have heard reports of all channels being encrypted, it depends on the cable company. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/10 "2013-02-05T20:57:58Z")
Am I missing something? New TV. Cable not fully work with TV. Solution? Ask cable company. Perhaps they can furnish the equipment you need, maybe even free of charge, since you subscribe already. I am fully prepared to admit that I am simply misunderstanding something. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/11 "2013-02-05T21:20:32Z")
Sorry, I was commenting on the ‘could help more immediately’ part. I’ve never known ‘immediately’ to be part of a cable company’s mode of operation. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/12 "2013-02-05T22:33:33Z")
While the OP’s cable company might still be feeding some analog channels still, let’s assume that the situation is like most cable situations in the US and it’s all digital now. Some channels are aired in the clear (QAM), as it were. No decoder need except a suitable digital tuner. On my system this includes the local OTA channels including their digital side channels. Also I get a bunch of crap like the shopping channels and some info/weather channels. Everything else in encrypted. This includes not just premium channels like HBO, but almost all basic cable channels like USA, TCM, etc. My system offers a cheap DTA box to watch “basic cable”. (Mostly the old 70+ channel tier.) But that uses its own remote, etc. and the output is analog(!). To watch in digital as well as to get premium channels requires either a full cable box or your own device that can handle a CableCard. (I use the later in my DVR.) Then you have hundreds of channels including HD versions. So it sounds like the OP’s provider isn’t scrambling so many channels, but an additional device would be needed to get the rest. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/13 "2013-02-05T22:46:23Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > So it’s probably like **eltro102** said and my TV doesn’t have the specific decoder/tuner/descrambler(?) that I need. Bummer. What model is your tv? You might have a cable card slot. If you do, you can get a cable card from your provider, pop it in and that will serve to decode the digital signals. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/14 "2013-02-05T23:26:49Z")
> [@deltasigma](#): > > What model is your tv? You might have a cable card slot. If you do, you can get a cable card from your provider, pop it in and that will serve to decode the digital signals. I have not seen CableCard TV’s for sale for years. They are essentially obsolete since they cannot be used for VOD or on cable systems that adopted SDV. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/15 "2013-02-05T23:40:42Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > I have not seen CableCard TV’s for sale for years. They are essentially obsolete since they cannot be used for VOD or on cable systems that adopted SDV. [Your information might be out of date](http://experts.windows.com/frms/windows_entertainment_and_connected_home/f/115/p/102156/545751.aspx) > [@](#): > > From the very early specifications and draft standards, the CableCARD module has been a two-way device. That is, it included the functionality to enable two-way communication on the cable plant. This two-way communication is necessary for a variety of advanced cable services including video on demand (VOD), switched digital video (SDV), interactive services and applications. > The media has frequently reported that first-generation CableCARD 1.0 modules are one-way devices1. This is simply not true. CableLabs had always intended to develop the CableCARD module and host receiver standards with two-way capability. However the manufacturers of digital TVs requested that a host standard be developed that only had one-way capability. This one-way cable-ready receiver was defined by the FCC’s Plug & Play order and by the Joint Test Suite (JTS). It is the definition of this one-way receiver that lacks the ability for two-way functionality, not the CableCARD module. While the FCC defined the elements of the one-way cable-ready receiver, CableLabs continued to define specifications for two-way receivers. > When a CableCARD 1.0 module is used with a two-way receiver (e.g., Samsung HLR5067C) that card supports all the necessary two-way functionality for VOD, SDV, and other interactive services. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/16 "2013-02-05T23:53:37Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > AFAIK, all television has been digital since June of 2009 > [@Derleth](#): > > Almost. Low-power repeaters were allowed to be analog after that, and some still might be. analog is allowed for low power stations, not just repeaters. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/17 "2013-02-06T00:24:33Z")
> [@deltasigma](#): > > [Your information might be out of date](http://experts.windows.com/frms/windows_entertainment_and_connected_home/f/115/p/102156/545751.aspx) I do not believe that anyone has marketed a TV that supported bi-directional hardware. The closest was the Panasonic Tru2Way sets that were tested in a few markets, then dropped a few years ago. Also, from your link > [@](#): > > The CableCARD itself does support bidirectional traffic, however there is no standard for video on demand - meaning retail CableCARD devices can’t really implement anything. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/18 "2013-02-06T00:46:02Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > I do not believe that anyone has marketed a TV that supported bi-directional hardware. The closest was the Panasonic Tru2Way sets that were tested in a few markets, then dropped a few years ago. > > Also, from your link Yes, except I don’t recall the OP being concerned with VOD. Of course if his set doesn’t have a cable card slot, then it’s a moot point, but I don’t see any harm in checking, do you? ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/19 "2013-02-06T04:41:47Z")
The TV is an Orion that I bought at Walmart for $78 so it’s probably pretty no-frills. I looked, but I didn’t see a slot for anything, but I don’t know what a CableCard slot would look like. ---
**Author:** ![FoundWaldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@FoundWaldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoundWaldo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412/20 "2013-02-06T05:01:23Z")
I got my most recent CableCard less than two months ago. Works fine on an SDV system (Cox). No, it doesn’t support VOD, but I have Hulu+, Amazon Prime, Netflix and HBO Go for that. No issues. I think one of the big things being missed in this thread is that “digital TV” (over the air, ATSC) and “digital cable” are entirely different things. A TV that claims to be “digital” is more likely advertising its ability to receive OTA ATSC digital broadcasts, not digital cable (though most do also have QAM tuners, which can get digital cable channels which aren’t encrypted). IMHO the cable companies have taken advantage of the public’s confusion over the difference, by using the “digital transition” a few years ago (which technically only applied to OTA broadcast) to sell people digital cable. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-tv/649412.md?page=2)