# Help with transition to digital cable channels only **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 13, 2014, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-transition-to-digital-cable-channels-only/681274 "2014-02-13T19:50:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![imnieve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@imnieve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imnieve)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-transition-to-digital-cable-channels-only/681274/1 "2014-02-13T19:50:52Z")
Hi, I’m totally confused by Time Warner’s recent switch to digital channels only and could use some help. I live in NYC and last summer Time Warner stopped broadcasting analog signals in favor of digital signals only. I don’t pay for cable and up until now I have simply plugged a coaxial cable from my TV into the line where my internet comes in and received 12-15 basic channels. I was away when Time Warner made the switch and so wasn’t initially aware of it. When I finally did notice, many of the channels I used to have had a static image saying “if you want this channel back call Time Warner to get a digital adapter”. As far as I could tell, the only channels I had left were ABC and a smaller local network. I don’t watch a ton of TV and pretty much ignored the problem until recently when I decided it would be nice to be able to watch the Olympics at home, but I didn’t have NBC. I decided not to rent a piece of equipment from Time Warner and instead ordered a digital antenna (the Amazon version of the Leaf). On the day that my antenna was supposed to arrive I happened to turn on the TV to see the morning news. When I did this, my TV which had been set to ABC, flickered and seemed to reset, suddenly turning on to NBC. I clicked around a bit and it now seems like I have most of the major networks back (in digital format only, the analog channels still show the static screen). So… I’m wondering: 1. Why didn’t I have these channels before? 2. Why do I have them now? Is this a mistake on Time Warner’s part or was I meant to have them all along, but just didn’t for some reason? 3. Is there any benefit to trying to hook up the antenna or should I just return it? 4. If I get these channels now, in theory, would I get them in another NYC apartment that’s wired for Time Warner? (If, say, I move at some point). For the record, I have an HD TV from around 2010 which can evidently play digital channels. Any thoughts or advice are much appreciated. I have a friend coming over tomorrow who could help me with the antenna, but I just don’t know if it makes sense. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-transition-to-digital-cable-channels-only/681274/2 "2014-02-13T20:15:08Z")
All you need is a set of rabbit ears and you should get all local channels in HD, you don’t even need to plug into the TWC coax outlet. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-transition-to-digital-cable-channels-only/681274/3 "2014-02-13T20:38:35Z")
it could be just a matter of time before you loose them. your set may have done a scan for cable input. go to [http://www.tvfool.com/](http://www.tvfool.com/) and ‘click on your address for free tv’ it will show you what stations you should be able to get over the air. there is a difference between DTV and HDTV for both over the air and cable. over the air if a station has a single virtual channel it would likely be HDTV (you can see nose hairs). over the air if a station has multiple virtual channels then those would be DTV. on cable even digital is a decreased quality picture unless it is a specific HD channel (which might need to use their tuner to decode). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-transition-to-digital-cable-channels-only/681274/4 "2014-02-13T20:41:23Z")
I _think_ if your TV is from 2010, it’s already a digital set and you don’t need a digital adapter. I think what happened is that you finally changed from the analog channels to the digital ones and are now getting a usable signal. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-transition-to-digital-cable-channels-only/681274/5 "2014-02-13T21:15:01Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I _think_ if your TV is from 2010, it’s already a digital set and you don’t need a digital adapter. I think what happened is that you finally changed from the analog channels to the digital ones and are now getting a usable signal. This is true until the KableCo encrypts ALL digital channels. Then you will need a cable box of some sort.