Cable/satellite tv in a couple years?

My folks just got direct tv and canceled cable tv other than my room looking like they feds were in here looking for drugs and the tv in my room not working worth a damn and a bunch of other cables going to my computer being disconnected and just left like that for me to put back after a long F*****g day at work what else do I have to worry about I remember I kept seeing a commercial with an older lady talking about something related to cable tv and satellite tv she said something about satellite tv owners will have to get something extra to be able to continue to watch their satellite tvs while cable tv owners have nothing to worry about and will be able to continue to watch their tvs does anyone know exactly what shes talking about?


dont ever get direct tv they come in your house do what they want unplug whatever they feel like now my computer works like a** and my tv dosent even work.

Cable/satellite tv in a couple years?
Satellite and cable fed TVs should be OK for now.





On February 17, 2009, all US TV broadcasters are required to turn off their older analog transmitters and be exclusively digital. This will affect Over The Air (OTA) viewers only.





OTA viewers will need to either upgrade to a digital TV or purchase a digital converter box. Converter boxes are targeted to be on retailers' shelves by the end of March 2008 and are expected to be in the $40 - $70 range. The government is offering coupons to consumers to help with the cost of the converter boxes. You may apply for a coupon here: https://www.dtv2009.gov/ .





People who subscribe to cable or satellite will not be affected immediately as the cable box or satellite receiver will convert the signals to analog as they do now.





There are some advantages to using the OTA digital broadcasts. First, it's free. All you must do is put up an antenna. Second, there are features in the OTA digital signal, like surround sound, other languages, and sub channels that may not be passed along by cable systems and satellite providers until they upgrade their systems.





If you wish to have a TV industry professional speak to your community group free of charge about the transition, contact the National Association of Broadcasters Speaker's Bureau at (202) 232-6579 . You can also find information at http://www.DTVAnswers.com .
Reply:Actually.. I'm not so sure you'll be effected. What your talking about is them transition from analog to digital tv. Understand that this primarily effects TV using over the air antennas... (a.k.a. bunny ears). As far as it effecting satellite and cable subscribers, the details and the exceptions can be complicated. First off, while the antenna TV thing is mandated by the federal goverment to go down by February of next year, the cable/satellite companies don't need to make a full switch to digital by then. Also, if your satellite service is digital.. (some examples of which include getting a wopping amount of channels, you have on-demand, you can watch HD channels).. then you don't have to worry at all. If your sattelite service is analog (if they even do that on new setups anymore)then essentially you'd need a replacement box for each TV using satellite. If your boxes are leased this shouldn't be much of a problem, they'll probably replace them for free or for only a small fee. This is what I assume anyway... I'm way more familiar with cable TV.





But to get a TV to work using bunny ear antennas, you'll need to put a small converter box connected between the antenna and tv, unless you have a newer DTV ready tv. In certain cases and inevidably some people may need something like that for the basic cable/satelite service as well.. but more likely they'd just get a new cable/satellite box... the same as if they upgraded now to digital service. I do know by me for instance, HBO go dropped from our regular analog cable service.. so the TVs in my house that have the cable wire plugged straight into the TV don't have HBO.... but my living room has a digital cable box, so that's not effected, iow it still has HBO.
Reply:The government wants everything to switch over to digital so they can have full access to the analog signal for security purposes. This will not effect satellite TV at all because all the providers I know of broadcast 100% digitally plus HD. If your parents use bunny ears to get their local channels then they will be effected. If their locals come over the satellite dish, then there is no problem.
Reply:in 2009 t.v. stations are going to stop broadcastin in vhf and uhf bands so anyone with aerial antennas will stop getting any signal at all. that will disrupt reception on satellite dishes as well so you will have to get another device to make sattelite dishes work properly while landline cable t.v. will not be affected. sorry