Very basics on Hd w/o cablecard

[dshinnick]

I know this has been discussed in many different threads, but I still don't have the "big picture".

My sister is thinking about a Tivo HD. In her area the digital/HD service is expensive, so I need to understand her options with an HD without cablecards.

So, in really easy terms, can someone clarify/confirm for me:

1. I assume she can record OTA digital signals (OTA HD) with the appropriate antenna.

2. I assume she can record the analog programming coming in on her cable, but it won't be HD.

3. She can record whatever channels her provider puts out in this "QAM" format, which I understand is unencrypted digital, right? And although it's digital, it doesn't necessarily mean HD. And does she have to sign up for digital service to get this QAM?

Is that about it? Anything else she can do with it?

4. And if she gets cablecards, then she can record digital off her cable after she subscribes to their digital programming, and HD after signing up for HD service.

She's going to ask me about this stuff, and I can't explain it if I don't know it myself! Thanks much, and keep it simple!

dave

[Saxion]

1. If she gets good reception, then yes she can record all the "local HD" channels over-the-air using an antenna. This is her best option if she doesn't want to pay for a CableCARD. Check antennaweb.org to get an idea of what her reception will look like and what sort of antenna she will need.

2. Yes.

3. All digital cable channels are QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), but some channels are encrypted and some unencrypted. A digital channel is not necessarily in HD, and even an HD channel can have a mix of SD and HD programming. She does not have to sign up for anything other than "limited basic" service to get the local network HD channels delivered as unencrypted QAM. But, the TiVo won't know anything about the channel numbers used to tune them, and thus won't provide guide data for them without a CableCARD.

4. A CableCARD will provide 2 things: 1) mapping of all digital channels into the channel numbers that TiVo "knows" about and can thus provide guide data for, and 2) decryption of encrypted QAM channels. Thus, as you say, a CableCARD would allow her to subscribe to a digital package, including HD, and record all the digital channels to which she subscribes (unless her cable company uses Switched Digital Video, in which case some channels will only be available with a free Tuning Adapter that is just starting to show up).

[dshinnick]

Ah, that helps a lot. Thanks for your effort.

dave

[jlb]

For what it's worth, with my TiVo HD I subscribe to Comcast's lifeline basic in my area (basically just the locals) for $10/mo. With that, I have an M Series cable card (free). I also receive (by law) the local HD channels free.

[cozart]

For what it's worth, with my TiVo HD I subscribe to Comcast's lifeline basic in my area (basically just the locals) for $10/mo. With that, I have an M Series cable card (free). I also receive (by law) the local HD channels free.

so you can get a cable card without subscribing to the digital package??

[LostCluster]

In most areas, "digital basic" or "digital starter" is the same or only slightly more than "extended basic" which gets you the channels still on the analog service.

If you're holding on to analog just to save money, you're going to start losing channels. Nearly all cable sytems will be all-digital by 2012.

[srauly]

jlb, other than the major networks, what other channels are you getting with Lifeline Basic?