# HD on old fashioned cable?



## Mustang (Oct 9, 2004)

I've purchased an HDTV as a gift for my parents for Christmas. I do not personally have cable and never have, so I'm trying to understand how exactly they will be able to watch cable TV in HD. Their cable provider is Suddenlink, and the only information regarding HD service on their site is:

"Experience the best picture quality at no extra cost.

* If a cable network you subscribe to is also available in HD, you get it free
* Thousands of HD shows and movie choices On-Demand
* The most popular HD networks"

The TV that I bought says that it has a HDTV tuner built in, is that enough? I'm so clueless about cable because I see it as obsolete technology and never gotten involved with it.


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

Some companies will broadcast un-encrypted signal that can be tuned if your TV has an ATSC/QAM tuner which most do. Just plug it in and let it auto-tune. Cable can carry virtually anything.


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## bruiser (Jul 30, 2005)

Some cable companies require an additional box. Best bet would be to call them and see what's needed, if anything.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

I've owned an LG 42" HDTV for 2 1/2 months now. I am embarrassed to admit I had it hooked up wrong (I found this out...tonight. Yes, tonight. Was very disappointed at the quality of my LG. <facepalm>)

Even if your cable provider offers an HD box, just hooking up a coax from the box to the TV won't work. I had a set of gold-plated component cables here, so I hooked them up after not getting any HD for months. Umm...yeah, I now get full 720p (max broadcast resolution) HD.

So, if your parents have a cable box, look for an HDMI or Component output, and like input on the TV.

I have Comcast (Xfinity) cable and internet, I'm assuming most things will be common.


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## Mustang (Oct 9, 2004)

As far as I know they just have a coaxial cable going straight from the wall to the TV. 

I'm guessing this means the cable provider has some sort of box they need to get?


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

Mustang said:


> As far as I know they just have a coaxial cable going straight from the wall to the TV.
> 
> I'm guessing this means the cable provider has some sort of box they need to get?


Probably . . Comcast HD requires a control box to enable HD. Your best bet is to ask the cable company


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## yustr (Sep 27, 2004)

A separate box is not always necessary. In fact, I have Comcast and get some of the HD channels on my TV/Computer Monitor from a direct cable line that's been split off from the main one. I don't get all of them though. For exampl, I get CBS in HD (channel 8.1) but not ESPN HD (channel 202 on the main TV that does hgave a box). So its hit or miss.

Hook it up, let the HD TV auto tune, and see what it finds. Why rent a box if those are all you need?


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

Where do you live Yustr? Comcast here in MD used to be like that... you got most of the channels that are also broadcast locally in HD, unencrypted on your atsc/qam cable tuner. But they went and encrypted everything here (MD) so now to get any HD on cable you need their box and you need to pay extra $.... And pay extra again for additional TVs. When that happened I got an antenna and canceled my cable TV. Cable is a major ripoff, IMHO. It'll be interesting to see how all this shakes out as everything eventually shifts to ip technology. How will the cable companies wangle it so they continue to get 2 streams of income, one for programming and one for the pipeline? It is gonna be a mess....


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## bruiser (Jul 30, 2005)

I've been reading about people ditching their cable and getting a Roku and subscribing to Hulu Plus for $8 a month.


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

Indeed, I dumped my cable, watch movies on Netflix, and watch the few TV shows I like on OTA broadcast HD. If I miss them I watch them on my TV connected to my PC. Just go to CBS (or whatever) website and there they are the day or week after. I also saw an article about netflix agreeing to stream some ABC shows.

Sooner or later the cable companies will try to figure out how to recapture some of the revenue lost to these other sources, perhaps by metering internet useage or just raising internet service rates. PITA....


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## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

I love Netflix. Canceled my $120/mo cable plan for a $9/mo Netflix plan and I truly feel I get more out of it.


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