Re: [Swprograms] BBC Newscast Shifts Lineup on U.S. Public TV Stations

[Joe Buch <josephbuch@xxxxxxxxx>]

Rob is correct.

FCC rules require cable companies to convert digital signals to analog for any full power stations within a certain radius from the company's head end.  (I think it is 38 miles.)  They are required to do so as long as they have any analog channels left on their system including shopping channels, "gospel huxters", etc.  

Another FCC rule prevents cable companies from encrypting the must-carry OTA digital signals.  That means that if you buy a TV with a QAM digital tuner you will be able to watch these channels without renting a cable box.  If the station is broadcasting in HD format you will see the program in HD if your set is also capable of displaying HD pictures.  You do not have to rent a separate cable HD box or pay for HD service to see these channels in HD.  (You may have to subscribe to more than basic cable to do this as legacy systems typically insert traps to chop off any signals above channel 23 or so including those that carry the digital off-air signals.)

Cable systems are allowed to reduce the data rate of digital signals but not to the point where the picture becomes perceptably degraded.  "Perceptable degradation" is not defined by the FCC so it is in the eye of the beholder.  (If you can get your local stations over the air, you may get a sharper picture if the cable guy's perception of degradation is less critical than yours.)

These rules are to be revisited in 2011 and if not amended or extended will sunset in 2012.  After that you will need a cable box to see anything.

Joe Buch

--- On Thu, 10/23/08, Rob de Santos <rdesantos@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Rob de Santos <rdesantos@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Swprograms] BBC Newscast Shifts Lineup on U.S. Public TV Stations
> To: "'Shortwave programming discussion'" <swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Thursday, October 23, 2008, 3:29 PM
> Side note:  all of the major cable companies are already
> phasing out "analog"
> cable.  Because of the high bandwidth it requires and the
> demands for adding
> more channels, they are eliminating their analog cable
> offerings in favor of
> expanding digital cable.  In addition, most cable and
> satellite channels do not
> offer analog satellite feeds to them, so the cable systems
> have to do a
> conversion to even offer the channel via analog.  Within 2
> to 3 years, very few
> cable operators will be offering anything via analog cable.
>  
> 
> --
> -Rob de Santos
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kevin Anderson [mailto:k9iua@xxxxxxxxx] 
> Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2008 10:52 AM
> To: Shortwave programming discussion
> Subject: Re: [Swprograms] BBC Newscast Shifts Lineup on
> U.S. Public TV Stations
> 
> Wanting a non-U.S. viewpoint is exactly what I am after as
> well.  Reports from
> non-U.S. reporters/stringers filtered through U.S. editors
> is most definitely
> not the same.
> 
> As to BBC America appearing on more cable systems:  I
> believe that the shift of
> U.S. OTA television to digital will have a negative impact
> on services provided
> by cable television providers, making it even less likely
> that a BBC America
> channel or similar will appear on the non-premium services.
>  While we here in
> the U.S. with cable service are promised non-interrupted
> "good to go" service
> with this switch to OTA digital TV, I believe we will
> quickly see networks and
> channels, including those never provided OTA and currently
> in the cheaper
> "analog" side of cable, abandoning/demanding
> higher carriage fees and possible
> forced shifting to the digital premium side. What remains
> on the cheaper (for
> the customer) "analog" service will quickly
> become a wasteland of channels.
> Even OTA broadcasters, who are already starting to demand
> extra fees for
> carriage of their OTA signal on cable providers (which
> happened here in Iowa
> just a year ago by a broadcaster),
>  will start to shift to the "premium" side. 
> Either cable will become
> unaffordable or just become not worth it who can't
> upgrade to "premium" digital
> cable.  And people like me who are far fringe to television
> markets, and
> therefore more-or-less dependent on cable or satellite TV,
> will be hit the
> hardest.
> 
> Sorry if I dragged this yet further OT.
> 
> Kevin Anderson
> 
> r visit the URL shown above.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Swprograms mailing list
> Swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/swprograms
> 
> To unsubscribe:  Send an E-mail to 
> swprograms-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe, or
> visit the URL shown above.


      
_______________________________________________
Swprograms mailing list
Swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/swprograms

To unsubscribe:  Send an E-mail to  swprograms-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe, or visit the URL shown above.