Dear Experts:
We live in a condo with Bright House Cablevision. We have one TV (2 years old) which is digital-ready and one TV 5-6 years old which is not.
Will we need a box if we have paid Cablevision? We were told if we have Cablevision we would not need a box.
Thanks.
-IRS Agent 15
Answer:
Hello, Taxman,
First of all, if you use the cable company's cable box to tune in your channels then you have nothing to worry about now or in the foreseeable future. These boxes can tune digital channels and output analog signals that older TVs can display. This will continue to work after February, 2009. If you are not using a cable box, but using your TV's built-in cable tuner instead, then things can get a little more complicated.
Cable broadcasts are unaffected by the FCC's digital transition mandate. Cable providers can continue to broadcast any and all channels in analog format after February 2009 as these transmissions are being done over a wire and not over the public airwaves. And if the cable companies choose to continue broadcasting channels in analog format, then any cable-ready analog or digital TV will be able to continue tuning in the unencrypted cable channels.
In fact, cable companies are required to continue broadcasting the local networks in analog format as long as they offer any analog service, up until at least February 2012.
But the catch is that cable operators can choose to eliminate analog service altogether, at any time before or after 2009. And if your local provider chooses to do so, then you would be required to either have a TV with a digital cable (QAM) tuner or you would need to use the cable provider's set-top box in order to continue watching cable television. If you choose not to do so, then you can always cancel your cable service and choose another television provider or choose free television via an antenna (but then if you go with an antenna, you will need a digital converter box for the analog TV).
More information on your specific provider (Bright House Networks) and the DTV transition is available here.
More information about the DTV transition's impact on cable customers is available here.
Hope that helps,
-Chris
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