Analog coaxial signal going into tvs is pretty standard but what about standards in the digital stuff?

Question

Because there are about 8 tvs i come across in use and none of them do much but run on the analog wire

very well.

Like many others, I simply refuse to rent

attachments beyond the first box the company brings/ and occationally replaces.

Even the wire is dropping channels off its bandwith like a piece of beef dipping into a bandwidth pirrhana tank for people in many places.

Is there no standardisation of the digital?

What about the next $150 tv that I buy?

Is there no standardisation in the digital in the way that there was standardization in the analog-WIRE ?

I am only aware of 1. the coming OTA digital signal. (standardized) free.

2. Scrambled low-def wire-digital. (Why would that be standardized?)

and of course

3. the Scrambled HD wire-digital. (That I need like my car needs

premium rocket fuel just to drive across town. Of course I cannot do without HD. It's like cocaine for my eyesight, How will I ever live without it? I'm so blind unless I can be shown

Answer 1

(This answer assumes you are located in the US, but I imagine the answer is similar else ware)

Over the air digital TV signals are regulated by the federal government and are all to the ATSC standard.

Cable TV companies are private, and subject to whatever agreements they have with local governments, can send whatever kind of signals they want  down their cable wires.

It happens that most send their digital TV signals (both low-def and HD) with using something called QAM, and most new TVs include a QAM tuner. Some people who have basic cable have bought new HDTVs have found that they already get some digital (QAM) channels.

On the other hand a cable company could encrypt all the channels (or use some other standard like SDV) and make you use their cable boxes.

Cable companies are looking to drop their analog TV channels and go all digital. So sooner or later you can expect to be dragged into the digital TV age.

If you real care, find out what branch of your local government regulates or has legal agreements  with your local cable company. See what political pressure can be had to make sure that non-encrypted QAM is used for non-premium cable digital cable channels.

>So does simple SDTV box you can OWN (for basics) instead of renting (for fancy) even exist?

You can buy boxes with QAM tuners but they are a bit expensive at the moment. If you want one now you are probably better off buying a a DVD recorder with ATSC/QAM tuners.

Once the government runs out of $40 off coupons for over the air converters, there will probably be similar converters on the market that have both ATSC and QAM tuners.

To qualify for the $40 off coupons, converters cannot have QAM tuners. Once the coupons are gone, it will not be that expensive to add QAM to some of those boxes.

Answer 2

There is LOTS of standardization in the digital world - or the source side could not talk to the destination side. They both have to speak the same language.

But copy protection comes part of the package with CATV, Sat and anything that goes across an HDMI cable.

If you want it - you have to pay for the delivery.