Confused on dtv switchover. help?

Question

i have cox cable [[basic channels]] && i keep seeing commercials from cox cable saying that if you have the cox service, you will be affected by the switchover. then i keep seeing the dtv commercials && those say if you have cable or satellite, you might not be affected by the switchover.

my problem :

i dont have a cable box b/c my mom said it was too much to pay for 4 rooms. so we STILL have cable, but we get it through the cable wires [[yes its legal in louisiana.]]

my questions :

will i be affected by the switchover or will i remain with the basic channels i have now?? will i need a newer tv for the switchover [[i have a goldstar tv]]??

Answer 1

I just checked with Cox Cable. You don't need a converter box at all. My guess is that the commercial is saying you should switch to Cox so you don't have to buy a converter box. The link below is from the Cox website and the first box of the graphic says you don't need to do anything. That is subject to change in the year 2012.

http://www.cox.com/support/louisiana/cab...

Answer 2

The DTV changeover everyone is talking about only affects over the air TV. All high power analog broadcasting, over the air, will end on 2/17/09.

Cable companies are supposed to continue to carry all of the locally available over the air TV in analog form, or supply converter boxes, until 2012.

Except for the over the air requirement above, cable companies are free to do whatever they want to do, when they want to do it.

Many are changing over their other analog offerings partially or completely to digital.

So, this may be what the Cox commercials are about. They may be changing some or all of their analog TV to digital.

You have to find out exactly what they are doing.

It's possible that they may be supplying simple converter boxes for those who only want the local over the air stations. Those might be at no additional cost.

Answer 3

That information is aired on all local channels (NBC, CBS, ABC, etc.) that people can get just by sticking an antenna on top of their TV.  I get it on my TV as well, and I'm nowhere near Louisiana.  The notification is put out by the FCC.  You have cable hookup in your house, which is how you get to watch your channels, so you will not be affected by the switch in February.  It is ONLY if you have antennas to watch TV, not if you have cable or satellite.