What is the difference between analog cable and digital cable?

Question

What is the difference between analog cable and digital cable?

Answer 1

Analog can only receive channel 0-99.  Digital cable channel possibilities are virtually endless.

Answer 2

analog is sent in wave form. digital is sent in ones and zeros.

Answer 3

The previous two answers are correct as far as they go.

But in practical terms, your existing 1980s era TV can tune in analog cable only. Digital cable requires a decoder box from the cable company.

Answer 4

To go a step further than the 3 correct answers so far...

Analog cable (a very delicate signal) travels down miles of cable before arriving at your house. It is subject to all sorts of noise injection and signal loss along the way. You see this as picture problems like snow and ghosts.

Digital cable leaves the Cableco in ones and zeros. Those ones and zeros are collected by your cable box and converted into a perfect rendition of what left the Cableco. No ghosts, no snow, a perfect copy of what they sent.