Another "fine" Enhancement By The Cable Company

The RV Park I'm currently spending the winter at near Seattle just got notified by their cable company that the cable connection will no longer be "direct." Meaning, you cannot just hook up your cable cord and voila get TV. Guess what, every TV, even the digital ones, will require a "box." This basically means that the RV park will have to stock those boxes, and check one out to each customer if they want TV. And hope that the box will be returned.

Another alternative is that you have to have some type of "cable card" connect to your TV, even if you already have a digital TV.

Anyone encounter this at an RV park, where you cannot even watch cable without a "box?" I have never encountered this. Oh, and guess what, you need one "box" per TV. If you have more than one TV in the TV, you need one box per TV.

I have already seen the banners from the cable provider run across the programs while watching TV.

 

Sounds like a good time to call Dish. But then that is more money.

 

This trick has been in the works for sometime now. Park owners and RV people will be unhappy to see this change take place. Welcome to the changing world we all live in.

 

No, and have had cable at parks across the country.

That actually sounds like early 1970's technology.

I was at one park that had their own internal cable system- pulled in the channels on satellites, then wired them to all the sites on cable. They had a great mix of channels, and even a couple of their own park information channels. I don't know how expensive that was to set up, or if it might be an option. It would seem like the boxes would be a lot of extra work for the park too, and might even make a deposit necessary after a couple were lost or broken.

A dish would be an alternative. Of course if your cable is furnished now, by switching you would have "a box" as well as the expense.

 

We have seen cable boxes required at a couple of rv parks through the years, but not often. In the cases I remember we were way out in the boonies and I assumed the small, local cable company just was way behind the times. We rarely use cable and prefer our own satellite system, so maybe there have been more places and we just did not know.

 

Comcast is "upgrading" their systems thru something they call Digital Migration. It requires a set top box for each TV. Ultimately it's to fully control and secure their cable system. Probably reduced standard programming but more HD and PPV stuff. As such I know of several campgrounds that have switched to a dish or directv system. One guy said it cost over $45,000 to install it. That type of system requires a receiver for each channel, modulators, combiners, power supplies etc. to get the signal into the park. If it's a spread out campground a utility grade infrastructure may be required. Radio shack amplifiers don't cut it.

 

My thoughts would be to cancel cable and pass the savings on to the camper. But that maybe why I don`t have a bussnes.As most people have Satelite.Maybe cut a few trees and make it where all sites can get satelite.Maybe rent out a box and dish for the ones that can`t do with out it.

 

QUOTE(Wink @ Dec 20 2012, 09:19 AM) [snapback]32233[/snapback]

My thoughts would be to cancel cable and pass the savings on to the camper. But that maybe why I don`t have a bussnes.As most people have Satelite.Maybe cut a few trees and make it where all sites can get satelite.Maybe rent out a box and dish for the ones that can`t do with out it.



I agree. If it was me I would tell the cable company to put it where the sun don't shine. It's probably all about money somehow.

 

QUOTE(DXSMac @ Dec 19 2012, 06:26 PM) [snapback]32223[/snapback]

The RV Park I'm currently spending the winter at near Seattle just got notified by their cable company that the cable connection will no longer be "direct." Meaning, you cannot just hook up your cable cord and voila get TV. Guess what, every TV, even the digital ones, will require a "box." This basically means that the RV park will have to stock those boxes, and check one out to each customer if they want TV. And hope that the box will be returned.

Another alternative is that you have to have some type of "cable card" connect to your TV, even if you already have a digital TV.

Anyone encounter this at an RV park, where you cannot even watch cable without a "box?" I have never encountered this. Oh, and guess what, you need one "box" per TV. If you have more than one TV in the TV, you need one box per TV.

I have already seen the banners from the cable provider run across the programs while watching TV.



I went to a park in TX last year and I went there due to the fact a) they had cable, B) they had propane on site and c) they had WiFi. Well Comcast cutoff the cable and was requiring that everyone have a box. Unfortunately the guy that originally owned the park had wired it in series so a total rewire of the park would have been required so the current park owner opted to drop the cable entirely. The propane tank was on site but the lady in the office told me that they have not offered propane for several years (of course website still advertised it) and finally the WiFi transponder die while there and the current owner cheaped out on a replacement and so most people couldn't get WiFi any longer. I was only there for a short period but they were marked off my list for a return visit...lol

 

My manager says Comcast has threatened this every year and they fought it off. I think Comcast is serious this time, because when I watch TV, I keep getting "Banners" across the TV show stating that my "TV is not the right equipment to keep watching after January 22."

 

The bottom line is that cable companies were required to continue analog service for basic cable for a period of time beyond the over the air broadcast digital switch. That period has now expired and cable companies are now dropping analog to make room for the additional digital content they want to add. More digital channels can be fed in the same bandwidth than analog channels.

 

I wrote about this in a thread on June 4 2010. I'm not sure how to paste the link to the thread, but if you search the word "Converter" it will take you to the thread.
By way of an update to the info I posted then, I was visited recently by a Comcast Tech who advised my host that they were about to make another major change to the signal in my park, but it would not require us to have converter boxes either. I didn't get to speak to the tech myself, but he said they were going to install some new equipment outside on the pole. Once that is done, no one will have the option of using a digital box or have their own internet connection within the park.
I would probably drop cable if they ever do require a box on every tv. It just wont be feasible. I would like to look into Direct TV as an option though.

 

I called a friend that owns a campground in Upstate NY to see if he had heard anything from Time Warner Cable about an all digital switch over. I know they're moving a few channels from analog to digital soon, but I don't know if/when they're moving them all. He said either TWC or a contractor is supposed to install a new rack in his office building that will hold digital to analog converters for each channel he subscribes to, plus the requisite multiplexers and amplifiers to feed the signal out to the sites, replacing his current TWC supplied distribution system. From a camper standpoint, it will be "business as usual", with no obvious change or need for individual boxes. He didn't know yet what effect the changeover will have on his costs.

 

QUOTE(Dutch_12078 @ Dec 20 2012, 10:57 AM) [snapback]32239[/snapback]

The bottom line is that cable companies were required to continue analog service for basic cable for a period of time beyond the over the air broadcast digital switch. That period has now expired and cable companies are now dropping analog to make room for the additional digital content they want to add. More digital channels can be fed in the same bandwidth than analog channels.



But WHY does it have to go through a box? Why can't it be a "warm drop" (that's what i heard it's called when it comes right out of the wall)? Why are they insisting on a "cold drop" (the term I heard used when you need a "box")? Why can't it be right from the wall or post? Why do the "Box" thing?

 

QUOTE(DXSMac @ Dec 20 2012, 07:20 PM) [snapback]32242[/snapback]

But WHY does it have to go through a box? Why can't it be a "warm drop" (that's what i heard it's called when it comes right out of the wall)? Why are they insisting on a "cold drop" (the term I heard used when you need a "box")? Why can't it be right from the wall or post? Why do the "Box" thing?


The "box" gives the cable company remote control over what channels each "box" is capable of receiving. From a home subscriber viewpoint, the most common users, that means you can call in and ask to have HBO, for example, added to your account, and a few minutes later you're watching a movie. In the old pre-box analog days, that call would mean dispatching a service tech to add or remove a filter, usually at the pole or stanchion feeding your house, making you wait a day or two to start getting the new service.

 

I'll bet a lot of these boxes will drive off with the coach in the morning by accident. We already have a great solution to this, read a good book.

 

Well, now I have experienced two RV parks that required you to be a techno GEEK to watch cable TV. Those RV parks were served by Comcast.

I'm now at an RV park served by Charter. The RV Park owner told me that they haven't been hit yet, but Charter is about to require the same boxes that Comcast did.

I hope there is a way around this, who wants to have to be a techno GEEK to connect to cable?

 

We were in a similar situation a few months ago. Normally we would use our satellite dish, but it was being blocked by a tree. I connected to the cable system without a box and could get about half the available channels with my HDTV but they were scattered all over the band and had some pretty odd channel numbers associated with them. Since we were only there for two nights we didn't care that much; it was too much trouble to get a cable box.

 

Hi,

It is a cash grab in the name of "better service". If I want video--I get it via the wobbly wide web. Now if they would stop gouging us for bandwidth charges.....

 

Comcast, and locally at our base cottage, Time Warner, both supply the digital converters at no charge for the first six months or so after the all digital transition. After that, the converter rental for late comers is about half the cost of their standard set top box with all the bells and whistles.