New twist to digital switch: Some cable customers will need a box
For almost two years now, you've been hearing the message: if you have satellite or cable service, you won't need to do anything when TV goes all-digital.
The switch is now set for mid-June, and that advice is still correct. But there is a new twist that will impact some Comcast customers.
The cable company is upgrading its service by the end of the year in Washington state. All "expanded basic" channels - such as Bravo, ESPN, CNN and Nickelodeon - will be distributed digitally.
What does that mean to you? If you have expanded basic service, you will soon need a set-top box or digital adapter to keep watching these channels.
There are three different boxes and you need to figure out which one is right for you. Let me help you with that. Two of the boxes are free.
The advanced set top box is free and you can get one per household. It's for your main TV.
With this box, you can get all of the channels that will become digital-only. This would include AMC, Animal Planet, Bravo and the Cartoon Network.
The box will also give you on-demand service. This includes pay-per-view programs, as well as a huge library of free on-demand movies and TV shows.
The set top box will also make it possible to watch new channels that have been added to Comcast's expanded basic lineup. There's Sprout for kids, Bloomberg TV for adults and Lifetime Movie Network for the whole family. It also gives you access to the on-screen channel guide.
You can also get two digital transporter adapter boxes. These are also free, but they are less sophisticated than the advanced set top boxes.
Most people will probably use the digital transporter adapter in the kitchen or the bedroom -- what you consider secondary sets.
It gives you access to all the digital channels included in the expanded basic package, but you don't get the Comcast on-screen program guide or the on-demand programs.
Keep in mind: these two free boxes give you digital picture and sound, but not high definition.
For that, you need an HD box, which you must rent. If you just want HDTV, there's an HD-only box for $6.50 a month. If you want HDTV and a built-in DVR - digital video recorder - that's $15.95 a month. Both boxes look about the same. One just says DVR.
Remember, you only need this box if you have a high-definition TV and want a HD picture from Comcast.
If you have the cheapest cable service, limited basic, you don't need any of these boxes. That's the service that only gives you local TV stations, public TV and government channels.
Comcast is doing all this to stay competitive with satellite services. They need to add more HD channels, and they don't have enough bandwidth on the cable. This is the way they can do that.
For more information: