[BC] Repacking the TV band

[RichardBJohnson at comcast.net]

Even cable isn't like it used to be. I have "basic" cable, used for an Internet connection. There are no longer any local TV stations as required by FCC rules and regulations unless you "rent" a cable-box for another 20++ bux. However, the cable box is really just a "PowerPC" with a QAM video chip and an Ethernet address. Clicking on a channel tells the Comcast Server to stream video and audio to you. It is low-quality MPEG-X stuff like you get on You-Tube! Your high-definition large-screen TV becomes a crappy PC.

BTW, no Red Sox baseball and no Patriots football are available unless one pays extra for them! Instead, I get 27 Spanish TV programs to choose from. Ain't it great?

OTA provides some local TV, but even though I can get it with the press-of a coaxial switch button, I have to re-scan my TV. That takes enough time to miss miss of the news. Local sports are not available on local OTA TV anymore. All days are "blackout" days.

Cheers,
Richard B. Johnson
Book: http://www.AbominableFirebug.com/

----- Original Message -----
From: "Glen Kippel" <glen.kippel at gmail.com>

On Wed, Jun 27, 2012 at 6:01 AM, SteveOrdinetz <hykker at wildblue.net> wrote:
> 
>Hate to break it to you, but OTA tv is pretty much dead in rural America since the switch to digital.
 
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I have never had cable or satellite and watch OTA.  Couldn't people have used their government coupon for a digital converter box and paid $10 or $20 to buy one?  We did.  Actually, we bought two.