Digital TV's

[EA37TS]

Comcast has made it known for a couple of years that they are beginniing to encrypt their cable signal and a QAM tuner will not be sufficient. In those markets where they are encrypting the signal a set top box is a requirement to pick up any channels.

They have also made it known that the markets where they are encrypting the signal is expanding on an annual basis. Right now Florida is the largest market where they are using signal encryption in certain areas.

Google "Comcast Encryption" and you will get more info than you may care to know.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by gbrown

Chance - I carry the generic one with HDMI out. It cost me about $45. To buy 3 new TVs would be 3 * 170 (plus tax). IMHO the RV parks would not have the Comcast issue unless they give you a free box to use. Besides, my account in Silicon Valley would probably not work for Comcast in another area.

Thanks for clarification. For now it seems that having a TV with the QAM and ATSC is as good as we can do. Personally, I haven't had much of a problem with my old 19" digital TV, but it does have QAM.

I hope in the future that campgrounds that use Comcast (or others with encryption) will install a central box that will unscramble all permitted channels before going out to RVs.

[Techn0]

For sale: 2 32" Seiki televisions and 1 40" Seiki television.

Between this thread and many others, replacing the televisions is on my top 10 easy project list.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Chance

Thanks for clarification. For now it seems that having a TV with the QAM and ATSC is as good as we can do. Personally, I haven't had much of a problem with my old 19" digital TV, but it does have QAM.

I hope in the future that campgrounds that use Comcast (or others with encryption) will install a central box that will unscramble all permitted channels before going out to RVs.

Well the FCC is pushing for a software solution to the CableCard. If that goes through like the chairman wants then you could, conceivably, use an Apple TV, or Roku and watch your home cable in your RV at a campground or get some temp credentials from the campground and watch their cable.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Well the FCC is pushing for a software solution to the CableCard. If that goes through like the chairman wants then you could, conceivably, use an Apple TV, or Roku and watch your home cable in your RV at a campground or get some temp credentials from the campground and watch their cable.

That would be great.

I'd guess that bandwidth at campgrounds may be the biggest challenge when every camper wants their own programming, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they get much higher capacity. Like we've discussed before, I expect we will be able to watch TV directly on iPad (or other tablets) before long, making the need for TVs and radios in RVs obsolete (or optional).

Wireless would be even better for me if costs become much lower. It would be great to watch TV on a tablet without cables, antennas, or expensive dishes on RV roofs.

[sky_blue]

In my limited travels so far, the RV Parks have substandard WiFi. It was built for 1/4 the spaces exchanging emails; Certainly not everyone streaming movies. For that reason I have put my money into a big cellphone data plan. My next aquisition is for a Weboost 4G amplifier for fringe areas. Add an Apple TV and I'm set.