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FlyingDiver · 11-24-2008, 02:49 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TrailerFool:
So I guess what I'm hearing is that I won't ever need to bypass the DTV converter. It may need to be turned off or it may need to be turned on depending on what type of cable service is being provided, but it will never need to be out of the circuit. Am I getting this right? If so, is this because of its capacity for analog passthrough or does that have nothing to do with it? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's exactly right. If it has pass-through, it has built-in bypass and you should never need to bypass any other way.

I think the term analog bypass is something of a misnomer. Bypass is bypass, it just sends the original signal from the antenna through to the output. In MOST cases, that's to send analog transmissions through to the tuner on the TV. But in some cases, it could be to send digital cable signals through.

joe

Bill Adams · 11-24-2008, 04:19 AM

So be it ATSC or QAM (be these whatever they are) if us RVers pull into a campground with an analog TV and a converter and they are broadcasting digital cable (a channel that requires a .1 or .2 at the end) are we going to be able to watch cable?

FlyingDiver · 11-24-2008, 04:30 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill Adams:
So be it ATSC or QAM (be these whatever they are) if us RVers pull into a campground with an analog TV and a converter and they are broadcasting digital cable (a channel that requires a .1 or .2 at the end) are we going to be able to watch cable? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not enough info. If the campground is (re-)broadcasting over the air digital (aka ATSC), then your converter will work and you'll be able to watch "cable" (not really the cable TV most people think of). If it's real cable (digital QAM), then the converter does no good and it's up to your TV. Which MIGHT have a digital QAM tuner in it.

joe

Tom N · 11-24-2008, 04:48 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill Adams:
So be it ATSC or QAM (be these whatever they are) if us RVers pull into a campground with an analog TV and a converter and they are broadcasting digital cable (a channel that requires a .1 or .2 at the end) are we going to be able to watch cable? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The cable company will re-broadcast the .1 or .2 channel on a channel with a whole number. The same as over the air channel 2 may be broadcast on cable channel 29.

-Tom

Bill Adams · 11-24-2008, 05:08 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The cable company will re-broadcast the .1 or .2 channel on a channel with a whole number. The same as over the air channel 2 may be broadcast on cable channel 29. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
That appears what was happening at the last campground as these were all the cable channels that are not available over the air.
How long will that last though? Is there a requirement that the cable company send an analog signal forever or will that end in Feb. 2009 as well? I suspect it's going to be expensive for the cable company and something they would want to eliminate as soon as possible.

FlyingDiver · 11-24-2008, 06:00 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill Adams:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The cable company will re-broadcast the .1 or .2 channel on a channel with a whole number. The same as over the air channel 2 may be broadcast on cable channel 29. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
That appears what was happening at the last campground as these were all the cable channels that are not available over the air.
How long will that last though? Is there a requirement that the cable company send an analog signal forever or will that end in Feb. 2009 as well? I suspect it's going to be expensive for the cable company and something they would want to eliminate as soon as possible. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The Feb 2009 changeover does not effect cable companies. They can do whatever they want.

Cable companies get their feeds from sat downlink or fiber optic link (generally), so the OTA transmission format doesn't matter to them. They need to encode it to the frequency and format they're using anyway. They already have the analog modulators, so I expect they'll continue to use them for a long time.

joe

lawdude · 11-24-2008, 06:33 AM

"Some park cable systems are merely community antennas, using a large antenna in the park to capture the OTA signal and then rebroadcasting it to the sites via coax cable. Hard to say what variations in signal format those systems may have."

In all of my travels, I have yet to see a setup as you describe.

Not saying they don't exist but I have never seen one.

Bill Adams · 11-24-2008, 07:27 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Not saying they don't exist but I have never seen one. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well I appreciate that sentiment since I would have no reason to make it up!

lawdude · 11-25-2008, 08:20 AM

Bill,

How would they do that? They would have to recombine the signals or somehow feed the individual signals onto the cable, correct?

IOW, take e.g., ch. 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12 and put the signals on the cable on the same frequencies or what?

I cannot see the way to do this.

FlyingDiver · 11-25-2008, 08:25 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by lawdude:
Bill,

How would they do that? They would have to recombine the signals or somehow feed the individual signals onto the cable, correct?

IOW, take e.g., ch. 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12 and put the signals on the cable on the same frequencies or what?

I cannot see the way to do this. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You mean take OTA analog signals from those channels and combine them onto the cable? Easy. It's just a combination of band-pass filters for each channel you want, a combiner, and some amps. Probably multiple directional antennas to start with.

joe

Bill Adams · 11-25-2008, 01:52 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Bill,

How would they do that? They would have to recombine the signals or somehow feed the individual signals onto the cable, correct? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

How in the world would I know how a cable company does something. I only know that I did a channel scan with my HDTV and I got channels numbered 2-80 and 2.1-80.1. The scan took forever due to the high number of channels.
We have also come upon one campground where the digital channels were numbered 20.123 and 30.345. Now there's a channel scan that really takes a long time.

lawdude · 11-26-2008, 06:13 AM

My original post was in reply to RVRoamer, not Bill. He stated that some parks take OTA sigs and recombine to put on the park cable system. I am NOT referring to any HDTV cable systems at all.

From Mr. Adams

"quote:
Not saying they don't exist but I have never seen one.

Well I appreciate that sentiment since I would have no reason to make it up!"

You are responding to my post that WAS NOT directed to you. No wonder you are so defensive. I believe we are posting past each other.

From FlyingDiver

"You mean take OTA analog signals from those channels and combine them onto the cable? Easy. It's just a combination of band-pass filters for each channel you want, a combiner, and some amps. Probably multiple directional antennas to start with."

Seems this would be far more complicated/expensive than just paying for cable for the campground.

After all is said and done, I am confused.

lawdude

FlyingDiver · 11-26-2008, 07:45 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
From FlyingDiver

"You mean take OTA analog signals from those channels and combine them onto the cable? Easy. It's just a combination of band-pass filters for each channel you want, a combiner, and some amps. Probably multiple directional antennas to start with."

Seems this would be far more complicated/expensive than just paying for cable for the campground.

After all is said and done, I am confused.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Confused about what? Please be specific. The system we were discussing was what the park operator might do if cable was not available at the park, or they had some other reason for not providing a local commercial cable signal to the customers.

joe

Bill Adams · 11-26-2008, 08:22 AM

Sorry Lawdude, I guess I didn't read the quoted part correctly. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I wasn't sure why no one seemed to believe what one particular campground (cable company?) was doing.
It seems pretty obvious to me that cable companies are going to have to broadcast both digital and analog for some time to come.