This dual must- carry, and the possible triple must-carry rule shows how out touch with technology the FCC really is. Cable companies should only have to carry the HD local channels after 2009. and the downconverter to analog requirement is worse. An HD cable box can already downconvert, this happens when someone hooks up the box using the wrong output. If someone hooks up an HD Cable box using the coax cable, or the Composite(3 Wires) they will see the HD channels in Letterbox. What they should have done is require all cable companies to have Only HD Boxes, after Over the Air analog Shuts off and after that date they must only carry the HD locals and possibly some multi cast channels. That way if someone has an Analog TV, they hook up the Box using the SD outputs, and if Someone has an HDTV they hook it up using the the HD outputs, HDMI and Component(5 wires). Also all HD cable boxes would come with a basic hookup manual with lots of pictures in it.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
joe1234 @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:27PM
This dual must- carry, and the possible triple must-carry rule shows how out touch with technology the FCC really is. Cable companies should only have to carry the HD local channels after 2009. and the downconverter to analog requirement is worse. An HD cable box can already downconvert, this happens when someone hooks up the box using the wrong output. If someone hooks up an HD Cable box using the coax cable, or the Composite(3 Wires) they will see the HD channels in Letterbox. What they should have done is require all cable companies to have Only HD Boxes, after Over the Air analog Shuts off and after that date they must only carry the HD locals and possibly some multi cast channels. That way if someone has an Analog TV, they hook up the Box using the SD outputs, and if Someone has an HDTV they hook it up using the the HD outputs, HDMI and Component(5 wires). Also all HD cable boxes would come with a basic hookup manual with lots of pictures in it.
Ben @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:30PM
The FCC allows them to convert to analog with a STB, but they can't charge any extra for it.