HD over the air with cable question

[07ROUSHSTG3]

OK, I am trying to figure something out when it comes to the HD (digital) channels. I have charter cable and I pay extra for the dvr/hd box. My buddy also has charter, but he does not have the HD box. What I don;t get is that he gets all the HD/digital channels anyway??? His tv is newer than mine and has a digital tuner so he does not have to pay for them? When he does a channel search on his tv he picks up ALL the digitally broadcast channels, including ESPN, fox 6, wmlw, and a few others that I do not get even though I am paying for the HD box? He has basic cable, not even digital? I was amazed last year when he was watching a packer game in HD :mad:

i guess my question is how the hell does the whole thing work? He is picking up all these HD channels that according to chater are not even available?? He has no rooftop antenna either?? He just simply turns to channel 133 and boom, there is a digital channel. My tv is not a digital tv so when I do a search I do not find any, but again, charter says that you NEED the HD box and that it will get you all the channels:rolleyes:

The reason i ask is that I am going to be lookiing for a new tv and am wondering, if i buy a tv with a digital tuner, which is pretty much any tv you buy NOW, should i send back my hd box to charter?? i use the dvr, but not that much and if I can get all the same channels i have and more for FREE, what sense does it make to pay for the box?

[pw_cc_runner]

I also only have regular cable and I get 8-9 local HD channels through the coaxial connection. I have no idea about your current situation but the local channels are free, the fact that he gets ESPN HD is interesting though because on Time Warner I know that is a pay tier HD channel.

[07ROUSHSTG3]

so do you have a digital tuner tv then? i am assuming so.

and yeah, he does get espn hd right through his coaxial?!?!/! WTF?

[pw_cc_runner]

I'm not too sharp on this stuff but according to the book I have ATSC/NTSC combo tuner input. From what I gather it means that I can have both analog and digital channels tuned at the same time. My TV is the Olevia 537H if that helps.

[07ROUSHSTG3]

I'm not too sharp on this stuff but according to the book I have ATSC/NTSC combo tuner input. From what I gather it means that I can have both analog and digital channels tuned at the same time. My TV is the Olevia 537H if that helps.

THANKS! it looks like as soon as i get my new tv, i can get rid of the HD box then :thumbsup unless i find the dvr impossible to live with. i can always keep the hb box for the living room tv i guess, and just use the digital tuner for the rec room tv.

[pw_cc_runner]

don't take my word for it completely, you may want to consult someone who really knows. I bought this specific TV because my friend had a 26in Olevia with identical specs which he bought 6 months earlier for the same price as I paid for mine.

[CobraSnake]

I get all my local HD channels over rabbit ears. I have a digital tuner built in to my TV but, like you said almost all the new TV's out there have built in tuners.

Mark

[07ROUSHSTG3]

I get all my local HD channels over rabbit ears. I have a digital tuner built in to my TV but, like you said almost all the new TV's out there have built in tuners.

Mark

I live to far away to pick them up with rabbit ears. i could buy a roof mount antenna, but again if they come over the cable connection i can jsut do that. the reason I am really starting to wonder is i am adding a rec room to the house, and i wasn;t sure if i was going to have to get another hd box for that room. so in other words i don;t have to. kind of seems like charter is screwing me :eek: if they are out there for free, i am pretty much just paying for the dvr feature.

[Junky Giorgio]

AT&T U-Verse ftw. time warner can kiss my @$$.

[PureSound15]

All of the over-the air channels that broadcast in HD can be picked up by any HD TV, including ESPN in Milwaukee (That's not available everywhere).

The HD box is needed for other channels like discovery HD, HistoryHD, TNT HD... etc.

[lordairgtar]

AT&T U-Verse ftw. time warner can kiss my @$$.
Unfortunatly, we all can't get U-verse yet. :ripped: Stupid TW crap!!!

[Slow Joe]

AT&T U-Verse ftw. time warner can kiss my @$$.

I heard nothing but bad things from a friend about U-Verse... But they said it has something to do with the number of TVs they have...

[Junky Giorgio]

I absolutely love U-Verse so far. My picture is crystal clear and the audio doesn't sound like Chubaccca taking a $h*t like when I had Time warner. Not to mention that their customer service is 374376587469598594 times better than time warner.