In article , " wrote:
On Feb 21, 6:41 am, Ron wrote:
I rather like the new digital pictures being broadcast these days, but
I have to wonder what is going to happen with all of those VCRs that
people love to set for delayed programming--- andthere are a lot of
folks who do tape shows while away or at work-- when June 12 rolls
around and VCR tuners won't be able to tune into the new digital
signals?

Ron

Standard VCRs with NTSC tuners will work just fine with digital
signals. I have my Panasonic PV-V4022 VCR connected to Time-Warner
cable (analog expanded basic); no cable box. It works just as well as
it always has; further, I am expecting it will work without hitches
after 06.12 as well. My RCA XL100 CTC185 19" TV is also connected to
cable and also operates flawlessly. Time Warner Cable has informed its
subscribers many times that if your TVs, VCRs, etc. are connected to
their cable service, there is absolutely nothing to do or to be
concerned about when 06.12 rolls around; your equipment will work just
as it does now, even when all TV is digital. The reason your sets will
work on cable is that the cable operator will convert the ATSC digital
signals to NTSC if necessary (in a lot of cases, this will have to be
done for most sets in their service area, as most people still have
analog televisions). Time Warner Cable will handle the conversion by
means of a small box containing an ATSC-NTSC converter; at least
that's what I was told by a TW representative. I live in a 12-unit
apartment building; I wondered how the ATSC-NTSC conversion would be
done. The representative told me Time Warner will install a small box
on the roof of the building, the purpose of which will be to convert
digital (ATSC) signals on the cable to NTSC. I think the same thing
(or something similar) will be done for home connections as well.

Kind regards,

Jeff Strieble, WB8NHV
Fairport Harbor, Ohio USA

The converter box will convert digital to NTSC. It has nothing to do with the company
except being able to select a channel. It seems like most all the NTSC channels
are also in HDTV which I can get. When the conversion takes place I quess
the analog channels will disappear, but I guess the cable company could
switch those channels back to NTSC and rebroadcast them. That some
how seems SO stupid, all they should do is transmit them digitally for the NTSC
conversion. They can also send the channels over the cable in digital and the box will convert
to NTSC.

NTSC tuners receiving digital after the turnaround on the cable
without cable box, I don't think so.
Not unless they broadcast it in NTSC format over the cable.

greg