Cable companies, required by the Cable Television Protection and Competition Act to provide subscribers unencrypted (no box) basic-package channels, may soon be adding both a box and a new charges for basic-cable subscribers.
The Federal Communications Commission is considering a rule change that would allow encryption of basic-package cable. The FCC is expect to decide in the next few weeks.
If it makes the change, all basic-cable subscribers would need a set-top box — and likely pay additional monthly charges.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
8 Responses to End Of Low-Cost, No-Box Basic Cable Could Be Near
Leave a Reply
- -- ADVERTISEMENT --
- -- ADVERTISEMENT --
As part of the digital conversion our Comcast franchise completed last year, I had to add boxes to my 3 TVs. Quite frankly, I HATE it. I had flat screens on console tables with my analog service, with one small cable wire connecting the TVs to the cable service. They mailed me 3 boxes (one master, the other two are digital filters) and the master unit was low quality, used, marked up, and did not work. They look lousy, I’m paying additional electricity costs for them, and their lights are on all the time. If this is the latest and greatest in technology that Comcast can provide, they should be put out of business. When I complained to them, they blamed the Government.
We watch too much TV already. So, if this comes to pass, we can, and will, quit the boob tube completely
My rabbit ears have never rasised their rates – ever! No extra charge for HD-quality TV on my large flat panel either.
If you don’t like what cable charges, do something un-American: unplug it and go to the library for a free book.
And then there was iTV
Yup. A $40 antenna in the attic. 10 minutes to install. No monthly fee. Free HD that’s better than cable because there’s no compression of the signal. 36 stations, most of them PBS with great programming. One year happily cable-free and counting. More than $1000 saved.
nero: What is the manufacturer name and model number for the antenna that you have? And where can I find one? Thank you for your help.
Must be nice but where I live we get 8 and 20. Their towers are on the hills that block the rest here. So eyewitness news is not everywhere. This is with a digital antenna. Had the same problem with analog with that rotating antenna on a tower.
Also Comcast already did the box upgrades. Takes the government awhile to catch up. And don’t say U-Verse. Did that, got the tee shirt and they got the boot. Their explanation, too far from the hub. Awful TV and Internet. So stuck with Comcast.
Glad we have a Google TV, if basic service gets scrambled it would be a hard decision to give up Cable, there are things we like to watch that are not on broadcast channels.
We have cable internet and will not be giving that up. Hopefully we can find alternative choices on the internet to make up for dropping the TV service.