Technology Tip

A New Comcast Converter Box - Summer 2009

Well here we go again. Comcast has been rolling out a new ultra low cost digital to analog converter box that offers virtually no features. Again, it's meant only to be connected to older analog TV's.

Every home in Hershey's Mill was offered a free converter box last fall. These boxes must be connected to older analog TV's and not to flat screen High Definition TV's. You will not be able to view High Definition programs on your HD TV if a converter box is connected. Comcast's technicians may have asked where you wanted the box connected. They probably didn't ask whether you watch HD on your digital flat screen TV. My guess is there are homes in the Mill that are connected incorrectly. Just because the picture fills the screen doesn't necessarily mean you are watching HD TV. HD TV can only be viewed through a direct connection from the wall jack to your digital TV or by using an HD box from Comcast. Converter boxes are NOT able to offer HD channels. Also, both the old and the new converter boxes only have analog outputs. This means not only can't you view HD; you are also viewing analog channels on a digital TV. This results in degradation of picture quality on digital sets.

This brings us to the new converter box. It's called a DTA box. Several terms describe the box as a Digital Terminal Adapter, or Digital Transport Adapter. No matter what it's called it only converts digital channels to analog. The difference with this smaller new box is it offers no On Demand, no programming guide, and no music channels. All it does is convert channels. But there are advantages. If you subscribe to other Comcast's services such as HD, Classic, Preferred, or Premium digital channels you qualify to have up to 2 of these new boxes free. If you aren't a Comcast subscriber for the previously mentioned services the rental cost is only $2.00/month. Installation is $17.80 for one and $27.80 for two. If you go to the Comcast Service Center, which is next to Lowes in Downingtown, you can pick them up, install, and activate them yourself. Doing this will avoid the installation costs. This means you could connect your VCR again to another analog TV using the new DTA. Unfortunately the old problem of watching one channel and recording another channel remains.

Comcast will continue to remove analog channels and move them to the digital tier to make room for more HD channels. Within a year or less it may be possible that only the major network channels will be left on the analog system. Comcast must remain competitive with Verizon Fios and the satellite companies with regard to HD. We'll see how it all works out.

For more information about Comcast and of course computers, come to our PC Club meetings. They are held on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM upstairs in the Ardmore room in Winfield Hall. Check the Hershey's Mill website at www.hersheysmill.org and click on Tech Tips for past Technology Tips articles.
Don Trauger

To get answers to your questions about computers, please come to the PC Club meeting. The computer club meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM in Winfield Hall.

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