Get local digital TV with a UHF antenna     10/15/13

Fulton: The upcoming change in Comcast cable     5/13/10
Comcast to cripple non-Comcast equipment connected direct to cable     5/20/10
Lower cost Comcast cable plans     5/26/10

(An article subitted to Stoneham Sun 10/15/13 a few weeks after Comcast encryption of local channels. Do not know yet if it will be published.)

Title: Get local digital TV with a UHF antenna
     or     Replace scrambled cable with an antenna

        If you had a TV connected direct to Comcast cable in Stoneham, you know it recently stopped working.  The reason is Comcast on Sept 24th (9/24/13) began scrambling its local channels: 2,4,5,7 etc. Previously the FCC had required cable providers to send local channels 'in the clear', meaning they could be picked up by cable ready TVs without a cable box, but the FCC, bowing to the cable industry financial pressure, recently rescinded the rule, and Comcast, ever the aggressive monopoly, quickly moved to encrypt local channels in Stoneham and elsewhere in the Boston area.

        If you hate using the clunky Comcast remote, or if you want to get your computer TV tuner working again, there is something you can do. Local channels are available free off-air and most can easily be picked up in Stoneham with a small UHF indoor antenna. Connect the UHF antenna where the cable used to be and run a new TV channel search specifying 'air'. In Stoneham we are only about 15 miles from the local transmitting towers which are nearly all to our south to south-west. All the local Boston stations now broadcast in the UHF band (500-700 Mhz), so it doesn't take a big antenna, and if you can get a decent signal, picture quality will be great, since all off-air transmission has been digital since 2009. You can find the distance and direction from your address to local broadcast towers at this site: www.antennaweb.org

        Here's my experience shifting my TV and computer TV tuner to off-air after Comcast began encrypted local channels. I started with a $25 dollar Radio Shack table top antenna (model: 15-246) that I connected to my computer TV tuner and put near a south facing window. To my TV I connected a tiny 6” vertical UHF antenna that sells for just a few dollars that I set up near the TV far from a window. I found both worked pretty well. 8 local channels are quite strong: ch 2,4,5,7,25,44,62,68. The Radio Shack near the window got all these channels (plus a few weaker ones). The small antenna in the middle of the room got some of them. But I wanted to get all the local channels (add 38, 56, 27 etc) and make the setup simpler with a single unobtrusive antenna feeding both TVs, so I went on Amazon and bought some stuff.

        I bought an amplified splitter (PCT amplified two port splitter, $20) and a thin window mount antenna (Walltenna, $35) plus some low loss RG6 cable. In comparison tests I found the Radio Shack antenna (even located near the floor) worked better than the thin antenna taped high up on a south window. The PCT amplified splitter worked well allowing me to split the output from a single antenna to two TVs, while at the same time increasing the signal strength of the weaker channels. One trick I found that works to improve reception for a table top UHF antenna is put some metal under it. As a test try a sq-ft of tin foil, it seems to act as a reflector and may bring in another another channel or two.

        A word or two about my location. Good: I am fairly high up (3rd floor) and all my windows face south toward the towers in northern Stoneham. Not so good: I am on the back side of a tree covered hill, so I do not have an unobstructed line of site to the towers. Also my windows face onto a balcony which has a solid metal railing. This railing is in the line of site of my Radio Shack table top antenna, which sits about a foot from the floor on the metal cover of an old PC.

        So give it a try. I found a $25 indoor Radio Shack UHF antenna plus a powered splitter was all I needed in Stoneham to drive two TVs and get all local channels with great picture quality.

Computer TV tuners
       I am incensed that Comcast does not even acknowledge that their recent encryption has disabled thousands of computer TV tuners. When discussing encryption, they never mention it, they offer no compensation, no work around of any kind. A big advantage of a computer TV tuner is with clear channels the computer can change the channel. I use my computer's hard drive as a DVR to record programs.  Comcast recent encryption shut it down, but by switching my TV tuner (Hauppauge HVR-950Q) from cable to an antenna I have it working again, at least for local channels.
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(published by Stoneham Sun 5/13/10 --- as submited with minor editing, except last paragraph chopped)

Fulton: The upcoming change in Comcast cable
By Donald E. Fulton
Stoneham Sun
Posted May 13, 2010 @ 11:40 AM
Stoneham —

Comcast in Stoneham is planning to begin scrambling its expanded basic channels (channels 23-99) on May 11. This will have a huge impact on customers who have equipment like an HDTV or computer TV tuner connected direct to the cable without a cable box. Those who use cable boxes exclusively will not notice the change. No one really knows how many in Stoneham will be affected, not even Comcast. All Comcast knows is how many cable boxes you have. I have a cable box, but also have an HDTV and computer TV tuner hooked direct to the cable.

It’s not too widely known that most newer large screen HDTVs can pull digital and HD cable channels directly off cable without a cable box, so long as the channels are not scrambled. For a long time in Stoneham, basic and expanded basic channels on Comcast cable have not been scrambled. As an expanded basic customer for years I never had a cable box, so when I bought a large screen HDTV in 2008, I just plugged the cable into the TV and did a channel scan. The TV found about 75 channels including 10 beautiful HD channels. I suspect a lot of Stoneham Comcast customers in recent years have done the same.

Comcast says its planned May 11 cable change is part of the “enhancement” of the cable. That’s not how I, as an EE engineer, see it. The digitizing of the cable in November 2009 in Stoneham was a real cable enhancement, because it increased cable capacity and improved picture quality. The planned May 11 scrambling of channels does neither. I view it mainly as a power grab by Comcast using its (near) monopoly power to force the rental of more Comcast hardware, to increase demand for ‘On Demand’ movies, and in general to restrict customer TV viewing for Comcast’s benefit. A good example of the latter is the Comcast remote. It lacks the common 30 second forward jump button informally known as the “commercial killer.”

For many town residents Comcast cable is a true monopoly. The large apartment complex I live in is wired only for Comcast cable. We are trapped. Comcast has total control of my and my neighbors TV viewing. The May 11 cable change I view as a scheme to force us to rent more of their overpriced and technically inferior equipment. A Comcast recording cable box rents for up to $22 per month (obscenely overpriced), yet their two models have only 80 GB and 160 GB of space for programs. This is ridiculous in 2010 when 1,000 GB computer hard drives are common and cost less than $80 retail. Also Comcast refuses to hook up customer-owned cable boxes.

Those who watch or record cable TV on their computers or use their TVs as computer monitors will really be crippled by Comcast’s planned May 11 cable change. Computer TV tuners and cable boxes don’t go together. Comcast has no fix (at any price) for computer cable TV viewers.

In light of the monopoly issues, consumer protection issues, the fact that scrambling disproportionately affects computer TV and high tech users, and that Comcast often acts in its own interests, I think there is strong case for the town of Stoneham to step in to block Comcast’s May 11 planned scrambling of its expanded basic channels. My detailed protest letter to the town is online here: http://twinkle_toes_engineering.home.comcast.net/comcast_encryption_letter.pdf

Donald Fulton is a Stoneham resident.

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(5/13/10 Stoneham Sun article as submitted)
Title:                      About upcoming change in Comcast cable
(as published)        Fulton: The upcoming change in Comcast cable
Author: Donald E. Fulton

        On May 11, 2010 Comcast in Stoneham is planning to begin scrambling its expanded basic channels (ch 23 to ch 99). This will have a huge impact on customers who have equipment like an HDTV or computer TV tuner connected direct to the cable without a cable box. Those who use cable boxes exclusively will not notice the change. No one really knows how many in Stoneham will be affected, not even Comcast. All Comcast knows is how many cable boxes you have. I have a cable box but also have an HDTV and computer TV tuner hooked direct to the cable.

        Comcast in Stoneham is planning to begin scrambling its expanded basic channels (channels 23-99) on May 11. This will have a huge impact on customers who have equipment like an HDTV or computer TV tuner connected direct to the cable without a cable box. Those who use cable boxes exclusively will not notice the change. No one really knows how many in Stoneham will be affected, not even Comcast. All Comcast knows is how many cable boxes you have. I have a cable box, but also have an HDTV and computer TV tuner hooked direct to the cable.

        It’s not too widely known that most newer large screen HDTVs can pull digital and HD cable channels directly off cable without a cable box, so long as the channels are not scrambled. For a long time in Stoneham, basic and expanded basic channels on Comcast cable have not been scrambled. As an expanded basic customer for years I never had a cable box, so when I bought a large screen HDTV in 2008, I just plugged the cable into the TV and did a channel scan. The TV found about 75 channels including 10 beautiful HD channels. I suspect a lot of Stoneham Comcast customers in recent years have done the same.

        Comcast says its planned May 11 cable change is part of the “enhancement” of the cable. That’s not how I, as an EE engineer, see it. The digitizing of the cable in November 2009 in Stoneham was a real cable enhancement, because it increased cable capacity and improved picture quality. The planned May 11 scrambling of channels does neither. I view it mainly as a power grab by Comcast using its (near) monopoly power to force the rental of more Comcast hardware, to increase demand for ‘On Demand’ movies, and in general to restrict customer TV viewing for Comcast’s benefit. A good example of the latter is the Comcast remote. It lacks the common 30 second forward jump button informally known as the “commercial killer.”

        For many town residents Comcast cable is a true monopoly. The large apartment complex I live in is wired only for Comcast cable. We are trapped. Comcast has total control of my and my neighbors TV viewing. The May 11 cable change I view as a scheme to force us to rent more of their overpriced and technically inferior equipment. A Comcast recording cable box rents for up to $22 per month (obscenely overpriced), yet their two models have only 80 GB and 160 GB of space for programs. This is ridiculous in 2010 when 1,000 GB computer hard drives are common and cost less than $80 retail. Also Comcast refuses to hook up customer-owned cable boxes.

        Those who watch or record cable TV on their computers or use their TVs as computer monitors will really be crippled by Comcast’s planned May 11 cable change. Computer TV tuners and cable boxes don’t go together. Comcast has no fix (at any price) for computer cable TV viewers.

        In light of the monopoly issues, consumer protection issues, the fact that scrambling disproportionately affects computer TV and high tech users, and that Comcast often acts in its own interests, I think there is strong case for the town of Stoneham to step in to block Comcast’s May 11 planned scrambling of its expanded basic channels. My detailed protest letter to the town is online here: http://twinkle_toes_engineering.home.comcast.net/comcast_encryption_letter.pdf

        Low cost HD option --- Comcast tells customers that HD "requires" HD service and an HD cable box. This is only partially true. 8 (and soon 9) local HD channels, HD versions ch 2,4,5,7,(11),25,38,56,68, are included in Comcast's inexpensive Basic Service and are likely to remain unscrambled after May 11 due to FCC rules. The trick to getting local network channels in HD if you use a non-HD Comcast cable box is to feed your large screen HDTV with the cable directly (RF in) and with the cable box via the TV's Composite input (red, white, yellow). Then use your TV remote to switch between TV sources: 'TV' for local HD and 'Composite' for the cable box.
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(submitted to sent to many neighboring town local newspapers, about May 20, 2010)
(did not check if any published it)

Title: Comcast to cripple non-Comcast equipment connected direct to cable
Author: Donald E. Fulton, EE engineer

        Comcast cable as part of its Project Cavalry in the greater Boston area is making a rolling conversion of its Expanded Basic channels (usually ch 23 to ch 99) from analog to digital. With an FCC waiver in hand it is following up the cable digital conversion with a planned scrambling of the recently digitized channels. In my town of Stoneham the Comcast cable digital conversion occurred in Nov 2009 and in March 2010 we received a mailing from Comcast saying every TV would need its own cable box (or digital device) by May 11, 2010. Comcast refers to its channel scrambling as a "cable enhancement", but in my view scrambling channels is about as much an enhancement of cable as dealer applied undercoat is an enhancement of a new car.

        The negative side of scrambling is that it will have a huge impact on customers who have any equipment connected direct to the cable. I have an HDTV and computer connected direct to the cable. My computer with its TV tuner records TV to the computer's hard disk for later play back.  In other words my computer is a recording cable box, and a much better one than Comcast offers for rent, and it will be crippled by channel scrambling. Those who only view through Comcast cable boxes will not notice when scrambling begins. No one really knows how many Comcast customers will be affected by scrambling , not even Comcast. All Comcast knows is how many cable boxes you have. In my case I have a cable box on an old TV, but my newer HDTV is connected direct to the cable. Comcast cannot detect direct cable connections.

        It's not too widely known that most newer large screen HDTVs can pull digital and HD cable channels directly off cable without a cable box, so long as the channels are not scrambled. For a long time in my town basic and expanded basic channels on Comcast cable have not been scrambled. As an expanded basic customer for years I never had a cable box, so when I bought a large screen HDTV in 2008, I just plugged the cable into the TV and did a channel scan. The TV found about 75 channels including 10 beautiful HD channels. I suspect a lot of Comcast customers in the Boston area in recent years have done the same.

       Comcast says its planned channel scrambling, scheduled for May 11 in my town, is part of the "enhancement" of the cable. That's not how I as an EE engineer I see it. The digitizing of the cable was a real cable enhancement, because it increased cable capacity and improved picture quality. The follow up scrambling of channels does neither. I view it mainly as a power grab by Comcast using its (near) monopoly  power to force the rental of more Comcast hardware, to increase demand for 'On Demand' movies, and in general to restrict customer TV viewing for Comcast's benefit. A good example of how Comcast often puts itself first is the Comcast remote for its recording cable boxes. It lacks the 30 sec forward jump button informally known as the 'commercial killer'.

        For many area residents Comcast cable is a true monopoly. The large apartment complex I live in is wired only for Comcast cable. Comcast has total control of my and my neighbors TV viewing. The planned channel scrambling I view as a scheme to force us to rent more of Comcast's overpriced and technically inferior equipment. A Comcast recording cable box rents for up to $22 per month (obscenely overpriced), yet their two models have only 80 Gb and 160 Gb of space for programs. This is ridiculous in 2010 when 1,000 Gb computer hard drives are common and cost less than $80 retail. Comcast does not allow customers to buy their own cable boxes, if you do buy one, they will not hook it up.

        Those who watch or record cable TV on their computers or use their TVs as computer monitors will really be crippled by Comcast's planned channel scrambling. Computer TV tuners and cable boxes do not go together. Comcast has no fix (at any price) for computer cable TV viewers.

        In light of the monopoly issues, consumer protection issues, the fact that scrambling disproportionately affects computer TV and high tech users, and that Comcast often acts in its own interests and against the interests of its customers, I think there is strong case for town and city cable authorities to step in to block Comcast's planned scrambling of its expanded basic channels.

Local HD channels are special
        Comcast tells customers that to get high definition channels on cable "requires" HD service and an HD cable box. This is not true for local HD channels. The HD versions ch 2,4,5,7,(11),25,38,56,68, are included in Comcast's inexpensive Basic and Digital Economy service. They are not scrambled now and are likely to remain unscrambled in the future due to FCC rules. The trick to getting local network channels in HD if you use a non-HD Comcast cable box is to feed your large screen HDTV with the cable directly (RF in) and connect the cable box to the TV using the red, white, yellow (Composite) connectors. Then you can use your TV remote to switch between TV sources: 'TV' for local HD channels and 'Composite' for the cable box channels.

        A detailed report on negative impact of cable scrambling in the form of a 16 page protest letter to the Stoneham selectmen is available here:
http://twinkle_toes_engineering.home.comcast.net/comcast_encryption_letter.htm
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submitted to Stoneham Sun 5/26/10 (Wed)

Title:  Lower cost Comcast cable plans
Author: Donald E. Fulton

        Comcast screen messages on HD channels say "Available only with HDTV service".  This is very confusing because there is no such thing as HDTV service. All levels of Comcast TV service now include HD channels, even the cheapest (Basic) service. All this message means is that you need the right hardware. For scrambled Comcast channels this means a Comcast HD cable box, but for unscrambled HD channels, which still exist on Comcast cable in Stoneham, all you may need is your HDTV. Most HDTVs include a QAM tuner that can receive digital and HD channels direct from the cable as long as the channels are not scrambled. Comcast normally supplies an HD cable box with its expensive plans, but any Comcast customer with a non-HD cable box can swap it out for an HD cable box. An HD box upgrade will increase monthly costs about $8, which is pretty steep but probably worth it.

       While the bulk of Comcast channels in Stoneham are now scrambled, all local channels remain 'in the clear' (unscrambled) due to FCC rules. This includes the HD versions of ch2 (PBS), ch4 (CBS), ch5 (ABC), ch7 (NBC), ch25 (Fox), ch38 (Ind), ch56 (CW), ch68 (Ion), and soon ch11 (PBS in NH). There's a good chance if you have modern large screen HDTV that you do not need a cable box to receive these local HD channels. To find out just try plugging your cable directly into your HDTV and have the HDTV do a channel scan.

        The least expensive Comcast service is Basic at $13/month which provides 31 channels mostly local channels with 8 (soon to be 9) HD channels. All Basic channels are unscrambled so you probably don't need a cable box if you have a large screen HDTV. Next step up is Digital Economy service at $30 (with internet) that adds to Basic channels about half of the 47 expanded basic channels including CSPAN1 and 2. Digital Economy includes a Comcast cable box so it provides a channel guide and access to On Demand that includes a lot of free movies and TV. Digital Economy adds 10 more HD channels, but these are scrambled HD channels so they require an $8 HD cable box upgrade, which makes the monthly cost of HD Digital Economy $38. The next step up is $71/month ($63 for Digital Starter plus an $8 upgrade to an HD cable box). The step from $38 (Digital Economy) to $71 (Digital Starter) gets you basically the remaining half of the expanded basic channels plus CSPAN3.

        In summary the least expensive Comcast plans for HD are $13, (Basic, no cable box), $38 (Digital Economy with HD box upgrade), and $71 (Digital Starter with HD box upgrade). I like $38 HD Digital Economy combined with standard Comcast cable internet. Even with the recent Comcast price increases this combo is less than $100/month including all taxes and fees. For this I get about 55 channels, 19 of which are HD, plus access to free On Demand movies and TV (many in HD), and a fast (12 Mbit/sec) internet connection. Sure it's missing a few channels I would like, but picking a cable TV plan is a trade off. Do I want those extra expanded basic channels enough to spend an extra $33/month?

      You can still use your HDTV's built-in QAM tuner to receive HD even if you have a Comcast cable box.Comcast normally supplies an HDMI (digital) cable with an HD cable box, so the TV's RF (cable/antenna) input is open. Just use a splitter and connect in the cable here. (Alternatively you could connect an antenna and receive HD from over the air.)  A non-HD Comcast cable box can be connected to the TV via its composite outputs. You can buy a composite (red, white, yellow) cable at Radio Shack.

        One advantage of using your TV's QAM tuner to view local HD channels is that they will probably be rationally numbered and easier to tune. For example, my HDTV assigns the HD versions of local channels 2,4,5,7 to channel numbers 2-1, 4-1, 5-1, 7-1 and they immediately follow the non-HD version of the channels.To tune HD channels on Comcast boxes requires you to enter oddball high channels numbers like ch802, ch804, ch805, etc. Generally the HD channel is found by adding 800, but not always, for example the HD version of Discovery (ch39) is not ch839, it's ch823. Go figure. This is how Comcast does things. For this reason alone I often use my TV's QAM tuner to view local HD channels even though I have a Comcast HD box.
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