I have a Samsung flat screen with HD capabilities and a basic cable dvr box from comcast. I'd like to be able to receive HD channels but Comcast is telling me that because of the deal I have it will cost me an extra $16 a month to get HD. I keep reading about cable cards and am wondering can I just get a cable card to get HD channels? What about an antenae? I refuse to give comcast any more of my money.
}I just moved into a new home and the cable is still on. I used to have DirecTV but if I am receiving free cable( for the moment) can I get HD through comcast without notifying them that I am receiving their signal? What is this cable card I keep seeing everyone talking about? I have an HD Plasma TV but have yet to try using the HD. DirecTV wanted me to pay $100 for the box as a lease and them pay $10 more per month for the services of HD. Am I just stuck and going to have to contact comcast to get HD? Are htere any converter box online that I can purchase to get the channels? When the cable system was older when I used to install cable about 12 years ago I had a "Cheater Box" that got me EVERY channel. Are there any boxes like that anywhere or has technology surpassed that ability?
Lauren,Your pretty much stuck giving comcast that extra money for a box upgrade. You could, in theory, receive a handful of HD channels for free if you hooked the cable up directly to the tv but then you lose all your digitals.
Jeff, My guess is that if your cable hasn't been turned off by now it will be shortly. Voluntary disconnects that occur when someone moves out of a home are often pushed back or rolled to a later date several times. Install, upgrades, and trouble calls are the most important appointments for any tech to get to, putting a voluntary disco back in because the tech runs out of time isn't really all that uncommon. You pretty much have no way to get all the HD channels without calling comcast. Signals are scrambled these days and without an authorized box to descramble the signal you won't get anything.
Neither of you should try to buy a box off e-bay. While it is technically legal to purchase your own cable box,none of the manufacturers sell directly to the consumer. Any box you purchase off of e-bay is property of the cable company from which it came from and is effectively receiving stolen property.