Re: Analog Cable Going

On Thu, 8 May 2008 18:54:56 -0400, "Guy" <nospam@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

> Given this possibility, 
>if you were the cable companies, which option would you choose: millions
of 
>set-top boxes , or convert at HQ and send analog signal? The smart choice

>would be the latter. Do a little investigation and I believe you will
find 
>that they WILL be going that route.

Well I have to disagree with you here. 
 Do a little math and I believe you will find they're going the other
direction.  This is not about smart, it's about profit.   Cox charges
$6 a month for the most generic digital box.  Take that times the
"millions" of boxes, and start counting the money.  Those boxes are
very cheap when a cable company buys them in the quantities they do
and there is a hell of a lot of profit built in to that monthly fee. 

Locally, Cox still has about 60 channels of analog but about 6 months
ago moved all premium channels to digital only.   When  that happened
it caused an uproar locally but also caused a shortage of the digital
boxes.  I expect that the move was just the beginning of a transition
to all digital.  With some of the other companies (mentioned in this
thread) making similar moves, the writing is on the wall.   

There is a window of just a few years here where people will still
have analog sets that will still require a box.  If you don't think
the cable companies have plans to profit from that, I've got a bridge
to sell you.


Mike O.