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The trend over the past few years for cable companies has been “going digital”.  You’ve seen your bill “going digital” too, but how do you know your not watching an analog channel and paying for digital?

First a quick lesson:  You could use a third-party converter box or better yet the tuner in your TV and hook into the cable system to get channels 2-99.  Some systems like TiVo allow you to tune into the digital band (above 100) for your service.  Cable companies provide you with their own boxes that have their own mapping of channels.  This would mean that a non-cable company box (like a TiVO) may tune into channel 212 and find The History Channel but the same TV with a cable co. box tunes into 212 and gets PBS-HD.

If you’re seeing a trend, stick with it.  On your bill you pay for digital service without the box.  Those boxes of course come with a added fee.  The service is what matters here.  You are paying for digital service and still getting analog.

How can you tell the difference?  Sometimes just looking at the channel helps.  If you’re eyes can’t pick up that you’re seeing a good analog channel you can always tune to the diagnostic channel on your cable company’s system.  If you have a box like TiVO it may seem like your recordings are strange.  With TiVo there is a screen you can enter to see if you are getting a digital signal or not.

Please make sure your are getting what you pay for, otherwise the cable company will keep charging you that “digital” bill and you’ll be stuck watching that analog programming.

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