Ok, I just bought Samsung DLP HDTV a few weeks ago for my parents when they moved to a new house. Since the TV is cable card ready, I told my brother that he didn't need to get a box to receive digital cable (HDTV).

Yesterday, I come back to visit my folks and found out that my family didn't want to order digital cable since it cost something like 90 bucks per/mo, so they just ordered standard cable for 25? (less than 30) bucks per month.

So, it has no cable card, no cable box.. Just a cable straight to the TV, but still receives HD signal? WTF? I'm ..

And I thought I did fair amount of research before buying the TV..

 

Your not getting HD signal without a HD box and subscription

 

you can get over-the-air HD signals if you hook an antenna to the TV..totally free

 

1) digital cable != automatic HDTV

2) I'd don't think the current spec for cable cards supports HD.

3) I believe in almost every current implementation, you lose the on screen menu/guide when you use a cable card.

 

I just don't understand WTF they're getting or how..

It's clearly higher definition than SD. I was watching David Letterman last night in both SD and supposedly HD channel and they were clearly different.

 

Does the Sammy have a built-in HD tuner and is the house new or just new to your parents? I wonder if the previous occupants had HD and the cable company just never physically cut it off when they terminated their service. I had this happen when I made my last move. It turned out that I had the previous owner's basic cable plus HBO coming out of the wall. Of course, I didn't find that out until I plugged in the TV for the first time 15 minutes before the cable guy showed up.

 

It's new to the parents. The previous owners had dish.

I'm just confused how they're getting HD channels without a box or a card..

 

you cant get hd with analog cable. the cable provider must have made a mistake. they probably have a built in hd tuner like my tv has.

 

cablecard DOES support HD.

 

Case in point, my inlaws have the 50" Sammy DLP with cablecard through Comcast with HD.

 

I just got a philips 50" HDTV with built in QAM tuner. I only have basic cable and when I switch the TV over to the "digital" tuner I can pick up all the HD channels that my freind right down the road pays for. I know its HD because during commercials it reverts back to 4:3, but when the HD program is on its in 16:9. Plus during some shows like NFL games there is a small HD symbol in the top corner. Its alittle bit of a PITA since all of the channels are listed by their freq instead of the channel number, but since its saving me about $50 a month ill live with it. It depends on where you live as to whether this works or not. I have comcast cable and they have stated that they will not block OTA HD signals.

 

i have it too. it sucks. using the big box again. until the cable cards support on demand and programming guides they're worthless to me.

 

They're aren't really into that crap... They were more concerned about saving the $5/month box fee.

lol

 

I don't know if they made a mistake or HD channels are part of standard subscription. I'm just confused how they are able to view HD channels w/o cable card or digital cable box..

 

been there, done that

 

cablecard in your tv is pretty useless, yeah.

but cablecards are great in things like DVR's.

a cablecard HD tivo would be a wet dream... but they wont make one... because TiVo is the most horribly run company in teh world.

 

I would think that if the cable company doesn't scramble the local HD channels and the TV has a built in tuner then you should be able to receive the HD channels. Are your parents also receiving any "premium" HD channels or just the locals? I doubt they would get the premiums without the cable card or cable box.

 

Just locals (ABC, NBC, FOX, etc).

I guess that makes sense.