gatrhumpy

iTrader: (1)

I currently have Comcast with their HD package with a rented DVR. I currently pay $103.24 a month until February for digital TV, high-speed Internet, and DVR/HD rental. I don't watch a WHOLE lot of TV, but I do have some peculiar shows that I like to watch on cable every now and then (Tricked Out). I can live without it though.

If I get only local service cable (~$15/month), and get a HD tuner/DVD recorder/DVR for roughly $210, can I receive free over-the-air HD programming, and be able to record in HD if I want to from the basic cable service?

GoDucksCLSPride

Kinda....not all of the items you mention are related, or at least they are not in our cable system in Arizona

If you minimize service to basic cable, it will just include analog channels received directly from the wall without a converter box. Non of them are HD because you would need a HD cable box or HD cable card to recieve these channels. To do this you would be back to digital cable service pricing.

An over the air antenna would pick up all local broadcast channels broadcast in HD and your DVR could record them if you chose. This broadcast is completely separate from your basic cable and they will not/do not relate whatsoever.

So in short, your DVR will see the analog cable out of the wall and record, or it will see the broadcase HD out of the air and record; however, they will need to connect to their own TV inputs and are not related whatsoever. The HD DVR will not turn analog into HD unless you have subscribed to HD and are using the cable company's converter box or cable card. At which point, you are back to where you are now and subscribing to digital cable.