Sunday, May 18, 2008

Digital Cable Boxes

By Ray Lam

More and more, old-style analogue cable is falling by the wayside - many cable providers have even turned it off altogether. It's being replaced by digital cable, the new generation of cable that allows up to ten times as many channels to be sent down that same line, with a much higher picture quality to boot. Instead of sending those old-fashioned radio waves down the line, digital cable providers send compressed, digital data, much like an Internet connection (in fact, in many cases, they do just go ahead and use a cable Internet connection for the TV signals). As each channel takes up less space, many more channels can be put onto the service. There is also scope for all sorts of interactive services, as data can be sent both ways through the line.

Digital cable boxes are far more advanced then they were just fifteen years ago. Back then, they were rather easy to tinker with, and that meant many could get pay channels and events that they have not paid for. Today, messing with digital cable boxes is much harder, though I am sure there are still ways it can be done. However, security is a number one consideration, and cable companies make their cable boxes in digital form so that they are harder to break through. This also offers the opportunity to have more features.

One of the best features with new digital cable boxes is the ability to record programming right on the box. You don't need a VCR or a DVD player to do so, though you would need one of those if you wish to save it forever. Some digital cable boxes allow you to record up to 40 or 80 hours of programming, and some have much more than that. The only problem with this type of recording is that cable boxes sometimes need to be reset, and if that happens, you may lose what you have saved on there. You should still save anything important to DVD if possible so you are sure you don't lose it.

Your new digital cable boxes also allows you to order movies right from your television, and you don't have to pick up a phone to make a payment. You can make it right through your television cable connection. You also have the ability to get HDTV service through your box if you have a compatible television set.

The potentail of digital cable boxes is really huge and in the future it might be the center for home communication and entertainment. It's only a matter of time before things like telephone and the Internet comes through the cable lines.

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