campgrounds with cable boxes

[cpoo]

A new thing to me is the growing number of campgrounds that now use a cable box instead of the old analog where the box was not necessary. In the old days I connected the cable to the coach and all Tv's after a scan had cable channels. Now with the box I must run a coax through the window and hook up to main tv and only that tv has cable. Are there options I am missing? With satellite I am only trying to get local channels. I can use my antenna and get locals in many places so cable is not needed but some places are out of range and the only option for networks is the cable.

[cpoo]

I just wish there was a good solution from directv for getting the major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) while traveling out of my home area. I have found too many areas where my Jack antenna will not pick up over the air channels. At first I thought it was the Jack but in all instances I learned that locals just were not available over-the-air because of distance or obstructions or a mountain like in Malibu. Before digital we could get some of those channels albeit not particularly good picture. Now it is all or nothing and too many times it is nothing. I would pay a little more to directv if a local option was available. I complicate things because often our home is occupied when we travel and I would like to retain the locals there. So I want my cake and eat it too. Don't we all but recognize that it is not an option. Oh well give my sling box a workout if I can get a good internet signal on my MIFI. Life was simpler when my expectations were so much less.

[tropical36]

Firstly, what a CG might call cable, could be a dish network, but having said that, here is something else, that might be going on. In our area, for example, Comcast Cable Company has now encrypted their TV service, no matter how basic, so a box is needed in all cases, no matter what you have for a TV. What's worse, it blocks out the HD on the newer TV's that are so equipped, so to get that back, it's a digital charge and then a monthly charge for every HD converter box and we have about 10 TV's.
Since we're satisfied with basic TV channels, which include all the major networks, ME, CW, PBS and many others, which are also in Spanish, we have installed an antenna in the attic, which does a wonderful job. We now enjoy, crisp clear HDTV, with no boxes, cable charges, or other hassles and arguments with the cable company over billing and whatnot.
No, what to do about broadband internet service?

[Dutch_12078]

jerseyjim wrote:
Dump cable...go satellite. Either a roof-top dish or a tripod/dish basic setup.

While you can certainly get channels like CNN FoxNews, Discovery, etc.,etc, once out of the satellite "spot beam", put up the amplified directional antenna and get the local networks.
Why would I care what the weather is in NYC when I'm in Phoenix?

We do have a Dish satellite account, and both roof and tripod dishes, but we from time to time we get into campsites where the satellites are just not "seeable" through the heavy tree cover. In those situations, having cable available is a nice alternative offering more channels than the limited OTA selections. When we do have satellite service, getting the spot beamed locals for the area is a simple five minute process using Dish's customer service chat feature.

[jerseyjim]

Dump cable...go satellite. Either a roof-top dish or a tripod/dish basic setup.

While you can certainly get channels like CNN FoxNews, Discovery, etc.,etc, once out of the satellite "spot beam", put up the amplified directional antenna and get the local networks.
Why would I care what the weather is in NYC when I'm in Phoenix?

[sdianel_-acct_c]

we had old analog TV's and a Winegard digital box. We unhooked the digital box and hooked their box there. Scanned the channels and it worked fine. At one park we asked for 2 boxes and had TV in both areas using the same setup.

[MRUSA]

As has been said above, the campgrounds do not have a choice in this. It is imposed upon them by the cable companies, so don't blame the campground. Is it inconvenient for RVers? Absolutely but cable companies do not design their systems with us in mind. RVer's are a minuscule slice of their business and they really don't care a whit if we are inconvenienced.

[Passin_Thru]

et2 They tried that******with us and we told them we had our own satellite system and then the Dumbo said, Well, you have to take the box. So I did. Have 1 new never used box. We usually use Redbox if it's rainy, read the rest of the time.

[mockturtle]

Seems to me that more and more RV parks are doing away with CATV altogether. Maybe that's one reason.

[wa8yxm]

First let me say this: DO NOT BLAME THE CAMPGREOUND

There are a couple of cable standards for digital signals, they have been around since last century and most all TV's today can decode them.. HOWEVER ENCRYPTION is another thing

Some (many) cable companies have decided people are pirating their signals, so where as they have for years encrypted pay to view channels, they now encrypt everyting, I am not sure this is legal, also not sure it is not legal, (Frankly do not care). and if your park is served by one of those companies. EVERYONE has to have a cable box.

I happen to feel they are cutting their own throats (The cable companies) but, well, that is my opinion.

[Johno02]

Charter cable has gone to full encription for all channels. Requires a box for each TV, or split the box output to several sets which all get the same channel. This has nothing to do with the campgrounds, or whether it is digital or not. The fact is that if you want TV, you pay and keep paying, and will getting more so.
Sorry, thats a fact of modern life. And its gonna get worse!

[tatest]

With the last of the cable companies that once provided analog channels now going all-digital, providing or renting boxes is the easiest way for a CG to provide a cable TV connection. Most modern digital TVs have digital cable tuners (except maybe the cheapest ones) but not necessarily all the different digital technologies a cable company might use. Then, the cable provider might be scrambling, so that a box with the proper codes is needed, although sometimes a cable card will work for TVs that accept the cable card. But a box is easier for the park to keep track of, and gets around the extra work of installing the cable card in someone's TV and getting the cable company's server to recognize and activate the card/TV combination. All the boxes will have already been IDed.

[Dutch_12078]

Our coach has a coax loop with a barrel connector that was originally used for a VCR. It works perfectly for connecting a proprietary cable box.

[BB_TX]

On some units (such as mine) the external connection comes inside to a dual coax wall plate with a short jumper between the two coax connectors that then goes to the TV(s). I can remove the jumper and connect that type box to the two coax connectors on the wall plate. That will send the cable box signal to the TVs via the internal wiring from the outside connection. BUT. With a single cable box both TVs will get the same channel since the box can only be tuned to one channel at a time.

Look to see if you have such a dual coax wall plate.

[Hikerdogs]

jorbill2or wrote:
This is not about old analog tv vs new digital tv The campground cable in this CASE uses a "special " channel set that is not the standard digital cable .. the one your new Tv is program to scan. Most new tv's come ready to scan over the air and STANDARD digital cable ...not so with these special channels ... so much for cable ready ! .
I believe this is the cable company forcing people to use "their cable box" ..at a small charge of course !. The campground has no choice but to use whatever the local cable dictates .. and ea cable company seems to use there own propritiary Box making your new tv tuner useless.

I agree. The new Digital TV's are in many cases able to decode and view channels that would normally be blocked. Before our cable provider changed their distribution to non standard channels our televisions were getting dozens of channels that were not in the package we were paying for. We had the service for several months and thought it was a complimentary upgrade.

One day some of the channels weren't coming in very well so I called the provider. I was informed that we weren't supposed to be getting the extra channels, but the company didn't have an effective way to block them from the latest generation digital sets.

About a year later we had to go to the local cable office and pick up a decoder box for each television. Now we only get the channels we pay for.

So don't blame the campgrounds. Blame the cable providers. Each of the boxes we use has a $5.00 per month rental fee. The price of cable went up while the subscription for any given package stayed the same.

The cable company is still advertising a $29.99 per month package when bundled. At the bottom of the screen in text so small you can't read it is a message with an asterisk. If you freeze the screen and look at the footnote below the asterisk it says to contact the local office. When you do they tell you the package also requires a cable box for $5.00 additional per month.

[vermilye]

I agree with those that blame the cable companies rather than the campground. I have Time Warner at home & they announced that you would need a "box" to receive anything but their basic service (which is mostly local & shopping channels at low resolution) even with digital TVs. The box is free for the first year, then a buck or two per month after that. I suspect it is both to provide additional $ to the cable company as well as letting them make better use of the available bandwidth of their distribution system.