All along you could get some free HD channels if you were on basic cable (no converter) all you needed was a digital TV and tuned to 11.1 -- 13.1 -- 24.1 -- 36.1 -- 30.1 or 5.1 In the mailing with this month’s bill was a flyer talking about how you could get up to two HD DTA boxes for free, no equipment or monthly charge, that allows you to get all the HD channels on the standard cable channels ( 2 thru 73 plus others) about 55 total. Previously you had to have a convertor and an HD package to get these. If you want more than 2 HD boxes you pay $1.99 a month for those. Takes the sting out of the higher bills this month a little.
Free HD from Buckeye
Comments ... #
no way! does the mailing offer any links to check it out online?
I'm not seeing the offer on their website...
I went and got my boxes yesterday and set them up myself, you have to call in to activate. They work great, you get a new remote and HDMI cables with it. Link... http://www.buckeyecablesystem.com/hddta/
if you have HDMI cables the HD has been available free all along... at least it has worked on my box... but other than hockey i dont watch anything through the box. still grab the boxes as a good backup!!
posted by enjoyeverysandwich on Mar 19, 2013 at 10:29:24 am #
The normal converter boxes do not have a HDMI out, you had to pay for a DVR box to get the HDMI out. This gives HD to people, like Upso, who only have basic cable (no boxes)
I'm a little confused as to exactly what this adds. Do you actually get more channels than if you have basic (no converter) cable, or is it just for people who don't have a TV with a built in tuner?
posted by seannymurrs on Mar 19, 2013 at 11:50:44 am #
as i understand it... there are multiple packages
basic cable... just a wire, non box - 20 to 30 channels with a handful of HD for local channels... for example 30-1 for HD wgte versus channel 9 for low def
expanded cable... with a box - , amc, food channels, hgtv, nbcsports, etc... but still only those few local channels in HD ( i pay for this one... but they gave me a box with a HDMI wire output... i connected my own HDWI and thus got ...)
expanded HD cable... with a box and HDMI cable... all those (useless) channels plus all those channels in HD up in the 600s.
to that ad pay movie channels.... that is my understanding
posted by enjoyeverysandwich on Mar 19, 2013 at 12:12:08 pm #
Yes they have as many choices as a Mexican restaurant. CATV basic has 22 channels (5-13, 51-60 and 69-73) and no box. Expanded basic is 2-73 and a 6 other channels, still no box. This is where the new free box is used. Digital basic and the other packages include a box, and mine do not have a HDMI output on them, however 1 of them has an S-Video output. Online when they show you how to wire a normal converter box they also show no HDMI output. I do not know if the new converter boxes have the output just that Buckeye only shows a HDMI output on their DVR converter boxes.
Even though the flyer was in this mailing, Buckeye might have been using this box for a while. The new box is small, just 1 inch X 4 inches and has the name Pace on the front.
went to buckeye & picked up a box
my tv was already HD cable ready and I wasn't sure if I'd get any more channels
good news is, yes i got a few more channels... sports!
only downside is, the way the channels are organized is different from how my tv was set up, and it's listing ALL of the basic channels I don't get (like mtv, vh1) and I have to click through more channels to get to the content I can actually tune into. Nothing a little training won't fix.
I can see how this would push some people to end up paying for more expensive cable. Being reminded of all of the channels you're missing out on is going to be irritating.
so to clarify:
"that allows you to get all the HD channels on the standard cable channels ( 2 thru 73 plus others) about 55 total."
this is not entirely accurate.
you can see the channels but you don't get the content. you only get ultra basic cable with only major networks (fox, nbc, abc etc) so it's not a huge increase in content
I guess I'm just not following this.....let me explain my current scenario: HD ready TV with cable that runs directly into it. I get about 73 channels. Only 11.1 -- 13.1 -- 24.1 -- 36.1 -- 30.1 or 5.1 come in HD.
So what will this box do for me? Give me HD on the rest of those 66 channels for free?
posted by BulldogBuckeye on Mar 19, 2013 at 05:15:23 pm #
BB: From what I read on Buckeye's website, the answer to your question is yes - IF:
Those channels have an HD "sister" on Buckeye. Plus a few more thrown in for good measure. Here's the list of what you'll get - assuming you are in their NW OH service area:
http://www.buckeyecablesystem.com/hddta/lineups/DTA-t.pdf
Sorry, if you have the very basic cable (22 channel) then that is all you will get, but in HD. If you have expanded basic then you get the 55 HD channels.Here is a link to the channel guide http://www.buckeyecablesystem.com/hddta/lineups/DTA-t.pdf
Sorry Foodie, I should have clicked on your link before I posted the same thing. Upso, you must have just the very basic cable sorry for the confusion. There is a menu on the remote to set up or delete unwanted channels. Are you are using the HDMI cable and have you TV set to the HDMI imput?
ah thanks! I'll check out the menu on the remote. But yes, i'm super basic cable.
Aren't these channels already OTA? I have my old tower antenna hooked up, and other than BCSN, I get them all
posted by jbtaurus98 on Mar 19, 2013 at 10:19:52 pm #
How nice, here's a free HD box so that maybe you won't notice that your bill has increased...again
posted by OnePlainPerson on Mar 20, 2013 at 07:46:23 pm # 1 person liked this
Got my new, improved higher cable bill.
I was near the tipping point. I think I am going to try off-air and see if it is enough for the hour that I watch a day, including 30 minutes of local morning news.
I've seen enough reality TV on every other channel on cable. Even History, Discovery, and A and E are all reality now.
It's not even really about the money.
It's about the blank check mentality. As if consumers won't ever flinch.
"As if consumers won't ever flinch"
And most won't because they are so wed to the inane crap that Hollywierd pumps out.
I am also not happy about the fee increases. However, what most fail to understand (or give a rat's rear end about) is who is behind the reason your monthly cable bills keep going up and up and up......do a little research and learn for yourself. You can't blame Buckeye for all of it.
The latest increase has caused me to go into "warp speed cut-the-cord" research mode. Hell, I already have Apple TV (pay for every GD thing), Roku and Hulu Plus. Just need to be able to receive those few elusive channels and I'm ready to go OTA and cut the cord. Hollyweird can go f*** themselves. Oh, wait, I think they already do.......just in a different way.......
"Just need to be able to receive those few elusive channels and I'm ready to go OTA and cut the cord."
if you don't mind me asking... what content can't you get online or through one of the many streaming services? we had roku, hulu plus, netflix & amazon prime and we are never without things to watch.
Hulu plus seemed like a waste. Most networks have their last 3-5 episodes of ever show on line. I can stream them HD to my AppleTV from my iMac.
I can also stream HD to my AppleTV from my iPhone or iPad.
Roku with Netflix and Amazon Prime provides enough TV viewing for us.
sensorg, I hear you. It's the one service I question... only reason we keep it is because there are some weird shows that are plus exclusive and end up being great time wasters.
upso: Don't mind you asking at all. HGTV, Food Network, The Cooking Channel are the primary channels we watch/record shows from. Although, if I understand Buckeye's new HD DTA offering, I think I could still get Food NW and HGTV in HD. We record more shows than we watch live - which is a problem with the streaming devices. While there may be a way to record from them, I don't know what it is. And, frankly, haven't spent a lot of time trying to figure it out.
As for the offerings from Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, Apple TV - it seems a lot of what they offer are re-broadcasts of a lot of prime time major network shows - none of which we watch. As an Amazon Prime member (I subscribe for the shipping benefits), I have access to their programming. I just haven't found a great deal of it that interests me. We've been Netflix subscribers for years but we choose the BluRay DVD via snail mail. We've tried their streaming service but for movies, what they offer seems limited and rather old.
SensorG: you may be right about Hulu Plus - I haven't thoroughly explored everything that is available. That said, upso is correct about some of the "weird shows" that are plus exclusive. We've found some pretty interesting stuff there.
a la carte programming from Buckeye is what I hope for. Don't know if that will ever happen. Aside from tennis and baseball, we are not huge sports fans. We could very easily live without ESPN which alone adds anywhere from $6 to $10/month to the monthly cable bill from what I've read. The Cable TV industry is going to have to change their business model somehow, someway in order to compete with the ever growing streaming services.
Login or create an account to post a comment.