Converter Box ($40 coupon) does not work with cable?

[TommyR]

Hi all;

I just bought a Zenith box with my $40 coupon. It works with a rabbit ears I connected to it, got 3 HDTV stations.

Now the problem, I was led to believe if I connected the Ant. in (F-connector) to my cable TV connection and connected the F-connector out to my analog TV I would be able to receive all my cable channels and any "digital" ones I was not able to get before.

I hooked it up and -- I got absolutely nothing! I thought the box was bad, that I hooked up the old rabbit ears and the auto-scan picked up 3 stations.

What an I missing here?

Please help if you can.

-TommyR

[setarip_old]

Hi!

From what I've read and heard, that box is intended exclusively to allow TVs with on air (antenna) only capability to receive digital stations, starting February 2009.

I'm not aware of any cable-on air converter box throughput capability.

I don't understand why you need the converter box if you have cable?

[Ryokurin]

If you have cable, you don't need the box at all. Thats going to be NTSC until at least 2012 at least for locals, and if you live in a area that does go completely digital they will provide you with a cable box in the process.

None of the coupon boxes support QAM which is what some tuners use to pick up unencrypted channels over cable. the coupon boxes are just that, a basic tuner, with no thrills other than a remote.

[QuadcoreHD]

To tune any encrypted HD channels (HBO for example) and all digital HD channels you need the ATI (OCUR) Digital Cable Tuner with a Digital Cable Ready PC. Yes, its as annoying as it sounds but as far as I know thats the only way to tune digital cable that isnt broadcasted.