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Digital TV FAQ

  1. What is digital television (DTV)?
  2. What is a Standard Television Signal?
  3. What is HDTV?
  4. What equipment will I need to receive Antietam HD?
  5. Is my standard TV obsolete?
  6. What is the Antietam Cable Digital Transition?
  7. What is a Digital Adapter?
  8. How can I tell if my TV has a digital tuner?
  9. What do I need to do if I have a TV with a compatible built-in digital tuner?
  10. Can I still watch my local broadcast channels without attaching any additional equipment?
  11. What if I already subscribe to Antietam Digital Cable?
  12. What is Antietam Digital Cable?
  13. How do I order Digital Adapter(s)?
  14. How do I hook up my Digital Adapter?
  15. Do I need to activate my Digital Adapter?
  16. Will the Digital Adapter work with a VCR, DVD, or Tivo?
  17. How do I program my VCR to record using Digital Adapter?
  18. What happens if I have TVs connected to converter boxes I received from the government during the FCC's 2009 Digital TV Transition?

  1. What is digital television (DTV)?

    Digital television is a new transmission standard superior to analog. With a digital system, the pictures and sounds are represented using zeros and ones, just like the digital code your computer uses. While the signal can still be affected by the same interference as analog, it is easier for the system to correct the signal since it only has to replace a zero or a one. Therefore, digital television is sharper and clearer than analog. A digital transmission system can deliver both Standard Television (SDTV) signals and High definition (HDTV) signals. Antietam Cable uses this standard. 

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  2. What is a Standard Television Signal?

    In the current television signal standard in the United States, the television signal is made up of 525 scan lines. It has around 300,000 pixels (the small dots that create the picture). The shape of the screen is almost square - a 4 to 3 aspect ratio - which simply means the screen is 4 units wide by 3 units tall. A standard television signal can be delivered by either an analog transmission method or a digital transmission method. Both Antietam Cable's Basic and Digital services employ the Standard Television Signal.

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  3. What is HDTV?

    With the most popular high definition television signal standard, the signal is made up of 1,080 scan lines. It has over two million pixels (the small dots that create the picture.) With twice as many scan lines and pixels, the HDTV picture has a higher resolution, meaning it is clearer, crisper and more detailed than the Standard Television signal. The shape of the screen is wider - a 16 by 9 aspect ratio - which simply means it is 16 units wide by 9 units tall. This is much like the shape of the screen you see in a movie theater. Many people find viewing HDTV more natural, because the 16 by 9 aspect ratio closely matches the peripheral vision range of the human eye. HDTV signals are delivered by a digital transmission method. Antietam HD offers the HDTV signal delivered digitally. Because it is sent to your home via cable technology, the signal is protected from the majority of external interference common to home satellite system users, such as wind, rain, snow, trees, new structures on the landscape, and a host of other line-of-sight and environmental issues. Antietam Cable's master satellite dish is 15 feet wide compared to home satellite systems, which are less than 2 feet wide. Because of its size, our satellite dish is affected much less by external interference when compared to home satellite systems! A high definition signal delivered by Antietam Cable turns your home entertainment center into a private movie theater, with a superb picture, CD-quality surround sound, and the technical reliability you've come to expect from superior cable technology.

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  4. What equipment will I need to receive Antietam HD?

    You will need an HDTV compatible television set, which can be purchased at many area retailers. You will also need an HD compatible cable box, available from Antietam Cable Television.

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  5. Is my standard TV obsolete?

    You can watch all Antietam Cable Television video services - including Antietam Digital Cable - on your standard television set with the exception of Antietam HD. An HDTV set is required to receive any high definition signal, like those featured on Antietam HD.

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  6. What is the Antietam Cable Digital Transition?

     

    Antietam Cable has converted all of the television signals we offer to an all-digital platform.

    Digital channels, even in standard definition, tend to look better than analog channels do on your TV.

    TVs with a proper built-in tuner – called a QAM digital tuner - do not need Digital Adapters to receive Broadcast Starter or Basic Plus Service.

    If your TV set does not have a QAM digital tuner, your TV must have a Digital Adapter or other digital equipment on every TV connected to Antietam Cable. Digital equipment includes: Digital Adapters, Standard Digital converter, HD converters, HD/DVRs, or Cable Cards.

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  7. What is a Digital Adapter?

     

    A Digital Adapter is a one-way piece of equipment that allows an analog TV to display channels that have been transmitted over the cable network in a digital format. It is quite small – it can easily fit in an average shirt pocket.

    PLEASE NOTE: It is a very simple device that does not have the advanced features of a full scale digital converter and will not deliver advanced features like Video On Demand, digital music, the Interactive Program Guide with parental controls, or access to the wide array of channel offerings on Antietam’s Variety Plus, Sports Plus, Movie Plus, or HD levels of service. If you are interested in these features, please contact Antietam Cable to secure a digital converter with the appropriate features.

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  8. How can I tell if my TV has a digital tuner?

     

    Most television sets sold since 2005 have a built in tuner – called a QAM tuner - that will receive digital signals. As a rule of thumb, if your TV set has a screen shaped like a rectangle, it probably has the proper tuner. To be completely certain, you can do one of the following:

    • Consult your owner’s manual to see if your TV has a QAM tuner;
    • Auto Tune your television set. If the set tunes to all of the channels to which you currently subscribe, it has a QAM tuner.  (The Auto Tune function is a feature of your TV set and is usually found in the MENU. Select Auto Tune and follow the on-screen prompts. Consult your owner’s manual or contact the manufacturer of your TV set for further details.)

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  9. What do I need to do if I have a TV with a compatible built-in digital tuner?

    If your TV set has a QAM tuner, there is nothing you need to do. Sit back and enjoy your Antietam Cable TV selections!

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  10. Can I still watch my local broadcast channels without attaching any additional equipment?

    Yes!   Customers who only subscribe to our Broadcast Starter television service (channels 2 – 13, 23-30, and 170-178) will continue to receive the Broadcast Starter service channels in analog format.  There is nothing you need to do.  Antietam Cable will continue to simulcast these channels in both analog and digital format.

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  11. What if I already subscribe to Antietam Digital Cable?

     

    Congratulations!  There is nothing you need to do.  Your TV sets will function as usual, plus you have access to a wide array of channels and features in stunning digital format!

    Please note: If you have TV sets in your home that are not connected via a digital converter, HD converter, or HD/DVR converter, you will need to get one of the digital converters described or a Digital Adapter in order for these TV sets to continue to receive channels after April 29, 2012.

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  12. What is Antietam Digital Cable?

     

    Antietam Digital Cable provides enhanced picture and sound quality on your existing TV set, and includes all your Broadcast and Basic Cable channels plus an Interactive Program Guide, nearly 8,000 On Demand titles – many of them FREE - and 30 channels of CD quality commercial-free music.  It also gives you access to subscribe to our Variety Plus, Sports Plus, Movie Plus, and HD Tiers, plus FREE HD channels - over 100 additional channels in all!
    An HD digital converter is required to receive these services including the HD channels. A standard digital converter is required to receive these services excluding the HD channels.  A digital adapter will provide enhanced picture and sound quality on your existing TV set, but will not provide access to these additional services.

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  13. How do I order Digital Adapter(s)?

    CLICK HERE for instructions.

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  14. How do I hook up my Digital Adapter?

    CLICK HERE for step-by-step instructions. You can also view an installation video and let our professional Antietam Cable technician show you just how easy it is!

    Self-Installation instructions are also contained in the Digital Adapter Quick Start Guide that is included with your Digital Adapter.

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  15. Do I need to activate my Digital Adapter?

    Yes. Once you have connected all your Digital Adapters to your TVs, you will need to activate them in order to begin receiving channels.  PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ACTIVATE PRIOR TO CONNECTING YOUR DIGITAL ADAPTER TO YOUR TV.

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  16. Will the Digital Adapter work with a VCR, DVD, or Tivo?

     

    Yes. For installing with a VCR, please refer to the additional setup options in the Quick Start Guide that is included with your Digital Adapter.

    No changes are needed for use with a DVD, Blue Ray or gaming device.

    TiVo boxes require a CableCARD. If you currently view Antietam Cable with a TiVo box, you do not need a Digital Adapter. 

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  17. How do I program my VCR to record using Digital Adapter?

     

    To record a program using your Digital Adapter and VCR: 

    1. Set your VCR to record channel 3 for the time the program is airing. 
    2. Tune the Digital Adapter to the channel you want to record.

    The VCR will record the channel to which your Digital Adapter is tuned. To record different programs at different times, you will need to change the channel on your Digital Adapter. 

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  18. What happens if I have TVs connected to converter boxes I received from the government during the FCC's 2009 Digital TV Transition?

    TVs using one of these retail converter boxes are able to receive broadcast TV signals via an external antenna, and are not receiving Antietam Cable service. They will continue to receive the same broadcast channels as they do today, and will not be impacted by Antietam’s Digital Transition. If your TV is connected to Antietam’s co-axial cable, you need to have an Antietam Digital Adapter installed to continue to receive Antietam Cable channels on that TV.

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