I recently purchased an HDTV, and was assuming that I would be able to watch HD versions of the channels that are offered in the essentials package. But it seems that the Digital Adapter piece of junk (that I need since all the non-broadcast channels are encrypted) either filters out or can't otherwise decrypt the HD channels. For example, FOX-HD (which is 508 according to the lineup in my area) is a black screen, The normal Fox channel (8) is definitely standard definition, and looks bad, especially when I compare it to the HD signal I get over the air when I hook my TV up to an old fashioned antenna.
I haven't bothered to see whether any of the few unencrypted channels are HD when I plug the cable straight into my TV and use the TV's built-in digital tuner. It would be hard to do anyway: it's impossible to find anything without the Digital Adapter since the channels all come out as wacky numbers. Even if the broadcast channels did come in as HD, it's still a major pain for me: while not using the Digital Adapter, I can't access all the other channels I'm paying for, only the stuff I would get for free anyway, but if I use the Digital adapter I lose the HD I would get with an antenna.
I can't believe I'm paying for cable service (including HD channels) and I get better quality for free over the air (I realize that I'm really only talking about PBS, NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX, but that's 80% of what I watch). I already feel like I'm being ripped off for the monthly cost of the Digital Adapter, there's no way I'm going to pay more than twice as much for the HD-STB, just to access content I'm already paying for, and would be perfectly capable of viewing if it weren't for the encrypted-QAM nonsense (ie the reason the Digital Adapter is needed for TVs that have built-in digital tuners).
Since I doubt VZ (or any other cable carrier for that matter) will adopt a more customer-friendly policy on encrypted-QAM anytime soon, I guess I should invest in a good antenna.
The Verizon DCT-700 Digital Adapter can not decode the FIOS HD Signals. Even if it could the picture would not be HD since the box only has Composite Outputs.
If you have a newer HDTV it may have a QAM Tuner which would get the Local Broadcast Channels without a Verizon STB.
Well, the adapter has composite and cable outputs. I understand that I can use it without the STB, that's what I was describing in the second paragraph (and the problems with that approach). And it would be pretty annoying to have to do a lengthy channel rescan every time I wanted to switch from watching HD bradcast to the cable-only content I'm paying for.
Yes the Digital Adapter has Composite and Coax Outputs, but the Coax output is an even lower quality than the Composite and would not be HD.
You would NOT need to rescan every tiem you wanted to change from HD to the Digital Adapter.
Your TV should have several inputs, along with the Coax Jack. You would scan the Coax Cable once and then just switch the inputs on the TV with the TV's Remote to the Composite Cables when watching a cable channel in SD.
Or just bite the bullet, pay the extra $6, and get a HD STB.
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