[Rich A]

Are we being ripped off by the cable companies?

<edit> Opps I think this belongs in another area - Moderator(s) please move if needed.

At present I subscribe to Cox Communications. They have promised to continue to supply me with analog service until 2012. That is all well and fine, but after seeing what's happening to other users with other cable companies, I'm now wondering what will happen in 2012 to my service?

Right now I receive both the basic and expanded channel line ups in analog. Neither are scrambled and I can receive them both with my cable ready analog TV. I've never owned or rented or needed any kind of set top decoder/tuner box!

What I fear is that they are going to encrypt the expanded basic tier when they finally switch to all digital. Which means I no longer can receive the "expanded" part of my basic/expanded without a decoder box.

Why? Why don't they just provide BOTH the basic tier AND the expanded Tier in clear QAM? They can (and are) doing it selectively with the old analog. Why can't they do that with digital?

I think there are a lot of us who are just interested in "basic/expanded" cable TV .. We don't want a ka-zillion music channels and don't want any premium (HBO etc) channels.

Right now (as an example) Here is what I'm am getting:
Basic Expanded ... (example chans 99 total ) In analog. No converter box needed ..

What I think I'll be forced to subscribe to is:
Basic Digital .. (local channels 12 total. PLUS some digital package including a lot of crap I don't want) at a more expensive price PLUS a required set top box = more $$

In the past I could receive both basic and expanded without needing a set top box.

Under the new (maybe?) system I will only be able to get the expanded part by renting a cable box.

Can anyone explain to me WHY they have to encrypt the expanded part of the digital package when those same programs offered in the past were not encrypted? Of course it might be the obvious .. ergo more money to them. Otherwise, I must be missing something ??