Insight customers in Lexington receiving digital upgrade

I have some exciting news for you today.

Many readers of this site are probably familiar with other cable providers that are transitioning their customers to an all-digital network. To date, more than 5 million homes have made the switch in order to pave the way for those companies to begin delivering DOCSIS 3.0 broadband speeds, many more HD channels and the technology of the future.

We’re announcing today that you can now add Insight to that list.

In early May, we will begin an all-digital upgrade for all our customers in Lexington, called Digital 5.10. Channels that are currently transmitted in analog will be provided in digital after this conversion. What this means is that every TV set in Lexington will need either a digital tuner or a mini digital transport adapter (DTA) in order to continue seeing your favorite channels after the digital cable upgrade.  The DTA's are similar to those that were offered to customers who wanted to continue to receive their over-the-air broadcast signals after that industry transitioned to all-digital.
 
We’re committed to making this conversion as seamless as possible, and if you are an Insight customer in the Lexington area, keep an eye out for your mail as you’ll begin receiving information about how to determine which televisions in your home will need a DTA and how to order DTAs.  

If you are an Insight customer in Lexington and your television already has a digital set-top box, that television is already prepared for the digital upgrade. However, if your television plugs directly into a coaxial cable, you likely will need to get a DTA. These are simple, easy-to-use, small set-top boxes that will be sent to customers along with very clear instructions about hooking them up. The boxes will allow you to continue to watch the same great channel lineup you have now, delivered in superior digital picture and sound quality. Plus, the adapter will return access to up to ten channels that have previously been upgraded to digital only.  

Now, about how this upgrade paves the way for future technology...

After the Digital 5.10 project is complete, we will be working on our biggest upgrade ever – Digital 10.0. That upgrade will deliver around 100 HD channels, a 50 Mbps broadband service, and multi-room DVR. Those improvements will become a reality due to the bandwidth savings that an all-digital cable system creates. We’re constantly working to build a better Insight and provide our customers with the fastest broadband Internet speeds and best television viewing experience. As I have information I can share with readers about Digital 10.0, you will find it here first.

For those of you in other Insight markets, stay tuned. The Lexington digital conversion will take a number of months to complete.  With our experience there under our belt, we plan to convert all other districts.  That does not mean it will happen all at once, but methodically, commencing later this year and into 2011.   Rest assured that we are committed to providing you with the world-class technology and, as soon as I have more details, I will be sure to let you know right here on this blog. 

Comments

[druw]

I have a tv with a digital tuner in it. Would I still have to get an adapter? I get channels like CBS 72.1 in HD etc. Will this allow more channels in HD without the cable box

[pc]

The Lexington Herald-Leaders states in their article about the upgrade that those without an insight cable box/dvr would get 2 DTA's free of charge, whereas those who PAY for the additional service of a cable box/dvr would only get 1 DTA for free. This seems extremely unfair to your premium customers! Just because we pay for additional services from your company we are penalized for it!? Shouldn't premium customers receive at the least the equal benefit your basic customers receive?

[Alex]

"Those improvements will become a reality due to the bandwidth savings that an all-digital cable system creates." I have to imagine that customers will have to pay for these improvements, regardless of whether they want it.

[Ryan]

Guess I can plan on renewing my contract with Dish if we are looking at 2011. Which by the means of 30.0, it could be 2012 before this 10.0 is released in Evansville. BTW, what happened to 6.0, 7.0, etc.? Is 10.0 going to be twice as good as 5.0?

[Vewin]

What is this going to cost me? Insight is making DirectTV look extremely price competitive even if I keep the cable internet.

[MichaelT]

This will be the straw that breaks the camel's back for us. I'm sure the digitial channels won't work with a QAM tuner so you'll have to have this lame box even on a TV with a digital tuner.

With RedBox, Netflix, Hulu, etc the need for cable TV is dead.

[Elizabeth SIzemore]

"What this means is that every TV set in Lexington will need either a digital tuner or a mini digital transport adapter (DTA) in order to continue seeing your favorite channels after the digital cable upgrade."

And my tv already has a digital tuner in it therefore I will not need a DTA????

[Zack]

I'm excited about the news. Thank you Michael/Insight! I can't wait to try out the 50megs!

[Paul Templeton]

50 megs in cablespeak = 5 megs to the rest of us.

[ARGO]

Why is the upload speed being kept a secret?

[Delsentido]

I've spent $1500 over the last year building a custom 4 tuner DVR which records shows from the analog band. Now your just going to shut the analog feed off?!? I just got everything tuned in flawlessly... I think I'm gonna cry...

[Ryan]

Why not just purchase a tuner card that can accept a cable card? That way your $1500 investment is not completely gone

As for the upload, I'm sure it will be around 4.5 up.

[Cabletechstudent]

I'm sorry,but you got ripped off if you spent $1500 on an analog 4 tuner DVR.

[WRCFanatic]

The DTA's will be made by Technicolor SA aka Thomson.

[dude]

Delsentido, $1500 on an analog 4 tuner DVR???
U totally gotten ripped off dude! :D

[Phil]

Michael,

It's May 11th and we haven't heard anything locally. When can we expect to know something?

[BC]

It's May 24--one month after the big announcement, and no further word on this transition. When can we expect to hear more?

[Mike]

This can be a great step forward and a VERY welcome change IF it is done right by making all the digital channels that don't have to be encrypted into standard, HD, Clear QAM channels (for non-geeks, this means any modern TV with a built-in digital tuner will be able to view those channels with no additional boxes).

Of course PPV/On-Demand and premium channels would still be encrypted and require an STB, but with the full-digital transition there is NO reason to limit HD content only to Insight STB's.

Insight already has 47 digital channels available to stock digital tuners but only 10 of those are in HD (and some of those are duplicated as 4:3 channels - a waste of bandwidth).

Ditching duplicate 4:3 content and providing / expanding the available HD content available to any Clear QAM digital tuner will maximize your use of bandwidth AND make several fairly vocal internet users very happy indeed.

[Steve Pallardy]

Michael, I live in Lexington, KY. Have always talked to Dan DeYoung re: issues with Insight. He is no longer with company.
Big hockey (Blackhawks) fan. We get Versus, channel 549, which shows hockey, but it is not in HD. (Even though it is available in HD). The same with the Golf Channel.
WGN is finally available in HD. Too bad the Cubs aren't worth watching.
I pay nearly $185. a month for phone, internet and HD package. It can't be that hard to give your valued customers what they want. I'm not sure if this is the best way to contact you, but I have seen you on commercials, and I know you listen to your customers. Thanks. Steve

[JamesW]

I see that Insight has finally posted information on their website regarding the discontinuance of analog signals over cable in Lexington. I find it disappointing that ALL televisions, even those with clear QAM tuners, will require a mini box. I have read their excuse for not providing the channels now available without a converter in analog format as clear QAM. They say some programming providers require them to scramble their signals. I don't buy the argument. Why were they able to provide them unscrambled in analog form?
One effect of Insight's setup is to force people with tvs with digital tuners to rent a cable box in order to receive digital quality pictures since the minibox only has an RF output on channel 3 or 4. Nice move Insight...

See http://myinsight.com/Product-Cable-Digital610.asp

[Jason]

So this leaves me with just two questions.

1. What type of upload speeds are we going to have for a 50+ downstream? The only way I would pony up the money is if the upload was near 10mbps. Otherwise it's just not worth it.

2. What kind of price are we looking at for these silly fast speeds? My limit is $99 a month for internet, provided you can deliver a 10mbps upload.

[Mike]

I just read the Insight web page on the soon-to-be-required "Mini Box" as well, and that whole scheme is far more than disappointing. It's complete bull for anyone with anything other than an analog-only tube TV (probably most of us by now). And at least one aspect of the Mini Box is possibly illegal.

The Mini Box is NOT HD CAPABLE (see FAQ #26). So if you use the Mini Box instead of a Set-Top Box (so as not to lose all your mid-tier programming but not pay an extra $10-15 a month PER TV) you will LOSE ALL HD capability, including the local HD broadcast stations that cable providers are REQUIRED BY LAW to deliver unmodified. So all of us with relatively recent flat-panel TVs will find them useless for any HD from Insight... unless of course we pay the extor... er, "service fee" for a fancier STB (or are enough of a geek to figure a way around it using CableCard devices, AND willing to shell out more money for more hardware to do it, etc.).

I really can't tell you how much that upsets me.

[Mike]

In case you are wondering which law the Mini Box breaks, it's FCC 66 FR 16533 (also discussed in the October 2008 amendment by the FCC to Part 76 of the Commission's Rules), portions of which are sometimes referred to as the "must carry" rules. This states (in part and in brief) that if a cable provider supplies local broadcasts AT ALL they must provide them in the SAME FORMAT AS BROADCAST and they must be available to ALL SUBSCRIBERS including the most basic tier of programming.

This Mini Box breaks that rule because it cannot provide the local broadcast stations in HD, and ALL local stations in Lexington broadcast the bulk of their programming in HD now.

Free or not, these Mini Boxes are going to REDUCE THE QUALITY of any HD channels you may be receiving now without any STB at all. This includes all local broadcast channels, The Weather Channel, Discovery Channel and TBS HD.

Of course I'll probably order a bunch of Mini Boxes anyway so I can try to be covered with the Mrs. should you transition before I come up with something better. Maybe they can be hacked to provide an HD output... but even then I'll STILL have to reprogram every remote in the house, add more IR routing and IR emitters -- and I have no idea yet what it's going to take make any of this work with Windows 7 Media Center and my existing collection of digital and analog network tuners... You have NO IDEA how much work you are causing with this "transition". Seriously, it's going to take at least SEVERAL DAYS to get everything working as smooth as it is now.

I really, really, REALLY wish there was some serious competition in this market.

[JamesW]

I suspect Insight is going to get around the FCC rule by continuing to provide the local stations in clear QAM like they do now.

[Mike]

That would be great as far as the FCC requirements go. But the DTA's are still the wrong answer to the question of how to carry everyone over when the source material becomes 100$ digital. Well, they're the right answer for those still using analog-only TV's but the wrong answer from the "do the right thing" perspective for everyone else.
But I guess I've complained enough here, give that it won't make any difference anyway. Will just have to find other windmills at which to tilt.
For my way forward, if I'm going to have to shell out more money to get the cable channels I'm already paying for anyway, it will be for the HDHomeRun Prime and a couple bucks for a CableCard (thank goodness the FCC requires operators to support them or there wouldn't be any other options). Compared to the four STB's I'd need otherwise, the Prime will pay for itself in four to five months. And beyond that the cable bill wouldn't have to be $60 a month higher for all those "free" HD channels.