Cable STB outputs

[JDJinTX]

I'm still sorting out my HD options and called Comcast with questions about their STB options & outputs. The tech support person assured me that their STB coax output would send decoded HD content to my TV (not just a pass-through signal with encoded & QAM content), just like the HDMI or component video outputs. I'm assuming that this is pure nonsense- can anyone confirm?

Thanks!

jd

[stanger89]

It will, but it will be downconverted to SD.

[paulbeers]

Originally Posted by stanger89

It will, but it will be downconverted to SD.

Yep. What he said.

[JDJinTX]

Thanks, that's what I figured. It's one thing to get information direct from the professionals at Comcast tech support, but afterwards I like to doublecheck with people who actually know what they're talking about...

jdj

[kevine]

We're all just guessing. Maybe it will down convert, maybe it won't.

[stanger89]

No, we're pretty much not guessing. You can't send uncompressed video over an RF (coax) link, there isn't a (consumer at least) protocol that supports it.

If it's an RF output, it's one of about 3 things:
NTSC (480i analog)
Passthrough
ATSC (digital bitstream)

Don't know about passthrough (I assume comcast is right), but I don't think a box since the Dish 6000 with 8VSB module has done ATSC output.