Reader mail: Will I need a cable box after the DTV transition?

Tom writes: Thanks for your post about the DTV deadline and whether or not I'll need a new TV. Here's my question, though: I get my signals though cable, but I don't have a set-top box. Will I be OK after the analog shutoff?

Dear Tom: I'm glad you asked. As a cable viewer without a cable box (or a digital TV, I'm assuming), you're in a special situation—and unfortunately, you might need a set-top box after all.

First, a little background. While the FCC is mandating that all broadcast TV stations shut off their analog signals by February 17, 2009, there's no such requirement for cable operators. But here's the thing: Most of the big cable carriers want to go all-digital—digital signals use much less bandwidth than analog—and they'll be able to do so once local TV stations switch off their analog broadcasts.

But as this Ars Technica article explains, the FCC ruled in 2007 that cable operators must continue to provide local TV stations (but not basic cable networks like TNT or TBS) to its analog TV customers until at least 2012. That's the good news.

The bad news? Cable operators are free to choose how to deliver those analog signals—either by converting the digital signals from your local TV stations to analog (which the all-digital carriers won't want to do), or by providing converter boxes—and if your carrier decides to give you a digital-to-analog converter box, they can charge you for it (probably $5-to-$10 a month). From the FCC's DTV FAQ:

If the cable company provides the customer with a set-top box, any costs related to it will be determined by the cable company. Therefore, it is recommended that analog cable customers contact their cable company to ask if a set-top box will be needed, when it will be needed, and if there will be a cost.

So Tom ... yes, you might need a converter box; call your service provider and ask what their plans are. Also, keep in mind that the digital-to-analog converter boxes for cable aren't the same as the over-the-air converter boxes, and the government is not providing subsidies for cable converter boxes. Yeah, I know—but that's the deal, unfortunately.