[Jeffhs]

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have Time Warner's lowest level of service--local channels only; those channels come in better here, IMHO, than they ever did when the system was all analog. I don't know what the problem is with TW's Texas systems if you are getting noisy reception of local channels; they are supposed to be clearer than analog. However, I am very, very seriously considering getting a converter box and dropping the cable altogether, although I don't know how well it will work since I am in a poor signal area, 35-40 miles from the Cleveland TV stations, and got only one station well enough to watch in analog. I may or may not have better digital reception--I'll just have to experiment and see just what digital channels I do get here. Channel 3, the NBC station in Cleveland, did not reach here at all in analog, 5 and 8 were fair to poor at best, 25, the PBS station here, was also fair to poor, as were 43 and 55. How well these stations come in here in digital is anyone's guess; I really don't know, however, if it's worth spending $40 or more on a converter box that may not last longer than a few months (!) if all I may get is one or two channels, but I'll give it a shot anyway.

As far as TW dropping two channels from analog cable in your area and moving them to digital goes, well, I guess that's how a lot of cable systems operate these days (you are correct; the cable companies are like Jack FM: they do what they want and the heck with the subscribers), and they may continue to do so until all channels are on the digital tier, forcing just about every one of their subscribers to rent a cable box.

Like it or not, the company is trying to get more and more money out of our pockets any way they can. This is one reason I intend to at least try a converter box here, and if it works to get just three stations (the ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates from Cleveland), I will be satisfied, as most of what I watch on those channels these days is the news anyway. I have a DVD player and a VCR (I am taping an episode of Charlie's Angels from WGN America as I write this, and have ordered season 3 of the 1970s NBC crime drama Quincy, M.E. on DVD from Amazon.com as well in addition to having several other series on DVD and a lot of shows on VHS), so I really don't miss the channels I used to get on Time-Warner's expanded-basic service; if my experiment with the converter box goes well I'll bid farewell to basic cable too.