TV: DirecTV - more channels, less money, better HD quality.

Internet: ATT DLS Extreme - I actually GET my 6Mb/s consistently. WIth FPB 8Mb/s I was lucky to average 4-5. It does cost more than FPB, but the quaity of service is beyond compare.

Phone: ATT Wireless, no land line needed.

Security: .45ACP and 12Ga with #8 birdshot. (wont penetrate walls as easily and get an innocent family member.

Electric - not much choice here, but I am on Bluegrass.

Water - Farmdale.

Sewer - Septic System.

All of you cannot eliminate the FPB monoply, but joining together you can certainly put a hurt on their business model. I got long tired of premium prices and inferior service.

I have been clean (of FPB) for almost 3 years. I suggest you do as much as you can to do the same.

I saw in the paper that FPB is potentially pulling about a dozen channels due to rate increases by MTV. Do you think when/if they do your cable bill will go down because they are no longer paying these fees? Don't hold your breath.

The only things that upset me about the new FPB digital-to-analog (DTA) cable box is the same as with satellite dish boxes: you can't record and/or watch more than one program (i.e., if you have a TV and a VCR or DVR, you can only watch/record one program) and there is no capability to change the channel so that the VCR or DVR can record different programs on different channels while you're away from home. For the latter, why couldn't the DTA box come with something like VCR-plus, which could be programmed to switch channels at a given date and time? That way, the recorder could be "locked" on channel 3 or 4 (i.e., whichever is needed to view the signal coming from the DTA box), and the customer would maintain the functionality of the recording devices. In hindsight, why didn't the gov't (State & Fed) protect consumers with older recorders and/or new ones without built-in QAM tuners? At least we received months of notice about the Federal analog-to-digital box conversion, which, granted, affected only those who didn't already have cable or satellite service (i.e., poor and/or rural viewers), but the FPB boxes were thrust upon us virtually without warning, possibly to avoid giving the people time to switch en masse to satellite TV.

Considering the declining quality of programming on TV, the spate of rising fees of the networks to the cable companies, and the lack of programmability of the FPB DTA boxes, it might just be worth getting a satellite dish. True, their signal converter boxes won't let you record more than one show from the current channel, either, but, at least there would be far more programs to watch (or not!), and, yes, it will cost more (i.e., satellite boxes cost $5/month if you want DVR service or multiple boxes), but, then again, perhaps it's worth it to get more channel choices.

Information found at FCC's Digital Transition Web Site:
HTTP://WWW.DTV.GOV


IS MY T.V. DIGITAL?
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All Digital T.V. sets have labels or markings that may contain the words "Integrated Digital Tuner," "Digital Tuner Built-In," "Digital Receiver," "Digital Tuner," "DTV," "ATSC," or "HDTV."

The Commission's digital tuner rule specifies that as of March 1, 2007, all new TV sets must include digital tuners.
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http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner_2.html#faq11


Can Cable Companies Make it Mandatory to Subscribe?
==================================================If a cable company makes the business decision to go all-digital, it must ensure that its analog customers can continue to watch their local broadcast stations. This may require some customers to get a set-top box. Contact your cable company to ask if a set-top box will be needed, when it will be needed, and if there will be a cost. Any related costs will be determined by the cable company.
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http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner_3.html#faq1

It is my understanding that most Digital T.V.'s don't have qam tuners. Only the higher end modles have them.
I say we meet every Monday at noon at the fpb and stage a peaceful protest untill either the fpb releases the information so that we can buy a box OUTSIDE their system or until John Higginbotham is fired.

AWSOMMANOFGOD: If you are an "awesome man of God", why are you trying to cause conflict and a protest? God's people don't do that. If you have a new digital television, it should already have a "QAM" tuner and you won't need a black box. The boxes are for analog televisions only. No problem here.

We will never know unless we band together and we meet every Monday at noon at the fpb and stage a peaceful protest .

awsommanofGod: I don't want to buy a box outside of their system---or rent a box either. I want to know why we need a box in the first place since other cable companies are not requiring this of their consumers. So why is the FPB? Who dreamed up this idea?

I say we meet every Monday at noon at the fpb and stage a peaceful protest untill either the fpb releases the information so that we can buy a box OUTSIDE their system or until John Higginbotham is fired.

I spoke with a guy at the FPB and he said if you have purchased a new TV you won't need this box because the TVs are already digital.

I will again say I do not believe anything the FPB tells me. I have a relative who is on cable through a plant board in another Ky town. They are not being fed this line. The PB there has converted analog to digital and the people on cable do not need a box.