For reasons all my own I am stepping down as the Leader of the Cable Box rebellion. Despite what you may think ,it has nothing to do with the threat of violence at these protests.
The cause is just. The profit made from these Box rentals is merely a hidden rate hike and hurt the poor the most. The profits made from these Cable Boxes can be used to fund the perks for the bigwigs at the fpb.Therefore I am hopeful that someone will Rise up and take over Leadership of the Cable Box rebellion of 2010. Are you up to the Challenge?

@awsommanofGod:

You keep referring to "perks for the bigwigs at the FPB" from a previous SJ article. I don't remember seeing that. Can you please post the link to that article or at least tell us when it published?

You aren't required to take a box if you don't want. You can use a TV with a digital tuner. ALL TVs SOLD AFTER MARCH 1, 2007 HAVE A DIGITAL TUNER. You have to *request* the number of cable boxes you want from FPB. They don't tell you how many you're going to take.

Macha posted the following which brings up a good question.
"Posted by Macha January 13, 2010

@RobertF:

True, but I'd bet anyone would be hard pressed to find a TV that could tune an over-the-air digital signal and not a cable digital signal."
Is Macha correct?
No one knows. The Plant Board is not going to tell us that is for sure. At least not until they cram a cable box down every throat they can.
Of Course all the profit they make on renting out cable Boxes can be used to fund the perks for the bigwigs at the FPB. ( See previous State Journal article on those perks)
Join the cable box rebellion! If you wantto protest these Cable boxes we have several options. 1. show up mondays at noon at the downtown fpb ,2. call and complain,3. e-mail the fpb and complain or 4.show up at their monthly meetings and complain.5. ALL of the above
This summer , when they switch over to the new system, it will be to late. Join the rebellion now!

If you are on Facebook search for "Frankfort Plant Board Sucks" and become a fan.

Just a side note...I got 2 DTA's last week. After installing the first one, I discovered that HBO doesn't work on Channel 4 anymore. I called FPB & was told that I will no longer get HBO if I don't have that particular TV hooked to digital cable. I asked them why they didn't mention this in their "many" mailings alerting me to get the boxes. They said that "unfortunately" they did not know this when the boxes became available. They said I would have to upgrade another TV or 2 to digital in order to get HBO. i told them I've had HBO for 7 or 8 years & didn't think it was fair to lose it because I don't have digital on all 4 of my TV's. So,in essence, it really is a rate increase or an upgrade in services, which cost more. I'm very disgruntled & am strongly considering a dish. I know of several others who are doing the same thing. FPB always seems to be upgrading to get the lates & greatest technology, but when they get there, it seems they are still
behind the other cable companies.
I know FPB reads these posts, so my advice to them would be this...Straighten up or you'll have no customers.

Satellite is an option. However, please educate and prepare yourself before jumping in.

MSNBC Red Tape Chronicles
========================================
DirecTV Thrives on 'DECEPTION', Lawsuit Alleges

http://bit.ly/7VUcHc

Posted: Friday, December 18 2009 at 06:00 am CT

First, It would help if you could spell CABLE. You might gain a LITTLE credibility. .see title.

@inyomouth: I am with you. You have an option. Try DirecTV, Its CHEAPER, you get MORE channels AND you get 1080i HD (most Movies are in 1080P), not the crap the FPB sends out. (780p maybe?) Side by side comparison between FPB HD and DirecTV HD shows that FPB HD is no comparison. PLUS you save money.

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPage.jsp?assetId=2700001&CMP=KNC-MC-Google&HBX_PK=SEA_B_direct+tv_4124407749&HBX_OU=50&aid=googlebrand&dnaomn=81519,8,0,90901837,757527443,1263439075,what+resolution+is+directtv,20278536,4124407749

You're right Macha, awsommanofGod is being VERY melodramatic with comments like "Mothers do you want to enslave your Children and your Childrens Children to these boxes?" And the newest one "Who is going to get hurt the worst , the shut-ins , the elderly or the disabled?". Since when did cable television become a necessity that we can't live without?

@awsommanofGod as Macha said you are getting wrong information. There is nothing special about FPB's cable system and any device you use (TV, VCR, DTA converter) that has a QAM tuner will work. You said you bought a new TV right? Have you, as others suggested, checked to see if it has a QAM tuner? May I suggest you scan to see what digital channels you get? Digital televisions work differently so check your owner's manual on how to do this. If you don't get anything and if it's not too late I would take it back. And wherever you got the information regarding only high-end TV's have a QAM tuner is false and I'll tell you why. I went to Wal-Mart the day after Thanksgiving and bought the 19" TV advertised for $128. I did some research on their website and the specs said it had a QAM tuner. Brought it home, scanned for digital channels and all of them came in. That's the cheapest TV of that size I've seen.

@Macha great website with a lot of helpful information but the part about all TV's manufactured after March 1, 2007 requiring a digital tuner is referring to an ATSC tuner. An ATSC tuner is required to pick up over-the-air digital broadcast channels (18, 27 etc.) with an antenna. The QAM is different and unfortunately not required. Albeit most manufacturers include it, it's not necessarily a given.

Back to awsom, there is nothing stopping you from buying your own converter box but as Macha said, why would you want to? I agree with her, it financially makes no sense to me.

So I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve with your protest but good luck.

@awsommanofGod: You have wrong information regarding QAM/Digital Tuner TVs. *All* TVs sold after March 1, 2007 must include a digital (QAM) tuner. Check here:
http://www.dtv.gov/consumercorner_2.html#faq11

Plus, if you read @uglytruth's post #6, he found a list of digital converters that will probably do what you want to do. Looks like you might be able to get one at walmart. Why don't you get one, try it out, see if it works, and post your results back here for everyone to see? I would like to know if it works and if they get the full range of digital channels a new digital TV might get.

Why doesn't fpb give us the option of buying these boxes? If they don't give us the option then it is just a hidden rate increase. Who is going to get hurt the worst , the shut-ins , the elderly or the disabled? Just because you buy a new T.V. doesn't mean anything unless it has a QAM and only the more expensive models have a QAM.
If you can not be at the peaceful protest on monday's at noon, but don't like these boxes you can write , e-mail and call and complain at the fpb. Or attend the next Board meeting . The Frankfort Plant Board holds monthly meetings of its Board of Directors on the third Tuesday of every month. Meetings are scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Plant Board Clubhouse located at 92 Tanglewood Drive. Board of Director's meetings are open to the public.