The digital converter box in your link (the Insignia NS-DXA1) is a Coupon Eligible Converter Box (or CECB.) Coupon Eligible Converter Boxes are prohibited from containing a QAM demodulator needed to receive digital cable TV. CEBCs are intended for over-the-air (OTA) use only. (Note: CEBCs are prohibited from including connections other than an RF antenna input and pass-through output, a composite video output, an optional S-Video output, and stereo/mono analog audio outputs. A CEBC must be able to receive ALL “ATSC Table 3” signals, which it will ultimately convert to an analog 480i output.)
NTIA Coupon-Eligible Converter Box (CECB)
Required Minimum Performance Specifications and Features
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/frnotices/2007/DTVFinalRule_technical.htm
Again, CEBCs are restricted to terrestrial DTV-to-480i-analog conversion only.
However it is possible to view non-scrambled, unencrypted, “in-the-clear” digital cable TV programming by using a digital set-top box equipped with an ATSC tuner AND (Clear) QAM demodulator.
Though intended for terrestrial DTV use Samsung’s DTB-H260F digital set-top box includes both 8VSB (over-the-air) and Clear QAM demodulation (and thus is not NTIA “Coupon Eligible.”) It is very important that before purchasing such a device you should ascertain which digital channels your cable provider is passing as “in-the-clear” channels. If your cable TV provider is providing little or no “in-the-clear” content then a digital set-top box such as the DTB-H260F may be of little or no use.
Consumers such as yourself will have a difficult time finding other digital set-top converter boxes that work with digital cable television (hopefully this will change sooner rather than later.) The cable TV industry, through its principle representative - the NCTA, continues to vigorously oppose the federal government and consumer electronics manufacturers (the latter through their primary representative - the CEA,) when it comes to the issue of allowing consumers to “obtain “navigation devices”,” i.e., purchase digital set-top boxes capable of receiving and outputting (non-premium) digital cable TV content. The NCTA seeks to prohibit consumers from purchasing their own cable TV compatible digital set-top boxes from commercial sources. Instead the NCTA and its supporters are in favor of forcing individual cable TV subscribers to lease an addressable converter box from their respective cable TV provider.
There are two overwhelming reasons the cable industry opposes consumer/subscriber ownership of digital set-top boxes: cable providers will have much greater control when it comes to combating theft of service(s) while at the same time preserving a valuable source of revenue.
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Coupon Eligible Converter Boxes (CECB)
http://www.ntiadtv.gov/cecb_list.cfm
TV Converter Box Coupon Program Rules
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/rules.html
National Telecommunications & Information Administration:
Rules to Implement and Administer a Coupon Program
for Digital-to-Analog Converter Boxes
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/frnotices/2007/DTVFinalRule_2e.htm
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SAMSUNG DTB-H260F HDTV tuner
http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=mp3audiovideo&type=digitalsettopbox&subtype=hdtvtuners&model_cd=DTB-H260F/XAA
Can I Use A [DTB-H260F] Set Top Box With Digital Cable Or Satellite?
http://ars.samsung.com/customer/usa/jsp/faqs/faqs_view.jsp?isINPUT=Y&SITE_ID=1&PG_ID=0&AT_ID=5893&PROD_SUB_ID=0&PROD_ID=47
Review: Samsung DTB-H260F Terrestrial DTV Set-Top Receiver
http://www.hdtvexpert.com/pages_b/h260f.html
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Wiki: Cable Converter Box
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_converter_box
Commission Advances “Navigation Devices” Rules Creating Consumer Market for Set-top Boxes
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/News_Releases/1999/nrcb9009.html
FCC Adopts Order in Set-top Box Proceeding; Initiates Review of 1998 Navigation Devices Rules
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Cable/News_Releases/2000/nrcb0022.html
CEA Opposes Petitions for Waiver; Urges FCC to Deny Requests
http://www.ce.org/print/Press/CurrentNews/press_release_detail.asp?id=11190
Commercial Availability of Navigation Devices
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6518618888
NCTA Comments In the Matter of Implementation of Section 304 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Commercial Availability of Navigation Devices
http://www.ncta.com/IssueBrief.aspx?contentId=2711
Specifically:
NCTA Letter 10/30/07;
NCTA Reply Comments 09/10/07;
NCTA Comments 08/24/07;
NCTA Opposition 08/14/07.
Competition and Consumer Choice in the MVPD Marketplace
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/15nov20041200/www.access.gpo.gov/congress/house/pdf/108hrg/95453.pdf