Adding Multiple Hdtvs To My Ht System---what Do I Need To Know?

[airblue23]

I live in Chicago which makes me a comcast customer. I have a 52" Sharp Aquous as my only TV which I use for my HT system and TV viewing. It is fed by HDMI from my cable box and DVD player. I wanted to add some more affordable 30" LCDs mounted above it for football on saturday/sunday so I can have all the games on.

Do I need a cable box for each TV? Do I need to buy the college football package for each cable box??? Is there a cleaner way to do this that you would recommend? Any insight is appreciated as I make very preliminary plans to handle this.

Thanks!

[markw]

I live in Chicago which makes me a comcast customer.

I wanted to add some more affordable 30" LCDs mounted above it for football on saturday/sunday so I can have all the games on.

You want each TV tuned to a different channel, right? The rest of my answers are predicated on that assumption.

Do I need a cable box for each TV?.

Yes. There's no way one cable box can be tuned to different stations simultaneously. (Yes, that sounds funny, but think about your question)

Do I need to buy the college football package for each cable box?.

Yes. Each cable box has it's own addressable "mac address" whereby Comcast grants access to the service tier you select.

Is there a cleaner way to do this that you would recommend?.

Not if you want different digital channels on each set.

Now, if each set has a built in QAM tuner, and Comcast in your area will allow you to use that tuner (that they must activate for a fee), then you might be able to forgo the additional boxes, but not the service charges. I do know that my Comcast provider won't allow it, but maybe yours is different. Call 'em and ask.

[airblue23]

Yes, I do want to watch different games on different TVs.

So its not as easy as using the one signal coming into the apartment now, running a splitter or two, and buying my own cable boxes to change those channels???

[markw]

Yes, I do want to watch different games on different TVs.

So its not as easy as using the one signal coming into the apartment now, running a splitter or two, and buying my own cable boxes to change those channels???

That worked with analog cable. Those days are long gone, along with leaded gas. Welcome to the digital age.

[airblue23]

So when you walk into a restraunt/bar and they have multiple TVs with different games on, they have a porportinate amount of cable boxes and individual cable plans? Im surpirised there is no way to get 3 different games on 3 different TVs with comcast digital cable?????? Any hacksthat would work?

Does this change if I go yo a DitectTV/Satellite setup??????????????