I am going to try my best describing the difference between analog and digital CC in layman's terms. I am not going to describe in technical details but I will describe what works and what do not work for today's analog and digital CC.
TVs with built-in analog CC decoder (480i or lower):
Analog CC has been around since the early eighties and it's still working today. By law, every TV has to contain built-in analog CC decoder regardless of the size of TVs. Which means analog CC can be viewed from the following sources:
Over the Air (OTA) antenna (RF cable).
Analog cable connected directly to TV (RF cable).
Cable Box using RF, Composite, S-Video, Component (480i) or DVI/HDMI. This only applies to analog cable only.
DVD player using RF, Composite, S-Video or Component (480i).
Note that component signals may not work for all TVs. It works for my three year old Sony 60" rear projection LCD TV (only in interlaced mode: 480i). It appears that several TV manufacturers have removed CC using component and I do not know why. I believe it reduces cost since more DVD movies use Subtitles. According to the operating manual for Mitsubishi LCD TVs, CC will NOT work using component cables.
Also note that I included DVI/HDMI because I believe some cable box may transmit analog CC but it may be extremely rare. Don't count on your cable box supporting analog CC using DVI/HDMI. So far I have not heard a single DVD player supporting CC via DVI/HDMI. Correct me if I am wrong.
TVs with built-in ATSC tuner and digital CC decoder (High Definition (720p or 1080i) or Standard Definition (480p)):
The law is not clear about TVs with built-in digital CC. Last I read was that large TVs (greater than 35"???) required built-in ATSC tuner and possibly digital CC.
Digital CC is a totally different ball game. TV's with built-in digital CC will only work with OTA antenna. I am not sure if it will work using CableCard. I do not have cable at my house, so I cannot answer this. Digital CC inside TVs will NOT work with digital cable boxes, digital satellite receivers or DVD players. Digital cable boxes and satellite receivers encrypt digital signals which is why today's TV digital tuner cannot decrypt digital signals from cable or satellite. Both cable and satellite companies want you to pay for it. DVD players are designed to work with analog CC and manufacturers do not want to spend extra money supporting digital CC in DVD players. They rely on DVD movies with sub-titles.
If you have digital cable or digital satellite service and want to watch CC from either of these services, you will need a special cable box or satellite receiver that supports digital signals. I am going to assume that all cable boxes or satellite receivers support digital CC. In order to watch digital CC from digital programs, you will have to enable digital CC via setup menu from either cable box or satellite receiver.
External devices:
OTA antenna: Analog CC is supported. Works with digital CC if TV has built-in ATSC tuner and digital CC. RF cable only.
Analog cable box: 480i or lower. Analog CC is supported. TVs with built-in digital CC will NOT work. Works with RF, composite, S-Video, or component (480i).
Digital cable box: Analog CC is supported for analog programs only. TVs with built-in digital CC will NOT work. Digital CC is supported using DVI/HDMI. Digital CC may work with component????? Note digital cable box also works with analog TV signals.
Satellite receivers: Analog CC may be supported with RF, composite, S-video, component (480i). Digital CC may be supported using DVI/HDMI. Digital CC may work with component?????
Home Theater PC (HTPC) using Media Center Edition: Supports analog CC using composite, S-Video, component and DVI/HDMI. Supports digital CC using DVI/HDMI. I own one and both analog and digital CC works great using DVI cable from graphics card with DVI out. I use it only for digital TV programs. I stopped watching analog TV programs about two years ago. The HTPC will work with cable but only for analog programs because HTPC cannot decrypt digital programs.
I put ?????? after component because I do not use component cables. I need your input to fill in CC information about component cables. My TV system is 99% digital and use DVI cables. My DVD player uses component and I use sub-titles from DVD movies instead of analog CC decoder because I like sub-titles better.
Bottom line, it's up to the manufacturer how they support CC and unfortunately there is no clear standard today.
Please review what I wrote and make corrections. This is about CC decoders, not sub-titles or SDH. Please do not add subtitles or SDH in this thread. Once everyone agrees, hopefully our moderator will create a sticky thread about analog and digital CC.
I think this thread should be sticky so that the same questions will not have to be asked too often.
Thanks,
Peter
TVs with built-in analog CC decoder (480i or lower):
Analog CC has been around since the early eighties and it's still working today. By law, every TV has to contain built-in analog CC decoder regardless of the size of TVs. Which means analog CC can be viewed from the following sources:
Over the Air (OTA) antenna (RF cable).
Analog cable connected directly to TV (RF cable).
Cable Box using RF, Composite, S-Video, Component (480i) or DVI/HDMI. This only applies to analog cable only.
DVD player using RF, Composite, S-Video or Component (480i).
Note that component signals may not work for all TVs. It works for my three year old Sony 60" rear projection LCD TV (only in interlaced mode: 480i). It appears that several TV manufacturers have removed CC using component and I do not know why. I believe it reduces cost since more DVD movies use Subtitles. According to the operating manual for Mitsubishi LCD TVs, CC will NOT work using component cables.
Also note that I included DVI/HDMI because I believe some cable box may transmit analog CC but it may be extremely rare. Don't count on your cable box supporting analog CC using DVI/HDMI. So far I have not heard a single DVD player supporting CC via DVI/HDMI. Correct me if I am wrong.
TVs with built-in ATSC tuner and digital CC decoder (High Definition (720p or 1080i) or Standard Definition (480p)):
The law is not clear about TVs with built-in digital CC. Last I read was that large TVs (greater than 35"???) required built-in ATSC tuner and possibly digital CC.
Digital CC is a totally different ball game. TV's with built-in digital CC will only work with OTA antenna. I am not sure if it will work using CableCard. I do not have cable at my house, so I cannot answer this. Digital CC inside TVs will NOT work with digital cable boxes, digital satellite receivers or DVD players. Digital cable boxes and satellite receivers encrypt digital signals which is why today's TV digital tuner cannot decrypt digital signals from cable or satellite. Both cable and satellite companies want you to pay for it. DVD players are designed to work with analog CC and manufacturers do not want to spend extra money supporting digital CC in DVD players. They rely on DVD movies with sub-titles.
If you have digital cable or digital satellite service and want to watch CC from either of these services, you will need a special cable box or satellite receiver that supports digital signals. I am going to assume that all cable boxes or satellite receivers support digital CC. In order to watch digital CC from digital programs, you will have to enable digital CC via setup menu from either cable box or satellite receiver.
External devices:
OTA antenna: Analog CC is supported. Works with digital CC if TV has built-in ATSC tuner and digital CC. RF cable only.
Analog cable box: 480i or lower. Analog CC is supported. TVs with built-in digital CC will NOT work. Works with RF, composite, S-Video, or component (480i).
Digital cable box: Analog CC is supported for analog programs only. TVs with built-in digital CC will NOT work. Digital CC is supported using DVI/HDMI. Digital CC may work with component????? Note digital cable box also works with analog TV signals.
Satellite receivers: Analog CC may be supported with RF, composite, S-video, component (480i). Digital CC may be supported using DVI/HDMI. Digital CC may work with component?????
Home Theater PC (HTPC) using Media Center Edition: Supports analog CC using composite, S-Video, component and DVI/HDMI. Supports digital CC using DVI/HDMI. I own one and both analog and digital CC works great using DVI cable from graphics card with DVI out. I use it only for digital TV programs. I stopped watching analog TV programs about two years ago. The HTPC will work with cable but only for analog programs because HTPC cannot decrypt digital programs.
I put ?????? after component because I do not use component cables. I need your input to fill in CC information about component cables. My TV system is 99% digital and use DVI cables. My DVD player uses component and I use sub-titles from DVD movies instead of analog CC decoder because I like sub-titles better.
Bottom line, it's up to the manufacturer how they support CC and unfortunately there is no clear standard today.
Please review what I wrote and make corrections. This is about CC decoders, not sub-titles or SDH. Please do not add subtitles or SDH in this thread. Once everyone agrees, hopefully our moderator will create a sticky thread about analog and digital CC.
I think this thread should be sticky so that the same questions will not have to be asked too often.
Thanks,
Peter