questions about receiving HD channels

[Special K]

Right now I have digital cable through Time Warner, and I just bought an HDTV (Sharp Aquos LC46D64U). I have a digital cable box right now, and they said I could exchange it for an HD box for no extra charge. However, I really don't watch TV that much except for the free channels like FOX, so I was considering dropping that service to save the money. My questions are:

1. Does having the HD box from TW gain me any channels that I couldn't get by just running the coax cable from the wall straight into my TV and using my TV's built in tuner? I mean, not every channel has an HD counterpart, right?

2. If I cancel my cable service, can I still access free channels by running the coax cable from the wall straight into the TV, or will they kill the cable drop going to my apartment, and I will then need to use an antenna to receive any channels at all?

 

[Wuzup101]

Generally, you can use the QAM tuner in your HD-TV to pick up unencrypted HD channels that they are sending you. This usually includes local channels like CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, etc... It generally does not include other specialty channels like Discovery HD, Mojo, Food HD, etc... The HD box would allow you to get these specialty channels (that are normally encrypted). If you drop the box, you only get the basic HD channels that they offer over the normal digital package. If you drop cable service period... you don't get anything (unless you buy an antenna).

I don't personally have TW, so I can't tell you exactly what you are going to get without a box; however, you can find out simply by hooking your TV up to the wall. Again, if you cancel your sub, you wont have anything (unless they screw something up).