Hudson Valley Cable Customers Will Be Forced to Go All Digital

Cable subscribers in most of the Hudson Valley will be forced to get special adapters and new modems before their signals are scrambled.

That's the word from Time Warner Cable in a press release announcing that they will be rebranding their television service as TWC Maxx. The new service, which promises faster Internet speeds and more channels, will be available to subscribers in Hunter, Liberty, Middletown, Monticello, Newburgh, Olive, Port Ewen, Port Jervis, Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck, Rosendale, Saugerties, Walden, Woodstock and Wurtsboro.

Starting this spring all television channels will be converted from analog to digital, requiring all customers who don't already have a digital box to obtain an adaptor. The adaptor will be made available free for one year. Afterwards, customers will be charged a monthly rental fee. If you plug your cable directly into your television, you will need the adaptor. Otherwise, if you're already paying a rental for a digital box you most likely will not need to upgrade your equipment.

As for the new Internet service, TWC claims that they may be able to increase speeds up to six times faster, but some customers will need to switch out their modems to receive the faster speeds. Customers will receive notice from Time Warner about how to make the transition to a new modem.

More information on what you need to do to get ready for the conversion is available from Time Warner's website.