Hey everyone,

I know this is a very newbie question. I've really enjoyed this forum and I just recently bought a LCD TV (Sony KDL 40V3000) and I've just recently learned about the beauty of ATSC/QAM tuners. I've been trolling the forums up and down learning as much as I can, but I never really came across the very basic usage of a QAM tuner. I tried to use the ATSC tuner, but the Terk antenna I used only got me about 4 analog and 1 digital channel (for only a few minutes).

So right now I'm hoping to be able to use my QAM tuner capabilities. What I'm still a bit confused about is how exactly I use it. I connected a coaxial cable from a cable outlet in the wall to my TV, but I don't get any signals at all. Am I wrong? I thought that's all you have to do to use the QAM tuner, I read that I didn't need a STB. I ran the auto-program channel scan and still didn't get anything. I went to titantv.com and there were plenty of digital channels provided by comcast for my zip code.

Thank you for tolerating my beginner's question!

So right now I'm hoping to be able to use my QAM tuner capabilities. What I'm still a bit confused about is how exactly I use it. I connected a coaxial cable from a cable outlet in the wall to my TV, but I don't get any signals at all. Am I wrong? I thought that's all you have to do to use the QAM tuner, I read that I didn't need a STB. I ran the auto-program channel scan and still didn't get anything. I went to titantv.com and there were plenty of digital channels provided by comcast for my zip code.

Thank you for tolerating my beginner's question!

When you run the auto-scan, make sure you have the right settings. For clearQAM, you should make sure you're scanning for cable/digital.

OK, once you've scanned correctly, you're going to have to hunt for the unencrypted clearQAM channels, which are typically the local HD stations. They won't show up at the channel numbers that you find on the titan.TV guide. You'll need the actual channel frequencies, or in some cases, the OTA channel assignments (I'll explain later).

Your best bet would be to check the local thread for your area. Chances are that many people in your area have already done the leg work and all you have to do is punch in the number and viola! Alternatively, if you TV supports it and your cable company passes the PSIP data, you could try using the OTA channel numbers. For example, my local Fox station is on channel 29. If I use an antenna, I enter 29.1 (or 29-1 depending on the TV). If your set-up is like my, the clearQAM channel assignment for Fox is 29.1

If all else fails, channel up/down through every channel on the TV and write down the channel numbers that you get.

ft

In the menu system make sure that "cable" is turned on before doing a new channel scan.

Does your TV have separate Analog(NTSC) and Digital(ATSC and QAM) cable connectors? If yes try not using any splitters between the wall and your digital antenna connector as a test.
Also your Cable provider most likely only has the xx-1 digital local sub channels avaialble as unencrypted QAM.

the Terk antenna I used only got me about 4 analog and 1 digital channel (for only a few minutes). Terk is the Bose of the antenna world. High price with exagerated claims of reception. Both perform poorly most of the time.

-Robert

Yeah I knew Terk was expensive, I just grabbed it at Best Buy to test out an antenna with the full intention of returning it. I'm planning to make my own antenna, but is it true that they're as good if not better than antennas you buy?

Thanks for the channel scan advice. I'm gonna look through my manuals again and make sure I'm scanning correctly. I ran it twice with no channels found, which is suspicious.

You have me confused. You can only be using your digital tuner with an antenna to receive ATSC broadcasts or with a cable connection to receive clear QAM broadcasts from your cable connection, There is no way you can scan for both at the same time since only one of them can be connected at any one time to your card's digital cable connection.

Hmmm, I have a tuner that is all capable, ATSC/QAM and NTSC. I just select digital-cable (not cable) and scan all. They pop up. The only problem is the cable company keeps changing the QAM frequencies, so I have to continuously rescan to find where the QAM channels shifted to. The NTSC signals are right where they always are ...

I edeitd my previous post to make it clearer that I was only talking about connections to the digital tuner.

pretty much but I've noticed a few things on this...

1) actually most of the stuff I've seen usually doesn't move

2) a whole ton of stuff was taken out (music choice)

3) it takes a LOOOOOOOONNNNNNNG time to look at everything

Without telling exactly what I found it was a few extra stations....a few spanish languages versions of some channels, one of which comes in far better than the English one and has different content. A unlisted foreign language one (it's a terrestrial tv one), a music one that's more on instruments, a hidden movie one.

A ppv preview thing....

It is nice to know that a fair amount of the local hd stuff can be received without the boxes though.

I only connected either the cable or antenna one at a time. For some reason I still can't receive any signal at all. I connected a coaxial cable to my tuner from the cable outlet in the wall and ran the auto-scan function and the digital channel connection, but I still dont get anything not even the NTSC channels.

I get static on all channels and no channels are found whenever I run the scan. Am I missing something? I live in Benicia, CA, so its kind of in the middle of nowhere but the neighboring cities (within a few miles) have comcast, so I should atleast get their unencrypted channels.

I've tried two different coaxial cables and two different cable outlets. It's kind of sad....

Thanks!

I only connected either the cable or antenna one at a time. For some reason I still can't receive any signal at all. I connected a coaxial cable to my tuner from the cable outlet in the wall and ran the auto-scan function and the digital channel connection, but I still dont get anything not even the NTSC channels.

I get static on all channels and no channels are found whenever I run the scan. Am I missing something? I live in Benicia, CA, so its kind of in the middle of nowhere but the neighboring cities (within a few miles) have comcast, so I should atleast get their unencrypted channels.

I've tried two different coaxial cables and two different cable outlets. It's kind of sad....

Thanks!Do you actually pay for any comcast cable service? Have you ever received any NTSC cable from these two different cable outlets?

Mysterdude,
Your card has two tuner/antenna input connections. One is used for NTSC OTA or Analog cable channel connections and the other is used for digital (ATSC/Clear QAM ) channels. If you are not using a splitter from your cable wall connection to connect to both tuners you will not be able to receive both NTSC analog channels and ClearQAM digital channels.

Does this work for Satellite (Dish Network)?

Satellite TV uses a different method for encoding signals, so an OTA or cable receiver won't work for it. You have to use one of Dish's own receivers.