Hey, I just tried and failed to set up a HTPC dvr, and I am coming out of the experience with one burning question:
My HDTV has an ATSC/NTSC/ClearQAM tuner. My (rented) house has a coax cable coming down. I plug it into the TV, and I get Discovery, comedy central, etc, and a variety of subchannels (4-1, 4-2, etc) for what look like the local stations. Is this NTSC cable? is this ATSC? Whats the Deal?!?
At first I thought it might be digital broadcast because of the subchannels, but my attempts with the HTPC and the fact that it is coax say NTSC.
Halp!

Alex

My HDTV has an ATSC/NTSC/ClearQAM tuner. My (rented) house has a coax cable coming down. I plug it into the TV, and I get Discovery, comedy central, etc, and a variety of subchannels (4-1, 4-2, etc) for what look like the local stations. Is this NTSC cable? is this ATSC? Whats the Deal?!?


NTSC = analog over the air (OTA), i.e., the old fashioned rabbit ears

ATSC = digital OTA

QAM = digital cable

If the cable is from an antenna, and has subchannels, it's probably ATSC. If it's from a cable company, it's QAM, and you're picking up what they send in the clear.

ok, is the cable also sending an NTSC signal? because my tuner card told me it was only seeing channels on NTSC. What im asking is: can NTSC be combined with QAM on a single coax cable?

What im asking is: can NTSC be combined with QAM on a single coax cable?

Yes