I currently have a product that connects to analog cable, tunes in a channel and sends that channel wirelessly to the receiver that's connected to a TV in a different room. This "wireless cable tv" device has a built-in NTSC tuner.

I'm interested in finding something that works with digital cable. It's my understanding that if the cableco encrypts the signal I'm mostly out of luck, unless I can use their card, and that some or all of the channels can be encrypted, and HBO, Showtime and the like always are.

What I'd like to know is what type of tuner(s) would the transmitter need to tune in digital cable (non pay, non premium channels) including just the basic, extended basic and local?

thx

For digital cable it would need a QAM tuner.

Thanks. Will that be able to tune in digital and analog cable?

It'll do digital. An NTSC tuner will handle analog.

Ok, so if I want it to be able to do both, it sounds like I need two different tuners - QAM and NTSC.

I guess then what I'd like to ask is: On comcast and the other cable providers, are the analog channels duplicated in digital format? Or do I really need my device to have 2 different tuners in it if I want to tune in all of the (analog + digital) non-premium channels?

Ok, so if I want it to be able to do both, it sounds like I need two different tuners - QAM and NTSC.

I guess then what I'd like to ask is: On comcast and the other cable providers, are the analog channels duplicated in digital format? Or do I really need my device to have 2 different tuners in it if I want to tune in all of the (analog + digital) non-premium channels?

There are many tuner cards that have NTSC, ATSC, and QAM tuner on one board.

But yes you will either need a dual signal tuner (NTSC & QAM) or seperate tuners.

However be aware that cable companies encrypt virtually everything. Even most basic cable channels.

For example Cox in hampton Roads ONLY leaves the HD versions of network channels (CBS, ABC, etc) "in the clear".