I'm sure this has been asked and answered many times but I'll ask again. With digital cable and a HDTV with built in ATSC/QAM tuner, do I still need a STB? I don't plan on viewing any premium or PPV channels. Seems to me things should work similar as extended level service for analog cable. This would be on Houston,TX TWC.

Thanks,
Robert

The STB shouldn't be required. Note the word "shouldn't". Some systems encrypt the HD feeds of local OTA channels, making them unreceivable on anything but their STBs. Others may change the physical channel locations of HD channels at any time, and when that happens, you'd have to do a rescan to have any chance of getting them back. No matter what, the HD channels won't remap the way their OTA counterparts will. For example, if your NBC affiliate broadcasts on channel 7, and the NBC-HD cable channel is 113.4, the TV won't remap it to channel 7-1.

It certainly would be easier to get a cable STB, but then you'd have to shell out huge amounts of $$$ per month for service packages. It would be easier to put up an antenna and plug it into the TV, and get HD that way, if you're looking for a no-charge method for HD locals. Plus, that way, the channels remap correctly.

By the way, ATSC is the OTA broadcast standard. QAM is the cable broadcast standard. Both standards are unrelated, so you shouldn't have any issues with picking up OTA signals unless terrain is an issue or you're over 60 miles away from the towers.

Check the local reception forum here for a Houston, TX thread to see what other TWC users around you are receiving.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45

Thanks for your quick replies. I did find the Houston TWC and OTA threads. After some perusing, I think I'll opt for the STB. TWC deploys the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD. I'll run the HDMI out the TV HDMI input. I'm planning to purchase a new progressive scan DVD player which will use one component input. My son will probably grab the other component in for his XBox 360 (COD should be fun.)

Thanks again.

I'll run the HDMI out the TV HDMI input. I'm planning to purchase a new progressive scan DVD player which will use one component input. My son will probably grab the other component in for his XBox 360 (COD should be fun.)

Thanks again.
Maybe you could wait a bit for an all-in-one unit: HDTV tuner, DVD recorder, progressive scan DVD player (with upconversion), and maybe a VCR, though you don't have to add that last part in! Best off, you could leave a component input on the TV free :)

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=786948