Please help me understand this.

I have an Syntax Olevia LT-42hvi. As most know, it was said to come with QAM, but the thread here talking about this, everyone confirmed it does not.

But when I plug in my HD OTA antenna, I pick up one channel in HD. But when I plug in my cable to the same, it doesn't come up with any.

I'm not exactly sure what this means. I had the understanding that without QAM, I couldn't pick up a single HD channel and display it without an HD tuner.

I just moved into an apartment, and I get free local channel cable. But I'd like to save money (I'm a college student), and I have the HD antenna already, what is my best option and cheapest for displaying the local HD channels, or do I have any options?

I've done my reading, things are just so spread out, and I really don't want to spend money I don't need to be spending.

Thanks for the help in advance.

Mario

You receive an HD OTA signal through a ATSC tuner. This is a digital tuner designed to receive broadcast signals. A QAM tuner is needed cable. Since your set does not have a QAM tuner, the only way you will receive the higher number cable channels - including HD - is to rent a box from the cable company.

Check with antennaweb.org to find all of HD the OTA SD and HD channels that you can receive at your street addresse using your ATSC tuner. You only need QAM to receive the unencrypted HD channels from your cable company which are progably the exact same HD channels that you can receive with your ATSC tuner and its antenna.

Check with antennaweb.org to find all of HD the OTA SD and HD channels that you can receive at your street addresse using your ATSC tuner. You only need QAM to receive the unencrypted HD channels from your cable company which are progably the exact same HD channels that you can receive with your ATSC tuner and its antenna. "If" he had a qam tuner he could receive all unencrypted digital signals, not just HD.

He could buy a QAM tuner, instead of renting one from the cableco. Or if the TV is new, exchange it for something with a QAM tuner. The types of tuners included in a set are often printed on the box the TV comes in. Store display cards are not too reliable at determining the type of tuner in a set.

"If" he had a qam tuner he could receive all unencrypted digital signals, not just HD.
In most all cases, local HD is all the unencrypted digital available on cable systems.

If you mean local channels are the only digital channels available on cable that aren't encrypted, I guess it depends on the local cable system.

I'm a little sad to see the list from the site to be rather long (i filtered out to just digital and here is what I got.

But the only one I am able to receive is a single uhf channel, that is "local" to me, the 7.1 KOAC, which is OPB... Useless:-)

I lived a couple miles closer to the corridor, city wise, and I still only got that last week. Now I live higher up by a few hundred feet at least with a better view out of the city, and I still only get KOAC. Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks,
Mario


KLSR-DT 34.1 FOX EUGENE OR
KEPB-DT 28.1 PBS EUGENE OR
KOAC-DT 7.1 PBS CORVALLIS
KVAL-DT 13.1 CBS EUGENE OR
KMTR-DT 16.1 NBC SPRINGFIELD OR
KEZI-DT 9.1 ABC EUGENE OR
KRCW-DT 32.1 CW SALEM OR
KGW-DT 8.1 NBC PORTLAND OR
KOIN-DT 6.1 CBS PORTLAND OR
KOPB-DT 10.1 PBS PORTLAND OR
KATU-DT 2.1 ABC PORTLAND OR
KPTV-DT 12.1 FOX PORTLAND OR
KPDX-DT 49.1 MNT VANCOUVER WA
KPXG-DT 22.1 ION SALEM OR

If you mean local channels are the only digital channels available on cable that aren't encrypted, I guess it depends on the local cable system.
In most all cases, that is the fact.

...the only one I am able to receive is a single uhf channel, that is "local" to me, the 7.1 KOAC, which is OPB... Useless:-)

What antenna do you have?
What "colors" did antennaweb show the channels?

Guess we are lucky here. We have the locals in SD analog and digital and now also in HD. Glad we have the local SD digitals unencrypted - our carrier only recently signed an agreement to carry all the local HD channels.

That's what I get. Now I did play with the antenna more (A terk indoor), it got excellent reviews on crutchfield for this exact function, and I was able to pick up a few channels. But nowhere near the amount they show below.

I guess I am going to have to resolve to getting a qam tuner or something.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Hopefully not too expensive? Meaning, something that would make it worth not going through the cable co. I get free cable as I stated, it would only be 10$ more a month for the HD channels, not just extended but even TNT, ESPN, etc. plus the box. or $15 with a dvr.

Thanks,
Mario


* yellow - uhf KLSR-DT 34.1 FOX EUGENE OR 150° 41.4 31
* yellow - uhf KEPB-DT 28.1 PBS EUGENE OR 150° 41.3 29
* yellow - uhf KOAC-DT 7.1 PBS CORVALLIS OR 2° 4.0 39
* yellow - uhf KVAL-DT 13.1 CBS EUGENE OR 150° 41.3 25
* yellow - uhf KMTR-DT 16.1 NBC SPRINGFIELD OR 138° 35.7 17
* green - uhf KEZI-DT 9.1 ABC EUGENE OR 138° 35.7 44
* red - uhf KRCW-DT 32.1 CW SALEM OR 6° 70.0 33
* red - uhf KGW-DT 8.1 NBC PORTLAND OR 5° 70.2 46
* red - uhf KOIN-DT 6.1 CBS PORTLAND OR 6° 70.0 40
* red - uhf KOPB-DT 10.1 PBS PORTLAND OR 5° 70.2 27
* red - uhf KATU-DT 2.1 ABC PORTLAND OR 6° 70.0 43
* red - uhf KPTV-DT 12.1 FOX PORTLAND OR 5° 70.1 30
* blue - uhf KPDX-DT 49.1 MNT VANCOUVER WA 5° 70.1 48
* blue - vhf KPXG-DT 22.1 ION SALEM OR 6° 70.0 4

That's what I get. Now I did play with the antenna more (A terk indoor), it got excellent reviews on crutchfield for this exact function, and I was able to pick up a few channels. But nowhere near the amount they show below.

I guess I am going to have to resolve to getting a qam tuner or something.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Hopefully not too expensive? Meaning, something that would make it worth not going through the cable co. I get free cable as I stated, it would only be 10$ more a month for the HD channels, not just extended but even TNT, ESPN, etc. plus the box. or $15 with a dvr.
What is your zip code and what antenna are you using?? Exactly which stations by call letter are you getting?? Your antennaweb results show you to be 35 to 40 miles from the Eugene stations and 70 miles from Portland. At 35+ miles in the Pacific NW, you need height on the antenna. If you lived in a house, we would recommend you would look at putting the antenna in the attic or better yet outdoors on the roof. Since you live in an apartment, does the apartment building have a common antenna system? Is your apartment on a upper floor on the side of the building facing the Eugene broadcast towers? We need more information before we can help with over the air reception.

If you are on a ground floor or on the wrong side of the building, you may be out of luck for getting all the major network stations. In that case, you may have to go ahead and sign up for the cable system. Depending on how much your cable system charges, how many HD channels they currently have (there are cable systems out there that still have no HD channels at all) and your budget, you may want to get the national HD channels and a HD-DVR. You need to check with the local thread for your area for info on your specific cable provider and your cable company website on what HD channels they offer.

... (A terk indoor), it got excellent reviews on crutchfield... Of course it did. Terk's are liked by retailers for their obscene profit margin. They are overpriced and usually underperforming gimmick antennas. The ones that do work are overpriced rebranded antennas made by other manufacturers that can be had for 1/2 the cost. In some tests, a coathanger worked better than certain TERKs.
(google: terk+junk (http://www.google.com/search?q=terk+junk+antenna))
</rant>

Does anyone have any recommendations?To reliably get all but the yellow and green channels, you'll likely need a good outdoor antenna. If you're not interested in KPXG, get a UHF antenna, as it's the only ch on VHF. A good outdoor antenna that would probably get most of those channels is the CM 4221 UHF antenna (http://www.warrenelectronics.com/antennas/4221.htm), aimed at a compass direction of approx. 110°.

If you could settle for only the yellow & green channels, something like a Zenith/Gemstar/Philips Silver Sensor (http://www.amazon.com/Philips-PHDTV1-Digital-HDTV-UHF-Antenna/dp/B0007XDI54******pd_bbs_1/105-5397092-3677254?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1180302185&sr=8-1) indoor antenna might work. Don't get a TERK knockoff of the silver sensor.

For the $10 a month that you stated is all that HD cable would cost you, you could watch 20 months worth before you would see any benefit to buying an outside set-top box and HOPING that you will get a few QAM channels. Or you could get 5 months of cable HD instead of buying an outdoor antenna.

Seems like a no-brainer, pony up the $10 a month

My cable company is more like $40 a month more for 6 HD channels, I bought a set-top box and an antenna, but recently discovered that the cable co. decided to pass some local HD unencripted (the box does not recognise them as QAM, but I can view then anyhow).

If you find yourself in a situation where you can't install the proper antenna, you can get a new Samsung DTB-H260F for around $180. It does ATSC and QAM, purchase it somewhere like Circuit City where you can return it if you find you can't get any QAM stations.