The suddenlink cable in our area has several digital HD channels (and ~45 digital music channels) but a standard Hsense tuner will only process OTA signals. Can someone recommend a STB tuner that will accept cable signals?

:confused:

The suddenlink cable in our area has several digital HD channels (and ~45 digital music channels) but a standard Hsense tuner will only process OTA signals. Can someone recommend a STB tuner that will accept cable signals?

:confused:
The Samsung DTB-H260F ATSC tuner is a pretty good STB. It does both off-air and cable.

just keep in mind that the Samsung STB only does digital channels when connected to cable. It will not scan the analog and digital both. I was a little bummed when I bought it and found this out. I thought I'd be able to navigate all channels from it. It's still nice to have though.:)

;)

just keep in mind that the Samsung STB only does digital channels when connected to cable. It will not scan the analog and digital both. I was a little bummed when I bought it and found this out. I thought I'd be able to navigate all channels from it. It's still nice to have though.:)
Yeah, it is unfortunate that it doesn't have an analog tuner.

Check out the PrimeDTV 100/200 thread. I still haven't pulled the trigger on the latest offering, the 205, but they can do NTSC, ATSC and QAM.

AFAIK, you will only be able to get clear QAM with any of these STBs. You'd need one with a cablecard or proprietary to the cable co. in order to get the encrypted channels (such as ESPN HD in my area, etc.).

I have both Comcast cable (1 Comcast Box & 1 Comcast CableCard) and Direct TV (two units, 1 HD & 1 regular TV). Like many other folks, I have a couple of other TVs (analog) that have are cable-ready and get all the analog channels I pay for. So I'm wondering whether or not there's any reasonably priced STB that will allow me to view "digital" (non HD) cable channels on those analog TVs? I know I could rent a box for each from Comcast... but I'd rather buy something for $50 for each TV and be done with it instead of paying them $10/month for each box for eternity.

The non-local digitals can only be un-encrypted using their box.

So any QAM tuner you buy will only generally be able to pick up the digital HD and SD locals.

If it were that easy, for 50 bucks, they wouldn't be renting out any digital cable boxes. Looks like they gotcha there.

The only thing you'd possibly get that might be worth watching with a QAM tuner, that you're not getting on those analog tuners, are some of the local station's subchannels.

That stinks. You'd think there's be some way not to be burdened with the cost of multiple rental STBs in a world as technologically advanced as it is. We're not talking about stealing anything... one minute we have 50+ channels on analog, and the next they tell you that if you don't have a digital TV you MUST rent a box from us to get those channels again. OTH, if you throw all those sets out and replace them with sets with digital tuners, then you can have your 50+ channels with no extra charge on your already premium package (I have the comcast triple play deal w/HBO, HD, & Digital).

OTH, if you throw all those sets out and replace them with sets with digital tuners, then you can have your 50+ channels with no extra charge on your already premium package (I have the comcast triple play deal w/HBO, HD, & Digital).

No. A TV with a digital cable-ready (QAM) tuner, by itself, can receive only those digital cable channels that are not encrypted, i.e. the same as you can receive with a third-party STB such as the Samsung DTB-H260F.

If the TV has provision for a CableCard, you can use that to get the encrypted channels. But you still have to rent the CableCard from the cable company.

No. A TV with a digital cable-ready (QAM) tuner, by itself, can receive only those digital cable channels that are not encrypted, i.e. the same as you can receive with a third-party STB such as the Samsung DTB-H260F.

If the TV has provision for a CableCard, you can use that to get the encrypted channels. But you still have to rent the CableCard from the cable company.

With Cox the CC for my old JVC is $2 and the HD STB is $12 a month. The HD DVR is more. The SD box is $6 and receives VOD but none of the HD channels. We are in between the generations of CCs so hardly anything is available now. We may see a STB which takes a CC in the future at a reasonable cost. Today we are OTA or SOL. At least our DVD players are not effected.

No. A TV with a digital cable-ready (QAM) tuner, by itself, can receive only those digital cable channels that are not encrypted, i.e. the same as you can receive with a third-party STB such as the Samsung DTB-H260F.

OK, maybe we have a semantics issue here :) with "encrypted" signals. I'm not looking to get encrypted HBO on a cheap box (although I am paying for HBO!), but rather I'm simply hoping that rather ordinary cable channels like DIY, HGTV, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, the weather channel, Discovery channel, etc, the channels that most people see from say 20-75-ish on a regular analog cable setup without a STB on a TV that is "cable-ready" and has a tuner capable of what 115 channels? Are these non-premium channels encrypted?

Think about that 10-year old 15" cable-ready Mitsubishi that has a beautiful picture down in my woodshop in the basement. Right now I get about 50+ channels on it (all analog of course) with no box, and obviously no extra expense. Come February, when they convert _those_ same channels I mentioned above to a digital signal, the only way I can continue to see them is to either "rent" a STB from comcast, or toss the TV and buy a new digital tuner TV. That's MY problem... I don't even like buying a off the shelf STB for $50, but it's cheaper than buying a new set. I also don't like the idea of tossing a TV with a perfect picture/sound/cosmetics/remote into the environment.

I guess my point is that the FCC should have some sort of requirement that allows (maybe for the next 10 years only) you to simply buy a STB that will do what I'm suggesting for $50 (or less). Think about the folks on fixed incomes who have a set like this but don't have an antenna, and that like having CNN, MSNBC, and such. Now they have to spend an additional $144/year to rent a box?

You can blame your friends and neighbors who "steal" cable for this trend - I predict that eventually, there will only be the "local broadcast stations" available as unencrypted cable that you don't need a cable box for.

Cable isn't part of the DTV transition ending in 2009. Most cable providers will keep at least some number of analog channels around for people in your situation, and others that are converting to all-digital are making low-end boxes available at a lower price. For example, Verizon's FiOS TV service recently went to all-digital, and they made available a "digital adapter" for $3.99/mo that basically features the ability to tune SD channels and use parental controls, and nothing else.

You can blame your friends and neighbors who "steal" cable for this trend - I predict that eventually, there will only be the "local broadcast stations" available as unencrypted cable that you don't need a cable box for.
Local broadcast channels, PEG and leased access channels, shopping channels and maybe WGN and The Weather Channel will be available unencrypted.

Topic title edited since it kind of confused me. Though I'm easily confused.

AFAIK, you will only be able to get clear QAM with any of these STBs. You'd need one with a cablecard or proprietary to the cable co. in order to get the encrypted channels (such as ESPN HD in my area, etc.).
AFAIK the TiVo HD is the only non-cableco cablecard one currently available.

OK, maybe we have a semantics issue here :) with "encrypted" signals. I'm not looking to get encrypted HBO on a cheap box (although I am paying for HBO!), but rather I'm simply hoping that rather ordinary cable channels like DIY, HGTV, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, the weather channel, Discovery channel, etc, the channels that most people see from say 20-75-ish on a regular analog cable setup without a STB on a TV that is "cable-ready" and has a tuner capable of what 115 channels? Are these non-premium channels encrypted?

On most cable systems, yes, the only unencrypted digital channels are the local broadcast stations (ABC, CBS, etc.) plus some "odds and ends" which vary from one system to another, and usually do not include channels like CNN, MSNBC, etc.

My understanding is that in the city of Chicago, Comcast has already converted its entire channel lineup to digital about a year ago, except for the "lifeline basic" tier (local channels and odds'n'ends). All digital channels are encrypted, except the digital versions of "lifeline basic" channels. Customers who subscribe to channels above "lifeline basic" must use a box. Comcast had to distribute a lot of boxes, to customers who didn't need them before.

Local broadcast channels, PEG and leased access channels, shopping channels and maybe WGN and The Weather Channel will be available unencrypted.

The digital version of the Cox cable weather channel in Phoenix is encrypted. The analog version is still available. The locals' weather sub-channels are clear. No Standards!

I think the only standards we get here, even with limited basic, are Discovery and TBS.

It's all kind of interesting, and I guess confusing as well. One looks at CNN, DIY, HGTV, etc. and the number of commercials should warrant it as an "unencrypted" signal, but whatever.

I have a iMac with eyeTV, which is a external tuner that is about as big as a pack of cigarettes. I get pretty much all the regular analog cable channels, plus a few digitals, and some HD channels. I think they call the signal "Digital Cable (Clear QAM). The frequencies for digital seem to start around 585 MHz and go up to around 700MHz or at least that's what it says.

It'll be interesting to see whether Comcast unencrypts (I guess) those digital channels that are simply switchovers from the analog cable channels (like CNN, MSNBC, etc.).

AFAIK the TiVo HD is the only non-cableco cablecard one currently available.


Thanks Sammer, I didn't realize they had moved moved some of the threads over to the new HDTV Technical subforum, so I've been kind of out of the loop on the latest HD tuners info for awhile. Got tired of perusing the PJ, screen, and HTPC subforums, so this will be good to follow this forum for a while.

I have a iMac with eyeTV, which is a external tuner that is about as big as a pack of cigarettes. I get pretty much all the regular analog cable channels, plus a few digitals, and some HD channels. I think they call the signal "Digital Cable (Clear QAM).

It'll be interesting to see whether Comcast unencrypts (I guess) those digital channels that are simply switchovers from the analog cable channels (like CNN, MSNBC, etc.).I don't know if you're not understanding, or you're in denial, or what - but you will not get anything different than what you get with that eyeTV tuner as far as the digital channels.

They don't just encrypt the premium movie channels anymore - they encrypt pretty much all of the analog-equivalent, non-local digital channels. At least most of the ones that are probably worth watching.

"Clear-QAM" means "in-the-clear QAM". "In-the-clear" means those which are not encrypted. You're not getting most of the analog-equivalent digitals on the eyeTV tuner because they are encrypted.

All QAM tuners are "clear-QAM", therefore you will only get what you get on that eyeTV tuner with any other QAM tuner.

Now, if that's good enough for you, then go out and buy QAM tuners for the other sets. Just don't expect to get anything more than what the eyeTV tuner gets you.

My advice: you're better off just sticking with what you can get on those TV's with their analog tuners for now. Then, you can eventually replace the TV's with QAM/NTSC tuners, and get a mixture of both of whatever they're giving you in analog and digital in-the-clear QAM (like you get with the eyeTV - unless they cut off the analogs, or they stop building NTSC tuners into TV's by that point. In that case, it might be better to start replacing them sooner than later, while those things are still happening. You can buy Samsung DTB-H260F QAM tuners, for each of those sets, but you will have to use the pass-through and change inputs to watch the analogs on the TV's tuner. Much easier for everyone in the family if they're all just integrated in the TV, though).

OR: you can get "wireless video senders", and just send the video from your cable box (in SD) to one or more of those other TV's and be able to watch all of the channels you subscribe to on those TV's when no one's using the main one (like in your bedroom at night when everyone else is in bed, for example).

Of course, you can use both the main and any other TV's simultaneously if the viewers want to watch the same thing. It's basically like splitting the signal from the tuner to all those other TV's, only it's done wirelessly. You can still change the channels from the other rooms, though.

OR: you can get "wireless video senders", and just send the video from your cable box (in SD) to one or more of those other TV's and be able to watch all of the channels you subscribe to on those TV's when no one's using the main one (like in your bedroom at night when everyone else is in bed, for example).

Of course, you can use both the main and any other TV's simultaneously if the viewers want to watch the same thing. It's basically like splitting the signal from the tuner to all those other TV's, only it's done wirelessly. You can still change the channels from the other rooms, though.

I tried the one from X-10. It worked as long as I kept my WiFi off. It uses the same 2.4GHz band as 802.11G. My WiFi was in the same room as the rerceiver. There are some cordless phones that use that frequency in one or both directions. Without interference it worked fine. Composite video. May work fine if router or access point is not in the same room as the receiver. The transmitter was connected to the monitor output of my CC equipped HDTV and the receiver was connected to a non CC equipped HDTV. No STBs.

If you can live with SD, a DVDr with a QAM tuner makes the most sense at this point.