Bought new flat screen TV, now have new channels

Most likely you're new tv has a QAM tuner and it's picking up "in the clear" channels.

They are unscrambled.

Yes, without a box the channel numbers will probably be the actual RF channel numbers.

If the TV does not see the "Virtual Number" of a channel, it will display the "Actual" number.
That is the first number. The second number is called a sub channel. You are
right about the cable box. It converts the Actual channel number and sub channel numbers to a single number listed in Comcast's Channel guide. Don't get too comfortable with these channels. Comcast changes them quite often. The cable box handles any reassignments when they occur. This makes channel reassignments invisible to cable box users.

that's exactly right!!! see, you know more than you thought you did!

you may be aware of this already but keep in mind these are DIGITAL cable chs. it may be simpler for you to think of QAM as digital cable. and remember that it's different from ATSC= digital over-the-air chs(OTA).

so you're getting any digital ch Comcast isn't scrambling. my guess is you get your local networks plus any independent stations, the music chs, & perhaps chs like the weather ch or WGN.

good news-at least some of these chs give you access to HD programming. bad news-you'll pretty much have to figure out which ch #'s go with which programming.

did you do a digital cable ch scan when you setup your new TV? you'll need to if you want to use the remote's up/down button to scan thru the chs. once you've done this(& figured out what #'s go with what chs) you can use the add/remove feature to keep only the chs you watch in the tuner memory & just surf thru them.

also there's no way I'm aware of to change the ch mapping-unless you rent one of Comcast's cable boxes & don't use the TV tuner.

BTW the subject of this thread really belongs in the HDTV Technical forum, so any future questions re: your TV, your cable access, or digital TV tech in general should be asked there. where you'll likely get much more info than you wanted!!!

Moved.

One last thing...they are called "flat panel" and not "flat screen"...sorry could not help it

Zoshia, if you gave us some location information, we could help a little more. Go to http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/channels and enter your zipcode for some help.

Silicon Dust is not very accurate, because cableco's change QAM channel locations on a somewhat regular basis. It's much better to simply ask in the local topic for your area, to be found in this master local topic:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=453241

The list is first by TV market size, then alphabetical by state.

Or for instant results, do a digital channel scan on your HDTV, surf through the channels, and make your own list.