[rtlltj]

I have comcast digital cable without a HD box so in order for me to view the local HD channels I have to connect the coaxial cable directly to the tv skipping the box. Now after I do a channel scan how do I know which channels are HD and which ones aren't? So for NBC its channel 6 but how do I find out what channel the HD version of NBC is? Zip code is 93901

 

[Ratman]

What make/model TV?

If your cable provider uses PSIP properly and your TV maps properly and assuming your TV has a QAM tuner, it should be 6.1 or 6-1.

 

[Ken H]

Assuming your HDTV has a QAM tuner, you should be able to get local HD channels.


The problem is each local cableco can put those channels wherever they want, in terms of channel number locations. One popular location is the same number as the remapped analog number with a dash one (for example in Detroit the analog channel is 2, digital channel 58, on Comcast systems a QAM tuner will find the digital channel on 2-1). Another popular location is any channel number over 100 (for example in Detroit the analog channel is 4, digital channel 45, on WOW systems a QAM tuner will find the digital channel on 201).


I'd check the local topic for your area and see what others have found. Look here: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=453241


Also, cableco's also make technical adjustments to their systems on a regular basis, and QAM channels and locations can and will move.

 

[rtlltj]

My tv model is a Samsung LN40A630. Now if it finds a hd channel like 6-1, 6-x. Will the tv stop at those channels if you were just hitting the + channel button when starting from 3 or do those channels need to be manually entered?

 

[Beerstalker]

At my parents house they have a Sanyo 19" HDTV for the kitchen. It has a built in QAM tuner, but I don't know if it's a problem with the way Comcast is sending out the channels, or if it's the way that TV's tuner does them but they all show up as DC 97-1, 97-2, 101-1, 101-2, 101-3 etc. None of them really make sense, and they tend to jump around a lot. I usually run a scan every time I am home to visit and find that many channels have moved or dissapeared, and new ones appear. It's really quite frustrating. Hopefully this stuff gets sorted out soon.


I'm also having trouble with the HD-DVR I installed for them last friday but I have talked about that in the Comcast thread. Don't want to start complaining about it here to much, but I'll say that it is very frustrating also. They don't seem to know what the heck they are doing there (it was Insight cable until early 2008 so that might be part of the problem as Comcast might not have updated everything yet).


I've just received my Hitachi 65-F710 so I'll see how Comcast works here in Peoria soon. Hopefully it's better but I'm not holding my breath (we were also Insight until early 2008).

 

[Ken H]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rtlltj /forum/post/15408062


My tv model is a Samsung LN40A630. Now if it finds a hd channel like 6-1, 6-x. Will the tv stop at those channels if you were just hitting the + channel button when starting from 3?

Yes, once they are scanned/programmed in.

 

[txrose]

Don't all HDTV's have a Display, Info, or similarly labeled button on the remote which will display the resolution on a tuner channel? If it displays 720, 720p, 1080, or 1080i it is an HD channel no matter what is being displayed at the time. It may not be displaying HD material. It it displays 480, 480i or 480p it is not an HD channel but may be digital or analog.

It is also true that channel and sub-channel number of the clear QAM channels on many sets have no relationship to their cable or OTA channel numbers. Analog channel numbers generally match the cable channel numbers.

 

[rtlltj]

Ah ok I noticed I can hit info and it displays 1080/etc. and then the ratio. HDTV channels are also only 16:9 as well right?