[dbuff]

Have been away for long time. Have a 27' CRT that is dying and looking to discover the important things to look for in a LCD TV.

Looking at 32" due to limited space.


Saw some with QAM - In your opion is that a important feature?

Thanks...

 

[chrisherbert]

That depends -- do you use a cable box or satellite receiver? If you do, then QAM isn't important.

 

[dbuff]

Thanks for quik response.

I am using standard cable - no box, no HD.

 

[inteller]

QAM is useless because it only brings you the HD locals. all the good stuff the cable company still scrambles. they successfully defeated CableCARD so you have to get one of their big clunky boxes to pull in the channels you subscribe to.

 

[nyvram]



Quote:
Originally Posted by inteller /forum/post/0


QAM is useless because it only brings you the HD locals.

Opinions are relative. When you're paying for analog cable & you can buy a TV with a tuner & pick up all the locals in HD, I think its a big deal. Personally I love the QAM tuner and would never consider buying a tv without one.


What the other posters are also failing to tell you is you can also pick up OTA (over the air) signals with a QAM tuner..at much better resolution for the locals since the cable company isn't compressing the signal to death.

 

[briankmonkey]

Well for my buddy he doesn't feel like paying $5 more a month for the HD box so for him it is nice having the QAM.

 

[ftaok]



Quote:
Originally Posted by nyvram /forum/post/0


What the other posters are also failing to tell you is you can also pick up OTA (over the air) signals with a QAM tuner..at much better resolution for the locals since the cable company isn't compressing the signal to death.

Not exactly accurate. A QAM tuner is only for digital cable. An ATSC tuner is what is used to pick up OTA-digital stations.


But I do agree with most on this thread that a QAM tuner is a great feature. CableCard would be even better, but it's a dying breed for smaller TVs.


ft

Quote:
Originally Posted by inteller /forum/post/0


QAM is useless because it only brings you the HD locals. all the good stuff the cable company still scrambles. they successfully defeated CableCARD so you have to get one of their big clunky boxes to pull in the channels you subscribe to.

Even with the STB, a QAM tuner on the TV can come in handy. Let's say you have a dual-tuner DVR from the cable company and you want to record 2 different programs while watching a third live HD program. The DVR won't let you do that, but if you have a QAM tuner on the TV and the program you want to watch live is a local HD channel (or sometimes the cable company will pass a channel like UniversalHD unencrypted), then it'll work.

 

[MarcSparks]

I think QAM is definitely a great feature, especially for a second or third TV. Having the option to pull local HDs without having a STB or antenna is always a real plus.


I just feel like the cable companies shouldn't be able to block all those QAM stations if you already pay for full digital service and an STB in another room like I do. Instead they force you to pay for an extra box even though you are already paying for the service and have a TV with the technology needed to tune the digital stations without an STB. BS if you ask me.

 

[flatpanel]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dbuff /forum/post/0


In your opion is that a important feature?

My family and I are going on several trips this summer, the kids are in camps,

and we are generally very busy during the summer. Going down to basic

cable and still getting all the local HD channels via a QAM tuner works great for us.

It's the third summer of reduced or no TV during the summer. This year we might

not make a change in the fall. No set-top box, no big monthly TV bill, more reading.


As another poster said, you can also throw up an outdoor antenna for local HD

broadcast in a little better picture quality. I have two LCDs, one with QAM and one

without. The antenna is connected to the LCD without the QAM tuner. (there's about

a 2 second delay via cable, so we now know how long it takes for the broadcast signal

to take the long way to our house)


To answer your question directly, in my opinion it is an important feature.


One more thing, no matter how big an antenna we put up, we have some inteference

from some hills so Fox can't be obtained via the antenna. What would my wife and kids

do if they could not see the last couple of weeks of American Idol?!!??!?!

 

[aosborne]

Is it possible that the cable companies (TWC specifically) would scramble everything so that the QAM was useless? My tuner can't find any digital channels when hooked up, but I pay through the nose for digital. I have to pay more and rent the boxes.

 

[SteinerSellers]



Quote:
Originally Posted by aosborne /forum/post/0


Is it possible that the cable companies (TWC specifically) would scramble everything so that the QAM was useless? My tuner can't find any digital channels when hooked up, but I pay through the nose for digital. I have to pay more and rent the boxes.

Absolutely. Skee-rewwing people is their business and business is good.


I have the Mitsu LT46131 with QAM and dual RF input and a Charter base cablebox. I'm not suscribed to their piddly HD package so I get no all-HD channels via the cablebox. The Mitsu will split screen with any two inputs except the two RF's. I split the wall feed to one RF and the other to the cablebox and hooked the cable box to the TV with an RCA cable. Works great since the I've still got the cablebox for the info/guide/on-demand whatever and the RF cable input for my HD channels that QAM picked up.


I usually watch TV via the RF input and when I want to use the guide, hit "split" on the remote, scroll through the guide on the cablebox side, and either go to the channel I want to watch or switch to the cablebox.

 

[hiddenleavez]



Quote:
Originally Posted by nyvram /forum/post/0


What the other posters are also failing to tell you is you can also pick up OTA (over the air) signals with a QAM tuner..at much better resolution for the locals since the cable company isn't compressing the signal to death.

That's not true actually. I get better reception over the air than through cable. A better image overall and with very few stutter compared to HD cable.


Also I'm able to get the Funimation channel here OTA, but you can't get that channel through cable.

 

[Scyber]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dbuff /forum/post/0


Thanks for quik response.

I am using standard cable - no box, no HD.

Then, yes a QAM tuner is useful. You should be able to get HD channels over cable with a QAM tuner for free.

 

[inteller]

quit telling him he'll get HD channels over the QAM when most likely he will only get HD locals. I know of NO cable company interested in making a buck that pass their non basic channels in the clear.

 

[chrisherbert]



Quote:
Originally Posted by inteller /forum/post/0


quit telling him he'll get HD channels over the QAM when most likely he will only get HD locals. I know of NO cable company interested in making a buck that pass their non basic channels in the clear.

Some do, some don't, but you're right that he shouldn't assume he'll get anything more than the HD locals.

 

[jwkim6]



Quote:
Originally Posted by inteller /forum/post/0


quit telling him he'll get HD channels over the QAM when most likely he will only get HD locals. I know of NO cable company interested in making a buck that pass their non basic channels in the clear.

I also get free HD on-demand through Comcast QAM. If a neighbor orders on-demand (SD or HD) you'll also get to see it on your on-demand channel. Obviously you can't fast forward/pause/etc. You can pretty much guanantee that on Monday nights someone is gonna be on-demanding Sopranos.

 

[ftaok]



Quote:
Originally Posted by inteller /forum/post/0


quit telling him he'll get HD channels over the QAM when most likely he will only get HD locals. I know of NO cable company interested in making a buck that pass their non basic channels in the clear.

Since when has HD locals not been considered HD?


No one here has told the OP that he would get anymore than the local HD channels with a QAM tuner. That may be enough for him/her. If the OP wants the rest of the HD channels, then he'd need a STB (or CableCard) and pay for the digital package.

What's your agenda for knocking QAM tuners?


ft


Oops, I thought you were addressing my post above. I didn't see scyber's post right above yours.

 

[temeone]

QAM is a great feature, but it all depends on your personal opinion. The only channels I watch are local, ESPN, Discovery, HBO, and a couple others (none of which are offered in HD anywhere).. so QAM tuner gives me about 50% of the channels I watch in HD.. for free.

 

[mark_1080p]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MarcSparks /forum/post/0


I just feel like the cable companies shouldn't be able to block all those QAM stations if you already pay for full digital service and an STB in another room like I do. Instead they force you to pay for an extra box even though you are already paying for the service and have a TV with the technology needed to tune the digital stations without an STB. BS if you ask me.

Yep, exactly, now that digital is taking over the cable company charges extra for each box AND for each outlet. What a disgusting rip-off.

 

[chrisherbert]



Quote:
Originally Posted by mark_1080p /forum/post/0


Yep, exactly, now that digital is taking over the cable company charges extra for each box AND for each outlet. What a disgusting rip-off.

The thing is that with unencrypted QAM the cable company can't pick and choose which houses have access -- either everyone gets them or no one does.