[kniles]

I have some friends who resently were given a Sony KDF-55E2000 and can not afford a cable box right now. I have been working to get them unencrypted Hd off the QAM tune but when I run the auto program it does not see any digital channels, no matter what I do. The Spec. say the Tuner has a ATSC (8VSB terrestrial) with QAM on cable. They have basic cable (non- digial) and there using the RF Cable input. My Question is what is it about HD tv's that allows tv to receive unencrypted HD signals. I thought that if your tv had a QAM and 8VSB tuner you could receive unencrypted HD with a digial signal even without a cable box.


My new LCD Mitsubishi LT-37232 loaded in all the digital channals that the cable company provides encrypter and HD locals unencrypted, but my Mitsubishi is cable card ready (that I don't use) and the Sony is not equiped with a cable card slot. I also have a package with cable internet

 

[biker19]

You need a QAM tuner (which the TV has) and the clear QAM chs (which you may not have). You also must ensure you have things connected correctly (look at the manual). Check in the local thread for your area what the local cable co offers in terms of clear QAM chs.

 

[vman41]

If it really is basic cable, the connection to the house/apartment may have a low-pass filter restricting you to the 15 - 30 frequencies that carry the analog channels in that tier. The frequencies that carry the QAM digital channels would be blocked so there is nothing to find.

 

[ekb]



Quote:
Originally Posted by vman41 /forum/post/0


If it really is basic cable, the connection to the house/apartment may have a low-pass filter restricting you to the 15 - 30 frequencies that carry the analog channels in that tier. The frequencies that carry the QAM digital channels would be blocked so there is nothing to find.

If this is the case, it might be possible to argue that the filter must be removed because the unencrypted digital channels are often claimed to be included with the basic analog service. I believe that's is true for me with Comcast.


Ed

 

[kniles]



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


If this is the case, it might be possible to argue that the filter must be removed because the unencrypted digital channels are often claimed to be included with the basic analog service. I believe that's is true for me with Comcast.


Ed

The Cable Company is Charter Comm. and I have a strong feeling there is a low pass filter. But the tv does see up to channel 99 analog only.

 

[hall]

Did you try both RF inputs ?? There appears to be one labeled "VHF/UHF" and one labeled "CABLE". Can't hurt to try. According to the manual, it says to hook up "cable" or an "antenna" to the input labeled "VHF/UHF" and if your cableco scrambles the channels, to use the "CABLE" input.


One other thing: The channel numbers will be NOTHING like you're expecting. Your locals might be 2, 5, 9, 10 but can show up as 87.5, 88.1, 94.2, 99.8.

 

[kniles]



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


Did you try both RF inputs ?? There appears to be one labeled "VHF/UHF" and one labeled "CABLE". Can't hurt to try. According to the manual, it says to hook up "cable" or an "antenna" to the input labeled "VHF/UHF" and if your cableco scrambles the channels, to use the "CABLE" input.


One other thing: The channel numbers will be NOTHING like you're expecting. Your locals might be 2, 5, 9, 10 but can show up as 87.5, 88.1, 94.2, 99.8.

The other input "VHF/UHF"is for a antenna and the cable is landed on the cable RF input and I would be very happy if I got anything like 87.5, 88.1, 94.2, 99.8.

 

[stater68]

or just try an antenna

 

[kniles]



Quote:
Originally Posted by stater68 /forum/post/0


or just try an antenna

I know for shure that I can get three HD locals because I did it at my house. If I put up an antenna I would only get one HD local because of trees. Is there a filter that blocks digital channels only. I belive they actually have and expanded basic cable package 1-99.

 

[hall]



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


The other input "VHF/UHF"is for a antenna and the cable is landed on the cable RF input

Read the manual. It says to connect cable service to the input labeled VHF/UHF. You use the other input for scrambled cable service.

 

[kniles]



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

Read the manual. It says to connect cable service to the input labeled VHF/UHF. You use the other input for scrambled cable service.

Thank you for your help. If it was my tv I would have read it cover to cover. Thank again.

 

[tooskinny]

I have charter and a samsung lcd with built in QAM tuner. I only have basic cable, the same you are referring too. I know in my area you have have digital cable in order to get the local HD channels threw the cable. I just hooked up a cheap indoor antenna and get all my localsi n HD

 

[diesel12]

Definitely the low-pass filter I would think.


St. Cloud area of Minnesota charter user. I used to sub the digital package and now have analog only. I just hooked up an HD Homerun and am in the process of getting a list together of which channels I'm getting over QAM. There are quite a few. I'm also listing encrypted channels and all that.

 

[serndipity]

The FCC has a long-standing rule, set out at 47 CFR § 76.630(a), prohibiting the encryption of broadcast TV signals when re-transmitted over cable systems (can't put the link in this note because I have not yet done 5 postings).


If your new TV supports QAM you won't need any cable box to receive HD cable programs. In fact, you won't even have to purchase the digital or HD package to receive network HD programs (e.g. NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, FOX etc.).


QAM tuners can be likened to the cable equivalent of an ATSC tuner which is required to receive over-the-air (OTA) digital channels broadcast by local television stations. Many new digital televisions contain both and are labeled "with ATSC/QAM Tuner". Unlike the case with ATSC tuners there is no FCC requirement that QAM tuners be included in new television sets.


QAM-based HD programming of local network stations was available with my $9/mo. Comcast 'basic' analog cable service. Note: Because they want you to buy additional services, the availability of QAM HD programming is rarely described or publicized in cable company product literature (however, I did find it on their Web site).


In the end, I dropped cable all together because I found that HD OTA reception was superior to COMCAST (they compress HD programming and lose fidelity).

 

[tooskinny]



Quote:
Originally Posted by diesel12 /forum/post/0


Definitely the low-pass filter I would think.


St. Cloud area of Minnesota charter user. I used to sub the digital package and now have analog only. I just hooked up an HD Homerun and am in the process of getting a list together of which channels I'm getting over QAM. There are quite a few. I'm also listing encrypted channels and all that.

They must offer different in your area. I know that I don't have a filter on my cable and when I scan channels with analog cable with a built in QAM tuner, I don't get any local HD. I went to charters site and they only show HD locals in the digital package.


Oh well, I will just use my cheap indoor antenna and get most HD locals.

 

[serndipity]



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


I have some friends who resently were given a Sony KDF-55E2000 and can not afford a cable box right now. I have been working to get them unencrypted Hd off the QAM tune but when I run the auto program it does not see any digital channels, no matter what I do. The Spec. say the Tuner has a ATSC (8VSB terrestrial) with QAM on cable. T


My new LCD Mitsubishi LT-37232 loaded in all the digital channals that the cable company provides encrypter and HD locals unencrypted, but my Mitsubishi is cable card ready (that I don't use) and the Sony is not equiped with a cable card slot. I also have a package with cable internet

Following is a post I found on another board.


"I have a Sony SXRD HDTV with integrated NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuners. I now have Time Warner basic cable service. TWC has recently taken over the Adelphia service I used to have. TWC has begun remapping the analog and digital channels to resemble what the rest of the Cincinnati TWC customers have. With Adelphia I was receiving local digital and HD broadcasts on subchannels of 128.x or 129.x of my internal tuner (I don't use a cable box or cable card). TWC has remapped the local digital stations to odd frequencies like 114.21, 109.7, 105.1, etc. When I discovered that they had been moved I ran my autoscan, and much to my surprise my scanner did not detect any of them. The frequencies were given to me by an engineer at a local TV station. When I enter the frequency numbers using my remote I can receive them, however my scanner can't detect them nor can they be stored in the TV's memory. Can you explain how this is possible. (TWC has since remapped these channels to coincide with their analog equivalents - eg. 105.1=5.1, 114.21=12.1 - which my scanner does detect. But I would still like to know why my scanner can't detect the old frequencies yet show them when input with the remote.)"


ATSC/QAM tuners have evolved over time (i.e. 6th generation ATSC chip sets have recently been announced) and I suspect that being an older set, the QAM capability is no longer up to par.


There might be a firmware upgrade or try entering the direct frequencies.


Over the air (OTA) reception with a D-Y-I antenna is an option too. There is a thread on makeing an antenna on the cheap. I have not make enough posts to be able to post links....however, there is a thread currently on this forum that will point you to where you can get more information on this subject.

 

[videobruce]

AFAIC, some MSOs' are playing games to make reception of OTA 'locals' difficult. I don't believe they 'have' to have the digital version in the clear to anyone without a company provided STB. While they would be included for anyone that 'rents' their box, these channels aren't available to anyone with just a QAM tuner and no CC.


I read this discussion before regarding this and still I haven't found any concrete statement either way.


Anyway, you can have more than one tuner (wither in a TV itself or a STB (of your own) and get different numbers for the same channel. Either the actual channel (that I prefer) or some fictious channel as in 1.1 or 1.3 as I get with two of my three tuners after TWC made some changes to the channels PSID. One tuner wasn't affected, but theother two were. Previously, all three showed the actual channel number 88.1 (for example). Now there are three 1.1s'.


Of course, that could be solved if these damn manufactures would provide the ability of turning mapping off to eliminate most of this as it possible with some PC HD tuner cards.

 

[InfernoSoul]



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


The FCC has a long-standing rule, set out at 47 CFR § 76.630(a), prohibiting the encryption of broadcast TV signals when re-transmitted over cable systems (can't put the link in this note because I have not yet done 5 postings).


If your new TV supports QAM you won't need any cable box to receive HD cable programs. In fact, you won't even have to purchase the digital or HD package to receive network HD programs (e.g. NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, FOX etc.).


QAM tuners can be likened to the cable equivalent of an ATSC tuner which is required to receive over-the-air (OTA) digital channels broadcast by local television stations. Many new digital televisions contain both and are labeled "with ATSC/QAM Tuner". Unlike the case with ATSC tuners there is no FCC requirement that QAM tuners be included in new television sets.


QAM-based HD programming of local network stations was available with my $9/mo. Comcast 'basic' analog cable service. Note: Because they want you to buy additional services, the availability of QAM HD programming is rarely described or publicized in cable company product literature (however, I did find it on their Web site).


In the end, I dropped cable all together because I found that HD OTA reception was superior to COMCAST (they compress HD programming and lose fidelity).

Hey well my cable company just got HD 2 months ago. I did a scan for OTA on that antennaweb site and no HD channels showed up. Any idea what the deal is? I believe that they offer NBC and ABC in HD. However you have to spend an extra 20 bucks(totaling $100/month) a month for their cable box and package which can receive the HD channels. So if I can't get the local channels in HD OTA charter comm. is doing something illegal according to the FCC? Thanks just trying to understand what you are saying.

 

[videobruce]

InfernoSoul; It would help if you added your town to your profile, That way everyone has a idea where you are talking about.


Find the thread for your area here;
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45


In the mean time try this;
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&post7625830

 

[InfernoSoul]



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


InfernoSoul; It would help if you added your town to your profile, That way everyone has a idea where you are talking about.


Find the thread for your area here;
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=45


In the mean time try this;
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&post7625830

Ok sorry about that. I thought I added my town and state to my profile awhile ago, guess not. But yeah anywas only two digital stations show up. It shows on charter.com that they offer "781 KGIN-DT - CBS Hi-Def Lifeline" Is that one suppose to be free OTA? Thanks again for any help/insite on this.