if you get a digital tuner card that can receive either OTA digital or cable QAM Digital you will only be able to receive those HD cable channels that are broadcast in unencrypted (clear) QAM and these are only a subset of the HD channels you can receive with an antenna connected to your digital tuner card. You will not get cable only digitlal channels such as ESPN-HD or CNN-HD.
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tv tuner question
Hi all, I am currently subscribe to digital cable with Wideopenwest. Do I need to get a tv tuner that able to get NTSC signal in order to get channel like espn, cnn (not HD)? or are those channel already in QAM?
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I am still in the planning stage for building my own HTPC, so bare with me.
I was thinking that if you have a tuner card that had QAM, you could get ANY cable channels that were unencrypted. So while channels like HBO,espn and such would not be watchable, I could still get unencrypted channels like CNN and HGTV. Am I wrong? If so that throws a wrench into what I want to do. In other words, my wife would not be happy.
Right now I just have basic digital cable. But I get some local HD programing with it. All with out a cable box of any kind, just a direct connection to my tv.
Quote:
Originally Posted by walford /forum/post/16888958
You will not get cable only digitlal channels such as ESPN or CNN.
I am still in the planning stage for building my own HTPC, so bare with me.
I was thinking that if you have a tuner card that had QAM, you could get ANY cable channels that were unencrypted. So while channels like HBO,espn and such would not be watchable, I could still get unencrypted channels like CNN and HGTV. Am I wrong? If so that throws a wrench into what I want to do. In other words, my wife would not be happy.
Right now I just have basic digital cable. But I get some local HD programing with it. All with out a cable box of any kind, just a direct connection to my tv.
Correct. However, most cable providers encrypt all channels except for local broadcast channels.
Go to this link, type in your ZIP code, and it will tell you what channels are available in clear QAM.
http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/channels_us
If you want all of the digital channels on your PC, you'll need a CableCard tuner. You'll also need to read this article carefully.
http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/05/12...-media-center/
Hope that helps.
Quote:
Originally Posted by paratwa /forum/post/16889441
I was thinking that if you have a tuner card that had QAM, you could get ANY cable channels that were unencrypted.
Correct. However, most cable providers encrypt all channels except for local broadcast channels.
Go to this link, type in your ZIP code, and it will tell you what channels are available in clear QAM.
http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/channels_us
If you want all of the digital channels on your PC, you'll need a CableCard tuner. You'll also need to read this article carefully.
http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/05/12...-media-center/
Hope that helps.
The Silicon Dust link lists all of the OTA 8VSB moduolated digital channels that may be available at your ZIP Code and should have a dropdown for you local cable company.
Paratwa.
If you are getting HD cable channels with a QAM capable tuner in your TV then that you would receive the same channels with QAM capable tuner card.
Paratwa.
If you are getting HD cable channels with a QAM capable tuner in your TV then that you would receive the same channels with QAM capable tuner card.
Actually it does. There is a drop-down to choose your cable provider. I suspect their users provide the information.
Quote:
Originally Posted by walford /forum/post/16889861
The Silicon Dust link lists all of the OTA 8VSB moduolated digital channels that may be available at your ZIP Code. It does not list which of those channels that your cable provider also supplies in unencrypted QAM since a cable provider is only required to provide one sub-channel from each high powered local broadcaster.
Paratwa.
If you are getting HD cable channels with a QAM capable tuner in your TV then that you would receive same channels with QAM capable tuner card.
Actually it does. There is a drop-down to choose your cable provider. I suspect their users provide the information.
I stand corrected and have updated my previous post I did not notice the cable company dropdown when I tried for it my Zip code.
I almost missed it too!
Quote:
Originally Posted by walford /forum/post/16890291
I stand corrected and have updated my previous post I did not notice the cable company dropdown when I tried for it my Zip code.
I almost missed it too!
I do not mean espn-hd or hgtv-hd. What I meant was channel like regular CNN, CNBC, FOODTv, that I am able to get right now just by plugging the cable directly to my tv without using the receiver from my cable company. If I can get those channel on my tv without using the digital receiver, wouldn't that mean that I should be able to get those channel using a tv tuner? If so, do I need a hybrid tv tuner or just a ATSC/QAM tv tuner?
Quote:
Originally Posted by walford /forum/post/16888958
if you get a digital tuner card that can receive either OTA digital or cable QAM Digital you will only be able to receive those HD cable channels that are broadcast in unencrypted (clear) QAM and these are only a subset of the HD channels you can receive with an antenna connected to your digital tuner card. You will not get cable only digitlal channels such as ESPN-HD or CNN-HD.
I do not mean espn-hd or hgtv-hd. What I meant was channel like regular CNN, CNBC, FOODTv, that I am able to get right now just by plugging the cable directly to my tv without using the receiver from my cable company. If I can get those channel on my tv without using the digital receiver, wouldn't that mean that I should be able to get those channel using a tv tuner? If so, do I need a hybrid tv tuner or just a ATSC/QAM tv tuner?
Many cable "digiital tuner" STBs are in fact hybrid analog and digital tuners so that the standard analog channel (2-67)signals which are available on your standard analog TV can also be tuned with the "digital tuner" which also supports digital channels (normally channel 100+). You will not receive these channels with a tuner card that only supports digital OTA or QAM content).
Other cable digital tuner STBS only support QAM digital content and many cable companies such as mine actually multicast the analog channels in both in NTSC analog and in QAM digital so they can be tuned with either an analog or a digital tuner.
So yes if the channels you want are analog 2-67 on your regular then you need a hybrid or combo (analog/digital) tuner card.
Other cable digital tuner STBS only support QAM digital content and many cable companies such as mine actually multicast the analog channels in both in NTSC analog and in QAM digital so they can be tuned with either an analog or a digital tuner.
So yes if the channels you want are analog 2-67 on your regular then you need a hybrid or combo (analog/digital) tuner card.
thanks for the info. I understand now what I need to get.
Quote:
Originally Posted by walford /forum/post/16891041
Many cable "digiital tuner" STBs are in fact hybrid analog and digital tuners so that the standard analog channel (2-67)signals which are available on your standard analog TV can also be tuned with the "digital tuner" which also supports digital channels (normally channel 100+). You will not receive these channels with a tuner card that only supports digital OTA or QAM content).
Other cable digital tuner STBS only support QAM digital content and many cable companies such as mine actually multicast the analog channels in both in NTSC analog and in QAM digital so they can be tuned with either an analog or a digital tuner.
So yes if the channels you want are analog 2-67 on your regular then you need a hybrid or combo (analog/digital) tuner card.
thanks for the info. I understand now what I need to get.
I am pretty much set on tv tuner card. However, I am still debating between the new avermedia combo g2 pci-e or the Hauppauge hvr 1600. Which on has better picture quality and easier to use?
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