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Ace H
11-27-2008, 04:05 PM
I currently have Cox Digital Cable with a standard tube TV hooked up via a Digital Cable Box. Within a couple of days I will be getting an LCD Digital TV with NTSC/ATSC/QAM tuners. QAM is supposed to be UNSCRAMBLED digital cable? Will I be able to pick up the same Digital Cable Stations on the new TV WITHOUT a second digital cable box? In other words, what I'm watching now on the tube TV hooked up to the digial cable box (except the Premium Channels i.e. HBO, SHO etc. to which I don't subscribe), will I be able to watch all the same channels on the new TV without a cable box?

I think I'm confusing UNSCRAMBLED Digital Channels with the need for a cable box to watch Premium Channels HBO, SHO, CINEMAX, etc which are scrambled when you don't pay for them.

RoadRunner6
11-27-2008, 04:54 PM
We have a plasma TV with a Qam tuner. We have Comcast cable in the Seattle area. We have never had a cable box and subsribe to their expanded basic service. We receive no scrambled channels of course like HBO, Showtime, etc., but do get the usual local channels and also History, ESPN, A&E, Travel, Food, CNN, FOX, Disney, Animal channels, etc., etc.

Having the QAM tuner allows us to received any unscrambled digital channels in addition to our current channels (with no cable box). This includes all of the channels we received with the expanded basic and now the local station HDTV and PBS HDTV channels plus some additional SDTV channels. We now receive a total of 154 channels inlcuding SDTV, HDTV and many FM music only channels. We do not receive History, ESPN, Travel, etc., channels in HDTV. The only reason you have the cable box in the first place is to receive the scrambled premium channels. I hope this helps.

As a side note I would recommend if you have not committed already that you consider plasma instead of LCD (unless you watch in very a bright daylight room). Plasma is slightly superior for movies and TV programs. With either LCD or plasma don't skimp on price. Get a top quality set such as Sony in LCD or Panasonic in plasma. Don't not judge picture quuality by what you see in a showroom. Most of the time they are not adjusted correctly and way over-bright. Usually even the cheaper sets look very good in HDTV but not so good in SDTV. However, the top quality sets, usually give very good SDTV picture quality. We have a new Panasonic plasma and the SDTV quality is excellent as well as the HDTV quality.

Also you can (if reasonably close to the station) can get over the air digital signals (ATSC tuner is in your digital TV) with an outdoor or indoor antenna (regular antenna, no special antenna required).

RR6

Ace H
11-27-2008, 05:22 PM
Thanks RoadRunner6,

Unfortunately I THINK my local cable provider, Cox, will require a cable box for digital service. If Cox does not tinker with their digital channels, I was hoping that the QAM tuner would be able to pull in all the digital stations.

Soundls like you guys are doing pretty well up there cable wise.

RoadRunner6
11-27-2008, 05:57 PM
Cox doesn't have any control over the QAM tuner. You will get all digital channels that are not scrambled by COX. The QAM tuner does not allow you to receive scrambled channels. Cox most likely is not allowed by the cable authorities (FCC or whoever) to scramble local HD and PBS channels.

Where I live, even with an excellent indoor FM antenna, FM reception is marginal so the clean FM signals over the QAM tuner is a very nice added plus for me.

pixelthis
11-27-2008, 11:35 PM
Thanks RoadRunner6,

Unfortunately I THINK my local cable provider, Cox, will require a cable box for digital service. If Cox does not tinker with their digital channels, I was hoping that the QAM tuner would be able to pull in all the digital stations.

Soundls like you guys are doing pretty well up there cable wise.


I have the same experience, no scrambling of local channels on the QAM tuner, including PBS. You also get the "extra" simulcast channels.
Make sure your TV has a QAM and NTSC tuner that shares the same connection, that way the tuner will integrate both HD and SD channels,
and provide a handy guide for both.:1:

Woochifer
11-28-2008, 08:57 AM
Thanks RoadRunner6,

Unfortunately I THINK my local cable provider, Cox, will require a cable box for digital service. If Cox does not tinker with their digital channels, I was hoping that the QAM tuner would be able to pull in all the digital stations.

Soundls like you guys are doing pretty well up there cable wise.

My parents have Cox cable and subscribe to the bare basic service. Cox does not retransmit any of the local DTV feeds. Their service listing includes a digital access fee, and I have a feeling that's the minimum extra that you'd have to pay in order to receive any digital channels.

At home, we have the bare basic Comcast service, and they do retransmit the DTV feeds with no extra fee.