QAM Tuners

[mewilsie]

When an HDTV has a QAM tuner built in, does that mean it can receive HD signals just from plugging in a standard CATV feed? Just wondering if you can get locals this way, or even ESPN, TNT, etc HD, or do you absolutely have to have an HDTV box for that?

 

[Digital Dude]

Built in QAM tuners will allow you to see cable channels that are not encrypted. Usually this means your local channels only, although YMMV.

 

[VinceT3]

you can pick up any unencrypted digital channels.. usually means locals and music.. but I've seen pay channels before like discovery.. espn.. etc.. but that varies on location since they setup differently per provider and even providers location..

 

[Peter Parker]

My cble system encrypts the local channels and does not encrypt Discovery Science. They also encrypt some of the barker channels and not others which makes no sense to me.

 

[mewilsie]

Might be a silly question, but do the channels you get come through in HD?

 

[VinceT3]

yes.. pretty much only hd which I thought was funny.. the tech told me once they kept some unencrypted to verify signal on qam tvs..