Question About Satellite QAM Reception

[tvwatchingdude]

Please tell me if my following points are correct

1 Cable uses QAM to deliver Digital channels to your TV which needs a QAM tuner

2 Local Broadcasters use ASTC to deliver Digital channels over the air via an antenna to your TV which needs a ASTC Tuner


So does that mean if you hook up your FTA dish to a QAM tuner on your television your FTA channels will show up without the need of a set top box?

Also does Direct TV and Dish Network use QAM to deliver unscrambled local channels, and will they work on a QAM tuner TV without a settop box?

If this is correct how can you view scrambled channels then?

THANKS VERY MUCH!

 

[mastermesh]

can't answer since I have never used qam, but I think qam is local tv in digital, sometimes hd, delivered over cable... but you have to have a subscription to get it as far as I know.... so it's not like fta at all... It's like an add on to a cable package that you get for free if you have a qam card and cable.

 

[David D.]

Please tell me if my following points are correct

1 Cable uses QAM to deliver Digital channels to your TV which needs a QAM tuner

2 Local Broadcasters use ASTC to deliver Digital channels over the air via an antenna to your TV which needs a ASTC Tuner


So does that mean if you hook up your FTA dish to a QAM tuner on your television your FTA channels will show up without the need of a set top box?

Also does Direct TV and Dish Network use QAM to deliver unscrambled local channels, and will they work on a QAM tuner TV without a settop box?

If this is correct how can you view scrambled channels then?

THANKS VERY MUCH!

A very technical definition:
Quadrature amplitude modulation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

More infomation (less technical):
QAM tuner - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have two HDTV's both have QAM, the bedroom SONY 34XBR960 has a superior QAM, I am even able to pick up unscrambled premium channels on basic $11/mth cable. That TV will display the channel as (an example) 95.12345, so what you would need to do is write down the frequencies and save near by your remote, or save as "favorites". Also cable companies can frequently move them to different frequencies without warning. (That TV picks up in excess of 500 digital signals, mostly just signals of some sort or garbled audio, about 1/3 of them are viewable including Showtime in HD, all from basic cable.)

The other HDTV is a 40" JVC w/QAM. That tuner is almost useless for QAM viewing. If I had known that before purchasing it would have been another SONY.

As for viewing scrambled channels, you would need the box provided by your TV service company (in most cases), and pay the monthly box rental and cable fees.

For satellite service, you will need the equipment provided by the satellite company, and pay the monthly fee, no QAM tuner will help you there. Same for FTA (satellite service), you will need the decoder box, and a QAM tuner will not help. For OTA (with an antenna) a QAM tuner will not help (see wikipedia links.)

NOTE: local channels in HD (free TV) cannot be up-charged by your cable company, (FCC law), but you will need either a good QAM tuner (SONY TV), or pay the $6/mth HD box rental.

A good outdoor antenna will deliver excellent HD television, but that depends on how far you are from the broadcasting towers and quality (gain rating) of the antenna. You should research AntennaWeb for more information, even the rabbit ears design will work if you are very close to the towers. BUT Before purchasing, make sure you can return the antenna if it doesn't work to your satisfaction.

If expense is an issue, try an outdoor antenna or basic cable with the HD box rental, DISH and Direct TV can be costly, possibly over $100/mth with all of the movie channels.

~​

 

[tvwatchingdude]

A very technical definition:
Quadrature amplitude modulation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

More infomation (less technical):
QAM tuner - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have two HDTV's both have QAM, the bedroom SONY 34XBR960 has a superior QAM, I am even able to pick up unscrambled premium channels on basic $11/mth cable. That TV will display the channel as (an example) 95.12345, so what you would need to do is write down the frequencies and save near by your remote, or save as "favorites". Also cable companies can frequently move them to different frequencies without warning. (That TV picks up in excess of 500 digital signals, mostly just signals of some sort or garbled audio, about 1/3 of them are viewable including Showtime in HD, all from basic cable.)

The other HDTV is a 40" JVC w/QAM. That tuner is almost useless for QAM viewing. If I had known that before purchasing it would have been another SONY.

As for viewing scrambled channels, you would need the box provided by your TV service company (in most cases), and pay the monthly box rental and cable fees.

For satellite service, you will need the equipment provided by the satellite company, and pay the monthly fee, no QAM tuner will help you there. Same for FTA (satellite service), you will need the decoder box, and a QAM tuner will not help. For OTA (with an antenna) a QAM tuner will not help (see wikipedia links.)

NOTE: local channels in HD (free TV) cannot be up-charged by your cable company, (FCC law), but you will need either a good QAM tuner (SONY TV), or pay the $6/mth HD box rental.

A good outdoor antenna will deliver excellent HD television, but that depends on how far you are from the broadcasting towers and quality (gain rating) of the antenna. You should research AntennaWeb for more information, even the rabbit ears design will work if you are very close to the towers. BUT Before purchasing, make sure you can return the antenna if it doesn't work to your satisfaction.

If expense is an issue, try an outdoor antenna or basic cable with the HD box rental, DISH and Direct TV can be costly, possibly over $100/mth with all of the movie channels.

~​

HI, thanks for the information, but do you know what FTA uses? If they dont use qam, then what do they use to deliver their free unscrambled channels?

 

[qwert1515]

FTA uses QPSK and 8PSK modulations. QPSK is more common.

 

[brentb636]

QAM can be used by satellite signal providers, but OUR equipment doesn't support it. The subject is covered by an course given on G25 by AZCAR training, to sat truck technicians. The "pro's and con's" of QPSK, 8PSK, 16QAM, 64QAM are discussed and the applications. Basically, the modulation differences seem to be about "how good a pic do you want" and the sacrifices and controls that have to be made to effectively use higher bandwidth but "more touchy" modulation schemes. QPSK is the most robust, but has the least bandwidth. The 8psk and QAM implementations can carry more data, but are very range dependent and need tighter control to be effective. Try tuning into the AZCAR class sometime on G25 and see what you get out of it.
11779 H 3979-3/4 .

(Over my head )
[edit] Class is on right now, in fact. Don't know their schedule.

 

[tvwatchingdude]

QAM can be used by satellite signal providers, but OUR equipment doesn't support it. The subject is covered by an course given on G25 by AZCAR training, to sat truck technicians. The "pro's and con's" of QPSK, 8PSK, 16QAM, 64QAM are discussed and the applications. Basically, the modulation differences seem to be about "how good a pic do you want" and the sacrifices and controls that have to be made to effectively use higher bandwidth but "more touchy" modulation schemes. QPSK is the most robust, but has the least bandwidth. The 8psk and QAM implementations can carry more data, but are very range dependent and need tighter control to be effective. Try tuning into the AZCAR class sometime on G25 and see what you get out of it.
11779 H 3979-3/4 .

(Over my head )
[edit] Class is on right now, in fact. Don't know their schedule.

thanks for the great info