QAM channels

[sorinicu]

I have a HD television set (Polaroid TLX-03210B) and analog cable (Cox). When I scan the channels, it detects all the analog ones AND some digital ones (15). From those digital ones, only one is working, the rest show "no signal", even if the TV find and added them to the lineup. They have names automatically asociated to them. All those are mostly FTA channels in my area, but the one it is working is not a FTA. In the TV documentation it doesn't say it supports QAM.
My question is: Why does it find them then? Is some kind of "universal" header in QAM and VSB that allows for the discovery of QAM channels with a VSB-only device? Or my TV has QAM support but not fully functional?

[yoda313]

I have a hdtv that reads off the air channel through my analog cable. I believe your provider may have disabled that option. Most likely you need either their hdtv box or hd dvr to read all of their hd channels.

I too got a ton of digital channels that are "blank" but I could see the names. Strange thing was I actually got tnt high def without the package but the sound wasn't there so I just deleted that channel off my list.

It might be that your tv can sense the channels just not decode them. I'm not sure what the case may be in your case. But it might be like seeing a am radio station number but only getting static because your too far away from it. Though in this case it would be encryption not signal strength that makes the difference.

[jagabo]

Some of those "blank" QAM channels are used for view-on-demand. You may sometimes see VOD programs that others are watching. Some channels with audio only are radio stations being carried by the cable company.

[yoda313]

Some of those "blank" QAM channels are used for view-on-demand. You may sometimes see VOD programs that others are watching. Some channels with audio only are radio stations being carried by the cable company.

Yeah I caught that too. It was weird when I started seeing this movie with McCauneghey and that Sex and the City gal. It wasn't on the program guide and after it was over another movie started and was being fast forwarded!! That's when i figured out it was a video on demand channel. That was bizarre.

[handyguy]

VOD are sent to an area. Not a specific location. So, someone near you paid for it.

[sorinicu]

I was thinking that those are encrypted...
But, back to my question. Why the channels that are picked up by search are not visible on my TV? Are those encrypted even thou are also FTA in my area?

[edDV]

I was thinking that those are encrypted...
But, back to my question. Why the channels that are picked up by search are not visible on my TV? Are those encrypted even thou are also FTA in my area?

Depends on how the local cable system is programmed. By Feb 17, 2009 the FCC wants all "must carry" locals to be unencrypted and available to analog and QAM tuners. "Retransmission Consent" (major networks) should be monitoring that their local stations are available. PBS locals have an agreement that their primary and subchannels will be available on QAM (main station only on analog).

Beyond that the local cable company decides what is sent encrypted or unencrypted. Those blank channels are mostly the encrypted ones. I wish the tuners would skip those in the scan. Currently you need to manually delete them on the QAM tuners I've used. I'm surprised at the number of "digital cable" channels that you can receive without a cable box including some in HD. They may tighten up on this over time.

I've noticed here that during system upgrade many cable channels are left "open" but after completion things tighten up.

[DarrellS]

We have COX Cable and my brother bought a 50" Philips HDTV with QAM tuner and it received a bunch of HD channels. The TV only worked for 3 days and was in the shop for 3 weeks so he returned it to Walmart and got his money back.

Makes me want to buy something with a QAM tuner if we can get all those channels without having to purchase COX Digital.