Cable systems with all- or partially-QAM based channel lineups (or going mostly HD)

[Tim from Springfield IL]

It appears that the recently uncursed campus cable lineup at Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL (where I attended grad school over a decade ago) has a lineup where most of the lineup has QAM-based channel positions (e.g., 42.1, 42.2, etc.). I could not tell from this list whether the digital channels are HD-only, but it appears that the remaining 27 or so analog channels are still in SD. More info and channel lineup linked below:

http://www.wiu.edu/student_services/housing/explore/television.php

Are there other examples of cable systems that are completely ditching the 3-digit channel numbers on digital cable and going all or mostly QAM-based--even if the signals were already encrypted to begin with (even if it means ditching existing digital cable boxes without that tuning capability). Also, what about systems where most of the lineup is now mostly HD channels (with SD limited to local stations and some basic cable channels e.g., CSPAN, shopping, etc.). Can you see more cable systems dropping the SD versions of cable networks and going mostly or even all-HD lineups?

 

[Mr Tony]

Michigan Tech does. The pdf looks goofy but it is indeed QAM
http://www.tc.mtu.edu/tv/Channels.pdf

and a non standard lineup
http://www.tc.mtu.edu/tv/Alternate_Channels.pdf

 

[ftballfan]

Western Michigan University is QAM-based: http://www.wmich.edu/it/educablechannels

So is Michigan State University: http://ipf.msu.edu/_files/pdfs/services-cabletv-channel-listing-normal.pdf

In my four years, Grand Valley State had a cursed system, even by university standards. Only local channels in HD and some locals were missing (including one whose tower can be seen from the campus!) The lineup was basically the local Charter system below 75. The local Charter system completed a major upgrade and I heard from one of my friends who goes to Grand Valley that NFL Network is now available (and in HD), and that wasn't available during my four years there

 

[MarcB]

COX Cable Meriden, Cheshire, and Southington Connecticut. Note: COX doesn't tell anyone about the QAM Channel locations. All Channels are SD except where noted. Channel Number with Cable Box in parentheses.

2 CT-N
3 WFSB 3/CBS
3.1 WFSB-HD (1003)
3.3 Channel 3 Eyewitness News Now (801)
4 WVIT 30/NBC
5 CPTV 24/PBS
6 WTIC-TV 61/FOX
7 HSN
8 WTNH 8/ABC
8.1 WTNH-HD (1008)
8.2 Bounce TV (813) [WTNH 8.2]
9 WCTX 59/My Network TV
10 ION 26
11 WCCT-TV 20/CW
12 TBS
13.2 ON-TV 4U (Infomercials)/Coin Vault (74)
15 WGBY PBS/57 (17)
17.1 On Demand Pay-Per-View Barker Channel [in a small rectangle in the upper right corner of the screen)
17.3 On Demand Pay-Per-View Barker Channel [Full Screen 480i]
18 WUVN Univision/18
18.1 WUVN-HD (1018)
19.3 WUTH-CD Unimas (79) [WUVN 18.3]
20 WRDM-CD Telemundo
20.1 WCCT-HD (1011)
20.2 THIS-TV (811)
24 FX
25 TNT
26 Discovery
26.1 ION HD (1010)
27 Spike
28 ESPN
29 ESPN 2
30 YES
30.1 WVIT-HD (1004)
30.2 COZI TV (800) [WVIT 30.2]
31 QVC
32 NESN
33 CNN
34 USA
35 Weather Channel
36 TLC
37 ABC Family
38 AMC
39 Food Network
40 Comedy Central
41 Lifetime
42 A&E
43 Disney
44 Nickelodeon
45 MSNBC
46 CNBC
47 Fox News
48 BET
49 E!
50 EWTN
51 Comcast Sports New England
52 MTV
53 HLN
54 HGTV
55 SYFY
56 Bravo
57 Travel Channel
58 Cartoon Network
59 History Channel
59.1 WCTX-HD (1009)
60 Animal Planet
61 VH-1
61.1 WTIC-HD (1006)
61.2 Antenna TV (810) [WTIC 61.2]
62 SNY
69.3 Comcast Sports New England HD (1051)
70 TVLAND
77.4 CPTV-HD (1005)
77.5 CPTV Sports (805) [CPTV 24.3]
77.6 CPTV 4U (804) [CPTV 24.2]
96 TRU TV
116.3 TBS-HD (1012)
117.170 TOWN Channel (14)
117.173 Town Education Channel (16)
118.102 CSPAN (76)
118.180 SonLife Bible Network (72)
119.179 Jewelry TV (68)
119.182 WZME ME-TV/43 (75)
121.181 Liquidation Channel (73)
122.176 TVGN (87)
123.185 COX Public Access TV (15)

Notes: For 2 weeks in Early July all the HD Channels and Sub-Channels Temporarily Changed positions and then switched back. Prior to this the 3 CPTV Channels were on 24.1, 24.2, and 24.3. They are the only ones that did not switch back. Also prior to this we got a bonus channel. WGGB ABC/40 Springfield would show up on both 40.1 and 77.1 with ABC programming covered up by WTNH. Prior to JULY ONTV 4 U just showed up on random channels, TBS-HD was 14.2, ION HD was 16.2, WUVN HD was 16.3, and TVGN was 122.177.

It's a bummer we don't get ABC 40 anymore because I used to like watching Rachael Ray and hour earlier. Local WTNH carries her at 10AM, ABC 40 carries her at 9AM. We're not supposed to get it anyway. It was also a bummer that they would cover up ABC programming with WTNH because sometimes WTNH dumped out of ABC programming to carry BREAKING NEWS that pertained to Connecticut.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Michigan Tech does. The pdf looks goofy but it is indeed QAM
http://www.tc.mtu.edu/tv/Channels.pdf

and a non standard lineup
http://www.tc.mtu.edu/tv/Alternate_Channels.pdf

I don't mean to take my original thread too much off-topic, but a silly question (as I'm not a cable technical expert while also not having the time now to figure this out myself): Is there a quick way to figure out how Michigan Tech's QAM lineup matched the traditional 3-digit "digital cable" channel numbers (e.g., CNN is 230 on the traditional digital cable equipment but is 40.1 on QAM; while Weather Channel is QAM channel 40.2 but 250 digital cable)? Just curious--unless the hint would be finding out what their traditional analog cable channel numbers were, using a online frequency conversion chart, then matching the results up with the QAM channels.

Someday it would be interesting to see how a fully-encrypted cable system's channel lineup (as Comcast is with my situation in Springfield) would have looked like if CC actually provided QAM-based digital cable tuners. Just curious.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

This lineup is now over 2 years old, but apparently as part of Comcast's agreement with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (obviously Springfield/Decatur/Champaign DMA), their Digital Starter lineup is available to students who have QAM tuners. This channel guide gives the QAM lineup too. Wish Comcast offered this option to regular customers, even if you didn't get all of the channels on Starter as a result.

http://housing.illinois.edu/-/media...hash=CB09C198C1039E47B98DCD17271395EE6C361AD5