Clear Qam Comcast New Castle Indiana question

[groze]

I am on limited basic. I was wanting to know what channels show up in clear qam that are not scrambled? I am thinking of getting a qam tv, so I can get LWS, Cspan2 and maybe News channel 64.

 

[ShawnHill1]

Here's a website that can tell you what clear QAM (and over-the-air) channels are available in your area...just type your zip code, and there you go...

http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/channels

 

[KML0224]

It's not entirely accurate. I put in 06052 for New Britain, CT, which is southwest of Hartford. A few of the screen caps are for WWLP-DT (NBC) channel 11 from Springfield, MA. I can't get that over the air here whatsoever. Also, WWLP has never been available on cable here. All we've ever gotten from Springfield is WGBY-TV (PBS) analog channel 57. Lastly, something coded as "06033" pops up in the corner near the web address. If that's a zip code, you'd end up with Glastonbury, CT, which is east of the Connecticut River (I'm a good clip west of it).

 

[jal41]

I am on limited basic. I was wanting to know what channels show up in clear qam that are not scrambled? I am thinking of getting a qam tv, so I can get LWS, Cspan2 and maybe News channel 64.

Comcast Cobb County (Atlanta) - Locals, PEG channels, leased access, The Weather Channel, WeatherScan, TV Guide Network, C-SPAN 1 and 2, HSN, and QVC. You also will see what everyone else is watching with On Demand (including adult movies oftentimes). Everything else is encrypted.

 

[KML0224]

An adult movie...sometimes. It is like you're watching somebody's else cable at times. You can't control it of course. I have had that happen here before. I'm a 37-year-old male, so that's not a problem for me.

 

[anotherguyTN]

The Silicon Dust website didn't work too well for me either. I'm on Charter Cable fron Jackson, TN, but the listings shown were from Memphis. For OTA, that's OK, but Memphis has Comcast and is nowhere near the lineup. Also, the OTA listings showed WMC NBC 5 in Memphis as showing The Tube on one of its subchannels, but I can't help but wonder how out of date it is in other areas as well.

 

[tripinva]

Actually, many Raycom stations which carried "The Tube" still have a blank subchannel up called "TUBE" or something related that just sits there 24/7 and says "The Tube is no longer in service." Silicon Dust is up to date, I used it to figure out that WNBW-DT in Gainesville was on the air and testing (and announced it here and on AVS), just that it relies on lots of people in lots of places owning them. If there's nobody in your zip code, it chooses the nearest zip code to you numerically I think, which in some cases (including my own zip code) will give you stations you have no chance of ever receiving.

- Trip

 

[KML0224]

I like the screen cap examples they give though! Are users contributing those to the site?

 

[tripinva]

My understanding is that the tuners send that stuff in automatically. I want to say it's an opt-in thing during the setup.

- Trip

 

[jegrant]

I am on limited basic. I was wanting to know what channels show up in clear qam that are not scrambled? I am thinking of getting a qam tv, so I can get LWS, Cspan2 and maybe News channel 64.

Here in Kokomo on Comcast, I can confirm that 6.1 (WRTV ABC), 6.2 (6News 24/7 aka NewsChannel 64), 8.1 (WISH CBS), 8.2 (WISH LWS), 13.1 (WTHR NBC), 20.1 (WFYI HD), 20.3 (WFYI+), 23.1 (WNDY MyNDY HD), 29.1 (WTTK CW), 59.1 (WXIN FOX) are all in Clear QAM, and they have relatively recently added CSPAN2, Hallmark, CMT, Oxygen, EWTN to Clear QAM as well. Also, for what it's worth, the Spanish-language channel called VeneMovies (presumably movies from Venezuela or related countries) is in Clear QAM as well. For a while, CNN Espanol was in Clear QAM, but no longer.

Now with limited basic, I think you would only get the broadcast channels I mentioned, plus CSPAN2. Everything else would probably be trapped, I figure.

IIRC, any broadcast digital channels which are available in the clear over the air must also be offered in the clear over Clear QAM if they are carried at all by a cable system in digital. (i.e. Comcast cannot take an unencrypted digital broadcast signal then encrypt it before delivering it to subscribers)
On the other hand, they certainly aren't required to carry any subchannels unless, perhaps, their contracts with the main channels require it. (I would guess, for example, that to carry WISH HD 8.1, providers must also carry WISH LWS 8.2.)

 

[groze]

I am on limited basic. I was wanting to know what channels show up in clear qam that are not scrambled? I am thinking of getting a qam tv, so I can get LWS, Cspan2 and maybe News channel 64.

Here in Kokomo on Comcast, I can confirm that 6.1 (WRTV ABC), 6.2 (6News 24/7 aka NewsChannel 64), 8.1 (WISH CBS), 8.2 (WISH LWS), 13.1 (WTHR NBC), 20.1 (WFYI HD), 20.3 (WFYI+), 23.1 (WNDY MyNDY HD), 29.1 (WTTK CW), 59.1 (WXIN FOX) are all in Clear QAM, and they have relatively recently added CSPAN2, Hallmark, CMT, Oxygen, EWTN to Clear QAM as well. Also, for what it's worth, the Spanish-language channel called VeneMovies (presumably movies from Venezuela or related countries) is in Clear QAM as well. For a while, CNN Espanol was in Clear QAM, but no longer.

Now with limited basic, I think you would only get the broadcast channels I mentioned, plus CSPAN2. Everything else would probably be trapped, I figure.

IIRC, any broadcast digital channels which are available in the clear over the air must also be offered in the clear over Clear QAM if they are carried at all by a cable system in digital. (i.e. Comcast cannot take an unencrypted digital broadcast signal then encrypt it before delivering it to subscribers)
On the other hand, they certainly aren't required to carry any subchannels unless, perhaps, their contracts with the main channels require it. (I would guess, for example, that to carry WISH HD 8.1, providers must also carry WISH LWS 8.2.)

Comcast does plan to scrambling all next year including broadcast stations. I guess they want another fine. Forcing people even with sets that have qam tvs, to get Set top boxes (Unless you are lucky enough to have a tv with a cable card slot).

Hopefully, they will come out with set top box that have cable card slots, so you do not have to rent a box from the cable company.

When National Geographic moved to digital, is that still in clear qam?

I do not know why tv manufactures didn't include a cable card slots for the low end models.


I am thinking of getting direct tv Family Plan, they have both the Hal-mark & National Geographic channel plus you get all but WHMB40.

Direct tv is more than what I am paying but less that what it would cost to upgrade to digital starter service to get those channels. One box can work with two tvs.

 

[jegrant]

I am on limited basic. I was wanting to know what channels show up in clear qam that are not scrambled? I am thinking of getting a qam tv, so I can get LWS, Cspan2 and maybe News channel 64.

Here in Kokomo on Comcast, I can confirm that 6.1 (WRTV ABC), 6.2 (6News 24/7 aka NewsChannel 64), 8.1 (WISH CBS), 8.2 (WISH LWS), 13.1 (WTHR NBC), 20.1 (WFYI HD), 20.3 (WFYI+), 23.1 (WNDY MyNDY HD), 29.1 (WTTK CW), 59.1 (WXIN FOX) are all in Clear QAM, and they have relatively recently added CSPAN2, Hallmark, CMT, Oxygen, EWTN to Clear QAM as well. Also, for what it's worth, the Spanish-language channel called VeneMovies (presumably movies from Venezuela or related countries) is in Clear QAM as well. For a while, CNN Espanol was in Clear QAM, but no longer.

Now with limited basic, I think you would only get the broadcast channels I mentioned, plus CSPAN2. Everything else would probably be trapped, I figure.

IIRC, any broadcast digital channels which are available in the clear over the air must also be offered in the clear over Clear QAM if they are carried at all by a cable system in digital. (i.e. Comcast cannot take an unencrypted digital broadcast signal then encrypt it before delivering it to subscribers)
On the other hand, they certainly aren't required to carry any subchannels unless, perhaps, their contracts with the main channels require it. (I would guess, for example, that to carry WISH HD 8.1, providers must also carry WISH LWS 8.2.)

Comcast does plan to scrambling all next year including broadcast stations. I guess they want another fine. Forcing people even with sets that have qam tvs, to get Set top boxes (Unless you are lucky enough to have a tv with a cable card slot).

If they plan on scrambling all local broadcast stations, even if it may be technically legal, I would think this would drive a lot of customer complaints.

Hopefully, they will come out with set top box that have cable card slots, so you do not have to rent a box from the cable company.

When National Geographic moved to digital, is that still in clear qam?

Not here. National Geographic is only on digital, and it's scrambled.

I do not know why tv manufactures didn't include a cable card slots for the low end models.

I am thinking of getting direct tv Family Plan, they have both the Hal-mark & National Geographic channel plus you get all but WHMB40.

Direct tv is more than what I am paying but less that what it would cost to upgrade to digital starter service to get those channels. One box can work with two tvs.

You might also be interested to know that Dish Network offers a "Welcome Pack" for $9.99 or $14.99 with locals per month, and Dish also has one box that can serve two TV sets.