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Questions About QAM

G

Gregg.

I have Spectrum (previously Time Warner) Cable TV, using the low-end "Starter" line up. It's a summer house and I pay about $24 a month for the service. "Starter" has mostly broadcast stations and a few cable channels. I got a notice that Spectrum is taking a few channels off the regular line-up for subscribers who don't also pay for a cable box. As it is, I'm missing a number of regular channels and all the subchannels, again because I don't want to also pay for a cable box.

The notice said if my TV has a QAM tuner, I will not be affected. But I'm pretty sure it does not.

Could I add a QAM tuner to my TV? Would I then be able to get the hidden channels without paying Spectrum several dollars a month extra for a cable box? Or is the cost of a QAM tuner so high, I may as well pay for the cable box? If I got a new TV, would only the more expensive models have QAM built in?
 
If your TV has a digital (ATSC) over-the-air tuner, it probably also has a QAM tuner. My TV (an LG model from 2010) labels it "Cable DTV".
 
You can buy your own tuner to avoid having to rent one from the cable company.

They aren't common, even if your set has an ATSC tuner. You may get one for free with your subscription. Is this something you can turn off for the months you don't use it? If so, check to see if they'd waive any rental fee without you having to return the equipment. The cable networks changing to digital is what created this. It played out in my area some years ago.
 
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