Will a digital converter box solve my Comcast clear QAM problems?

[BigGuynRusty]

pinkoos wrote:
[quote=BigGuynRusty]
Put up an antenna.
The "FREE" HD Cable channels are the same free Over The Air channels that you will receive with a low cost antenna and your HDTV's ATSC Tuner.
Nice antenna.:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10901&cs_id=1090102&p_id=4730&seq=1&format=2
$24 Bucks.

BGnR

Interesting. I'm not tech savvy when it comes to this stuff, so I'm wondering how difficult it would be for me to install (preferably indoors somewhere). I clamped mine to my Ikea computer table, it has metal uprights.
But this one has an easel stand, and is cheaper.:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10901&cs_id=1090101&p_id=4729&seq=1&format=1#largeimage
You'll be frakkin' amazed at the picture difference, QAM compression is crap.

BGnR

[Robert M]

Pinkoos,

That's annoying. I'd follow BG's suggestion and get a good antenna!

Rob

[pinkoos]

Will the antenna still be able to get a bunch of SD channels that my QAM tuner brings in?

[bazookaman]

BigGuynRusty wrote:
Put up an antenna.
The "FREE" HD Cable channels are the same free Over The Air channels that you will receive with a low cost antenna and your HDTV's ATSC Tuner.
Nice antenna.:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=109&cp_id=10901&cs_id=1090102&p_id=4730&seq=1&format=2
$24 Bucks.

BGnR

hmmm...I might try that myself.

[BigGuynRusty]

pinkoos wrote:
Will the antenna still be able to get a bunch of SD channels that my QAM tuner brings in?

Those "SD Channels" are from your cable company, so no.
I know nothing about your setup, how about some basic info?
HDTV Model??

BGnR

[Doc]

I get about 30 digital channels via Comcast without a digital converter box. Most of them are in Spanish, but I also get C-span, a few SuperStations and local networks.

They moved the channel guide up into the digital channels. I get it somewhere around channel 106. Yours may be up there, too.

I used to receive a lot of stations on digital-96, but now there are a bunch of black images being transmitted on those channels. The appearance of the black images coincides with the loss of several digital channels, including Cartoon Network, which is now available on its old analog station as a digital transmission only via Comcast's converter box ($14.99/month).

I don't have that box. I don't want that box.

This really stinks.

I have a television that's capable of tuning in via all three of the major digital transmission standards. I'm paying for a cable lineup that I can no longer receive without an additional monthly expense.

Comcast has encoded the most popular family-oriented channels in such a way as to prevent all such televisions from receiving the signal and the only explanation that I can see for that kind of action is to force users to rent their proprietary digital converter box in a blatant abuse of their local monopoly.

(No, FiOS is not available here. And I don't think Verizon's any better than Comcast.)

[pinkoos]

BigGuynRusty wrote:
[quote=pinkoos]
Will the antenna still be able to get a bunch of SD channels that my QAM tuner brings in?

Those "SD Channels" are from your cable company, so no.
I know nothing about your setup, how about some basic info?
HDTV Model??

BGnR
It's an LG. I don't remember the model number off hand and I'm at work right now.

Regardless, I like a bunch of the SD channels that I get through the coaxial, so then I have to think about whether I want to complicate an originally simple set-up by somehow using the QAM to get the SD channels and using an external antenna to get the HD channels.

Thanks for nothing, Comcast!

[BigGuynRusty]

pinkoos wrote:
[quote=BigGuynRusty]
[quote=pinkoos]
Will the antenna still be able to get a bunch of SD channels that my QAM tuner brings in?

Those "SD Channels" are from your cable company, so no.
I know nothing about your setup, how about some basic info?
HDTV Model??

BGnR
It's an LG. I don't remember the model number off hand and I'm at work right now.

Regardless, I like a bunch of the SD channels that I get through the coaxial, so then I have to think about whether I want to complicate an originally simple set-up by somehow using the QAM to get the SD channels and using an external antenna to get the HD channels.

Thanks for nothing, Comcast! It will actually be simpler with the antenna if you have the proper TV.
But "LG" tells me nada.

BGnR