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Old 10-25-2011, 12:01 PM
 
Location: Pearland, TX
3,333 posts, read 9,174,639 times
Reputation: 2341

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Quote:
Originally Posted by DJboutit View Post
To get these channels you need a cable box that does HD
No, he doesn't. That's just wrong. Sorry.
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Old 10-25-2011, 05:46 PM
 
Location: League City
682 posts, read 1,942,088 times
Reputation: 443
Any currently sold TV and most sold in the last couple years will be able to get the local channels through cable without a converter box.
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Old 10-25-2011, 07:56 PM
 
Location: Houston/Brenham
5,819 posts, read 7,233,839 times
Reputation: 12317
Thank you! I'll tell him.
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Old 10-25-2011, 08:03 PM
 
Location: in here, out there
3,062 posts, read 7,034,491 times
Reputation: 5109
My suggestion is to tell your brother to connect the coax to his TV, run the channel scan program, and see what he gets.
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Old 10-25-2011, 09:26 PM
 
Location: Houston, TX
8,895 posts, read 19,999,878 times
Reputation: 6372
We have u-verse on our main two tv's but on three small tv's in spare bedrooms we don't have the box etc. I have tried every sort of indoor antenna (amplied included) and the only thing I can get is KPRC and it pixilates like crazy making it essentially unwatchable.
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Old 10-26-2011, 05:55 AM
l3m
 
Location: Northwest Houston
105 posts, read 291,982 times
Reputation: 80
https://digitalnow.comcast.com/About...al_Update.aspx

Comast allows up to three TV's in your house to have digital devices. You probably have one digital box which your are paying a monthly fee for. You can order 2 more digital boxes (no monthly fee) for the other TV's in the house. You can order the extra digital devices from the website above. I think shipping is free or you can pick up the devices at a Comcast store. Instructions come with the device on how to activate it online (or via phone).
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Old 10-26-2011, 10:38 AM
 
Location: TX
2,016 posts, read 3,523,041 times
Reputation: 2176
Quote:
Originally Posted by texas7 View Post
We have u-verse on our main two tv's but on three small tv's in spare bedrooms we don't have the box etc. I have tried every sort of indoor antenna (amplied included) and the only thing I can get is KPRC and it pixilates like crazy making it essentially unwatchable.
You probably need an outdoor antenna. Have one installed on top of your roof or on a tall mast.
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Old 10-26-2011, 10:48 AM
 
Location: TX
2,016 posts, read 3,523,041 times
Reputation: 2176
Quote:
Originally Posted by astrohip View Post
{asking for my brother}

He has Comcast cable. Pays for HD, and has an HD DVR on one TV. He has a coax outlet that has Comcast feeding it, that he does not use. If he buys a new, typical TV (HD, flat screen) and that TV has a tuner, if he hooks it up to that outlet, will the TV be able to tune the local channels in HD? He doesn't care about cable channels for this TV, he only wants to be able to watch ABC/CBS/NBC/etc. On Comcast they are 611, 612, 613, etc.

He knows you need to rent an HD cable box from Comcast if he wanted cable channels. But I vaguely recall that the locals are transmitted scramble-free.

Anyone do this?
The answer to this is maybe. If Comcast sends unencrypted QAM signals over the cable line, he should be able to get them without a Comcast cable box. If they don't, then he'll need a cable box or antenna. Like someone else said, he'll just have to try hooking his TV directly to the cable outlet and doing a scan to find out.

Here is some more info:
http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-...h-a-qam-tuner/

Quote:
10. Cable providers will most likely keep piping out "unscrambled" channels for a while, but that doesn't mean they won't cut them off someday.
We can't tell you what will happen in the future, but cable providers continue to broadcast unscrambled channels that can be decoded with a QAM tuner. We don't see that changing for a while, but there are no guarantees.

Last edited by kreeyax; 10-26-2011 at 10:59 AM..
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Old 11-16-2012, 04:10 AM
 
14,611 posts, read 17,562,480 times
Reputation: 7783
The answer is probably yes. The local cable companies are required to transmit the local channels for free to anyone with a QAM tuner (almost every TV that is less than 6 years old, but check your specification sheet). I know that my local cable company gets around by saying "we don't support this feature" which means that they won't explain it to you, put it in their literature or website, or help you with problems.
I have heard rumors that some cable companies are only leaving the STD version of the channel unscrambled while scrambling the HD version. My brother pays only $30/month for a digital internet service only, and he plugged a 2010 TV directly into the coaxial cable, and he gets 38 channels (21 in High Definition) plus 45 music channels. So he watches his basic football and ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX/PBS and CW/ION/MY-TV on one TV and Netflix on other televisions at very little cost.
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Old 11-16-2012, 09:42 AM
 
Location: Houston/Brenham
5,819 posts, read 7,233,839 times
Reputation: 12317
Quote:
Originally Posted by PacoMartin View Post
The answer is probably yes. The local cable companies are required to transmit the local channels for free to anyone with a QAM tuner (almost every TV that is less than 6 years old, but check your specification sheet).
You have thread-bumped a year old post, and strangely enough, the laws have changed and you are wrong.

The FCC recently (this past month) approved the scrambling of local channels. They used to have to provide them unscrambled, as you say, but due to rampant cable theft, the FCC now allows cable companies to scramble ALL digital channels. They are required to provide a free descrambler to any customer who needs one, but they can scramble if they want.

Free QAM is out.
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