no comcast box - LOTS of channels, no guide

mcl111 · 03-31-2009, 10:58 AM

Newbie question:
Is there a channel guide for the following situation?

I bought a Samsung lcd tv...first tv I've owned in five years. Wow...what a difference. I watch dtv with rabbit ears.

I ordered comcast internet svc. ($42.95). To my surprise, my new Samsung TV gets LOADS of channels. Some are so clear I think they may be HD. The problem is the channel numbers. For example, Fox News is 77-3. Is there a guide out there?

Aaron62 · 03-31-2009, 12:50 PM

What city, state do you live in? Your Samsung probably has a QAM tuner which is compatible with cable.

Quote:

An integrated QAM tuner allows the free reception of unscrambled digital programming sent "in the clear" by cable providers, usually local broadcast stations cable radio channels, or in the case of providers which have transitioned to do so, public access channels. Which channels are scrambled varies greatly from location to location and can change over time; the majority of digital channels are scrambled because the providers consider them to be extra-cost options and not part of the "basic cable" package.

QAM tuner - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Avrom · 07-31-2009, 05:43 AM

Enclosed is a list I found elsewhere. What channels you can tune will depend on your location and which QAM tuner used.

Here's a run-down of the clear QAM channels my J&R 2160 (December 2008), Magnavox 2080 (July 2007) and ZV450MW8A (August 2008) tune when connected directly to the Comcast coax feed in Portland Oregon:

2.1 KATU, 2.2 THIS, 6.1 KOIN, 8.1 KGW, 8.2 KGW WEATHER, 10.1 KOPB, 10.3 KOPB CREATE, 12.1 KPTV, 19.2-19.8 LOCAL ACCESS OR TV GUIDE, 19.9 KOPB OREGON CHANNEL, 19.10 ARTS/LOCAL ACCESS, 19.11 LOCAL ACCESS, 32.1 KWBP, 32.2 NBC SPORTS, 49.1 KPDX, 64.1 SYFY, 64.2 CMT, 64.3 FOX NEWS, 64.4 COMCAST SPORTSNET, 64.5 CNBC, 64.6 ANIMAL PLANET, 64.7 TRAVEL, 64.8 CNN, 64.9 GOLF, 65.1 ABC FAMILY, 65.2 DISNEY, 65.3 TBS, 65.4 VH1, 65.5 FOX SPORTS, 65.6 ESPN, 65.7 TVLAND, 65.8 VS SPORTS, 66.1 ESPN2, 66.2 MTV, 66.3 NWCN (WASHINGTON/OREGON/IDAHO NEWS ORIGINATING FROM KING-TV IN SEATTLE), 66.4 AMC, 66.5 COMEDY, 66.6 E!, 66.7 SPIKE, 66.8 MSNBC, 67.1 TNT, 67.2 HALLMARK, 67.3 LIFETIME, 67.4 FX, 67.5 NICK, 67.6 WEATHER CHANNEL, 67.7 CNN HEADLINE, 68.1 BET, 68.2 OXYGEN, 68.3 TLC, 68.4 CARTOON NETWORK, 68.5 TRU (COURT TV), 68.6 FOOD, 68.7 USA, 68.8 HGTV, 68.9 HISTORY, 68.10 A&E, 69.1 DISCOVERY KIDS, 69.2 SCIENCE, 69.3 HISTORY INTL, 69.4 THE FEED G4, 69.5 BLOOMBERG, 69.6 BIOGRAPHY, 69.7 LIFETIME MOVIE NET, 69.8 WE, 69.9 SPROUT KIDS, 69.10 DAYSTAR, 72.47 PPV/ON DEMAND, 73.1 KATU, 73.2 KGW, 73.3 KWBP, 73.4 KXPG (ION), 73.5 KNMT, 92.7 HSN, 92.8 QVC, 94.9 PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE, 101.7 CSPAN, 101.9 LOCAL ACCESS, 102.14 CLACKAMAS LOCAL ACCESS, 104.3 DISCOVERY, 105.2 SHOP NBC, 105.8 TV MART, 106.2 TELEMUNDO, 106.3 JEWELRY, 106.4 KOIN, 107.3 WGN AMERICA, 109.1 KXPG SPANISH, 109.2 KOPB, 109.3 KPDX, 109.4 KPTV, 110.12 LOCAL ACCESS SPANISH, 101.13 LOCAL ACCESS, 113.13-113.13 TV GUIDE, 116.8 LOCAL ACCESS, 116.9 CLACKAMAS LOCAL ACCESS/ARTS, 117.12 US CONN SHOPPING, 117.13 UNIVISION, 117.13, 120.4-120.9 ESPN RADIO

Comcast doesn't document these channels/networks/services. Comcast associates will not "officially" confirm that there are any clear QAM sub-channels. It's Comcast's position that a customer must obtain a DTA or converter box to receive their service.

Comcast documents only the "whole" number assignments provided by their DTAs and converter boxes that "map" these and other "services" to "locations" in Comcast's 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800 and 900 numbering scheme.

Peplove · 08-23-2009, 09:04 AM

I have a very similiar situation. I have a 50'' samsung plasma and do not have a cable box, I do however have Comcast high speed internet.
I also have a Avermedia volar max usb dongle. Through using the autoscan with coaxil plugged into both devices I pick up channels I know I should not be getting. Such as Espn, Mtv, and at least 12 HD channels. All I am charged for is Internet service from Comcast.

I hope they never fix this!

Eureka · 08-23-2009, 06:03 PM

If they're "in the clear" (unencrypted), it's comcrap's problem, not yours, unless you've removed some sort of filter installed by comcrap, intended to block reception of TV channels.

In some comcrap areas, the channel numbers will occasionally change every few months, at random, and without warning. If they do that, you'll have to re-scan and manually figure out where they moved everything to. Customers renting their proprietary boxes will not see the channel changes, only those using a QAM tuner.

There is no program guide available from comcrap if you're using a QAM tuner, instead of their set top box.

O-O · 08-23-2009, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eureka

If they're "in the clear" (unencrypted), it's comcrap's problem, not yours, unless you've removed some sort of filter installed by comcrap, intended to block reception of TV channels.

In some comcrap areas, the channel numbers will occasionally change every few months, at random, and without warning. If they do that, you'll have to re-scan and manually figure out where they moved everything to. Customers renting their proprietary boxes will not see the channel changes, only those using a QAM tuner.

There is no program guide available from comcrap if you're using a QAM tuner, instead of their set top box.

So tell me Eureka, how do you feel about Comcast?

bicker · 08-24-2009, 03:05 AM

Anyway, back to reality... It should be noted that in the terms and conditions for service, in most states, you agree to only tune in the channels you're paying for. Having said that, just don't get used to getting channels you're not paying for: They could go away at anytime, without notice, and you'd have no reason to be aggrieved.

There are no published listings of QAM channel map assignments. The law requires service providers to offer cable converter boxes (which I assume the OP has declined) or CableCARD (which I assume the OP doesn't have use for) to map the QAM frequency allocations to the more familiar cable channel numbers you see the cable company publish lists for.

Eureka · 08-24-2009, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bicker

...The law requires service providers to offer cable converter boxes (which I assume the OP has declined) or CableCARD (which I assume the OP doesn't have use for) to map the QAM frequency allocations to the more familiar cable channel numbers...

The sometimes free or cheaper cableco-provided boxes do remap to the published cableco channel numbers, but not all of them include a program guide.

bicker · 08-24-2009, 09:22 AM

(Isn't that what I said?)


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