Comcast OTA

[thedrifter]

I hooked up a new powered Terk antenna from BB. I was expecting to be able to receive all the locals (4 networks) plus CW, PBS, local NBC weather channel and was surprised to also receive SCI FI and USA HD. Is this normal??? Will the number of HD OTA offerings increase when everthing changes over to digital next year? I live in the 33967 area code Fort Myers, FL.

just wondering

thedrifter

[Meathead]

If you were receiving SciFi HD and USA HD you were not getting that signal from your Terk antenna, it was coming over clear QAM from Comcast. Make sure your TV is on the right input for the antenna to see what it picks up.

Regarding the digital switchover, that does not affect Cable. Only OTA... you are mixing the two subjects together.

[thedrifter]

I am a Luddite, what is a QAM???

[jayn_j]

If you were receiving SciFi HD and USA HD you were not getting that signal from your Terk antenna, it was coming over clear QAM from Comcast. Make sure your TV is on the right input for the antenna to see what it picks up.

Regarding the digital switchover, that does not affect Cable. Only OTA... you are mixing the two subjects together.

It still doesn't make sense to me. The ATSC tuner shouldn't be picking up a QAM signal straight from the the cable. The two channels would need to be encoded for ATSC broadcast, and that doesn't seem like something that Comcast would do by accident.

[Meathead]

QAM is the modulation Comcast uses to broadcast in.

It makes perfect sense that he got SciFi HD and USA HD. He obviously still had his cable plugged in and his TV still set as Digital Cable. If he disconnected, changed the input setting to antenna and hooked up the Terk to the same input I bet you SF and USA won't be there.

[jayn_j]

QAM is the modulation Comcast uses to broadcast in.

It makes perfect sense that he got SciFi HD and USA HD. He obviously still had his cable plugged in and his TV still set as Digital Cable. If he disconnected, changed the input setting to antenna and hooked up the Terk to the same input I bet you SF and USA won't be there.

Only if he had a cablecard hooked into the TV. Please note the guy has a total of 4 posts, and this was posted on April 1. I'm calling shennanigans.

[Meathead]

It's very possible his Comcast affiliate may have had SF and USA in the clear QAM at the time. I don't think it's shenanigans.. his other posts look legit.

[thedrifter]

I have Comcast for the internet plus basic cable because that is the way Comcast does it here locally. Yes I do receive USA and SCI FI via the tuner built into the Sony HDTV. But like I said I only have the very basic cable package. I did not have a choice in this matter. I als have DTV for my main TV viewing.

the drifter

[thedrifter]

This TV is in my wife's study next to the computer. This TV is hooked up to the Comcast basic cable only. But like I stated before, I was surprised to receive the SCIFI and USA HD channels after hooking up the rabbit ears. I was only expecting to get the locals. The tuner is set for cable

[Meathead]

The tuner is picking up the SF and USA off the cable in other words... your tuner is still set for cable which tells it to look for QAM. If you change your tuner to Antenna it will look for ATSC and SF and USA HD will disappear.

Apparently Comcast in your area has SF and USA HD going out as unencrypted QAM (which is unusual). Don't count on it lasting too long.