What channels will I get from TWCOL thru a built-in HD tuner?

[asaj]

I am thinking about picking up a new TV for my bedroom, and the one I am looking at has a built-in HD tuner. If I were to connect the cable directly to that TV, would I be able to pick up any HD channels, without a box or an antenna? If so, which ones?

I have HD DVRs on my other two TVs, and I have the cable running directly to a third TV, but it doesn't have a tuner built in, so I cannot test it out myself with HD channels.

Thanks

[Thombil]

I don't think you will get any from cable unless you have a Qam tuner. A lot of the new TVs have Qam tuners but not all. Then it is hit and miss because TW changes the channel assignments and switched digital, when we get that in force, propably won't come through.

[asaj]

Okay. the one I am looking at is the LG 26" LCD. Says on their site it has the QAM tuner, but you are saying if it works now, there's no guarantee it will going forward?

Thanks for the reply.

[Scott]

Welcome to the forum! The built-in tuner is used specifically for receiving an HD signal over the air via a connected antenna.

[TvPat]

Cable companies by federal law must make all broadcast signals available on their "lowest level of service." This means that you can get the local stations on "Lifeline Service," which costs about $13/month. It also means that you can get all of the digital broadcast channels unscrambled on that level of service. They just don't have to make it easy for you.

Here is a list of the current clear QAM channels on Time Warner Cable:
73-1 - NCAA Multicast 1
73-1 - NCAA Multicast 2
73-3 - NCAA Multicast 3
84-1 - WBNS-DT (CBS)
84-2 - WOSU.HD (PBS)
84-3 - WOSU.Ohio
84-5 - WOSU.Plus
85-7 - WCSN (Columbus Sports Network)
90-1 - WCMH-HD (NBC)
90-2 - WCMH Weather Plus
90-3 - WWHO-HD (CW)
108-24 - Music Choice Reggae
108-29 - Music Choice Rap
108-35 - Music Choice Lite Hits
110-1 - WSYX-HD (ABC)
110-2 - WSYX-DT2 (MyTv)
110-3 - WTTE-HD (Fox)
111-9 - On Demand Previews
113-19 - Pay Per View Previews

Note the strange channel numbers. They could make it easy on you and assign a PSIP that would map to a usable channel number (such as 710 for WBNS-HD), but they want you to get their $7/month box and subscribe to their digital package.

WOW, on the other hand, assigns PSIP numbers to their digital broadcast stations, so you can tune these channels on your QAM tuner and get the following stations:
201 - CBS HD
203 - NBC HD
204 - The CW HD
205 - PBS HD
206 - ABC HD
208 - FOX HD

Hopefully when QAM tuners are more widely distributed, cable companies will make the entire Basic lineup available in clear QAM with usable PSIP channel numbers.

[asaj]

Great info, thanks!

[DublinDoodah]

Originally Posted by TvPat They could make it easy on you and assign a PSIP that would map to a usable channel number (such as 710 for WBNS-HD), but they want you to get their $7/month box and subscribe to their digital package.

They used to map them. On my bedroom set I could, for example, enter 10-1 and get WBNS, but one day it quit working and had to use 84-1 instead. Strangely though, I can still tune to WBNS using 10-1 on my living room set. It apparently still remembers the mapping. I figure if I did a rescan on the living room set I would lose the 10-1 mapping so I have avoided it.

[sbarker2707]

Originally Posted by TvPat Cable companies by federal law must make all broadcast signals available on their "lowest level of service." This means that you can get the local stations on "Lifeline Service," which costs about $13/month. It also means that you can get all of the digital broadcast channels unscrambled on that level of service. They just don't have to make it easy for you. Here is a list of the current clear QAM channels on Time Warner Cable: 73-1 - NCAA Multicast 1 73-1 - NCAA Multicast 2 73-3 - NCAA Multicast 3 84-1 - WBNS-DT (CBS) 84-2 - WOSU.HD (PBS) 84-3 - WOSU.Ohio 84-5 - WOSU.Plus 85-7 - WCSN (Columbus Sports Network) 90-1 - WCMH-HD (NBC) 90-2 - WCMH Weather Plus 90-3 - WWHO-HD (CW) 108-24 - Music Choice Reggae 108-29 - Music Choice Rap 108-35 - Music Choice Lite Hits 110-1 - WSYX-HD (ABC) 110-2 - WSYX-DT2 (MyTv) 110-3 - WTTE-HD (Fox) 111-9 - On Demand Previews 113-19 - Pay Per View Previews Note the strange channel numbers. They could make it easy on you and assign a PSIP that would map to a usable channel number (such as 710 for WBNS-HD), but they want you to get their $7/month box and subscribe to their digital package. WOW, on the other hand, assigns PSIP numbers to their digital broadcast stations, so you can tune these channels on your QAM tuner and get the following stations: 201 - CBS HD 203 - NBC HD 204 - The CW HD 205 - PBS HD 206 - ABC HD 208 - FOX HD Hopefully when QAM tuners are more widely distributed, cable companies will make the entire Basic lineup available in clear QAM with usable PSIP channel numbers.

Hello TVPAT - I am a new member. How did you get the channel info and is there a place to find updated info as channels are added? Thank you, Steve