[linuxworks]

I was hoping the OTA f-connector on the hr20 would accept clear-qam for regular and hd data (I can pull in many free channels on the cable coming out of my wall jack). I live in an apartment and it has cable already in the wall, so I connected my lcd tv to the wall jack, did a scan and came up with many (ok, 6; but for HD that IS 'many') HD stations. all in the clear, at least clear enough that my regular old lcd tv (with ntsc, atsc, qam built in) was able to pull them in.

so I tried with the hr20 - but no dice.

I'm assuming that even though the channels are in the clear on the cable, they're not exactly atsc encoded and so the OTA jack won't tune them, right?

there is one set of channels (kqed-hd) that I REALLY want and they're there, for free, on the cable from the wall. and not even if I wanted to pay for them, over direct-tv ;(

I can't easily use a true antenna so its either cable or satellite for me.

does this mean I can't bridge the cable to the OTA jack in some way? am I out of luck on this one?

/bryan

 

[Blurayfan]

The HR20 Antenna tuner only accepts ATSC signals.

 

[linuxworks]

The HR20 Antenna tuner only accepts ATSC signals.

I was afraid of that.

is there any simple (not high cost) way to convert or bridge channels from one format to another? (I can guess the answer but just wanted to ask in case.)

 

[Strejcek]

I was afraid of that.

is there any simple (not high cost) way to convert or bridge channels from one format to another? (I can guess the answer but just wanted to ask in case.)

Rent a cable box. And Welcome to the Forum!! :welcome_s

 

[linuxworks]

Rent a cable box. And Welcome to the Forum!! :welcome_s

thanks for the welcome.

but rent a cable box when the data is already tunable by my tv? in clear-qam.

all I'd want is to convert the data from one encoding to another. no decryption is needed, at least for the clear channels.

a set top box would, at best, convert it to analog video which I'd then have to re-modulate it into ATSC so that the hr20-700 would be able to import it.

this seems a poor design to me. clear-qam is very equivalent to atsc in terms of it being a data carrier and if both are not encrypted and plainly tunable with regular old (new) tv sets that have built in tuners, I don't see why I have to ACTUALLY mount a real antenna to get OTA channels when the clear-QAM version is right there in the wall jack for me.

has directv forgotton a whole segment? those that CANNOT mount true outside antennas (dish is the best we can do) yet we DO have some clear channels on the building-wide cable in each apartment unit.

/bryan

 

[Earl Bonovich]

As far as I know, there is no QAM->ATSC converter out there.

has directv forgotton a whole segment?

Depending on the "size" of that segment... would it justify the cost in production, of including a tuner that included both ATSC and QAM?
Plus including the programming to handle the differences between the two (As I know some QAM providers, change the channel numbers).

QAM is most previlent for people that have CABLE-TV service... which in most likely in the VAST majority, don't also have DirecTV.

You will then start to get into scenerios similar to what SA-TiVos have to do...
Pick and maintain a list of all the different "QAM" services out there, with their channel mappings... so it can map to guide data.

 

[linuxworks]

hi earl,

thanks for the reply.

I see your point and I guess being an apartment dweller for so many years, the notion of being ABLE to install an off air antenna is very foreign to me. its just not a possibility. otoh, for almost all apartment people (of which there are quite a lot) we will almost always have a choice between the in-wall cable (qam) and a dish of some sort.

it does seem that they have ignored those of us who CANNOT install a true off air antenna. believe me, I'd install one if I had legal roof access..

its just a shame that I can get a few channels in HD via the cable in clear qam yet those (kqed-HD and other PBS digitals) will not be coming thru via direct-tv. maybe not for years ;(

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Do take a look at www.antennaweb.org

And see if you can use an indoor, small UHF based antenna... like the Silver Sensor.

 

[linuxworks]

in fact, I'm planning on building the radio shack 'bowtie' style (db2) antenna and trying that.

its just a darned shame that I have DECENT HD locals (including ch9, kqed PBS in HD) already there on cable, free. I can watch them just fine but obviously can't pause them all I really want is to be able to have tivo style funct but on the cable free channels as well as the DTV sat ones.

to have to go to an offair antenna when the data is already there on the cable - wow - seems so redundant to me

I understand that its a competing company and that is the cause of the political issues here. these aren't strictly technical things - I'm sure the OTA tuner in the hr20 could have been made to tune qam as well as atsc but they simply decided not to.

but they DO leave folks like me (apt dwellers) out in the cold, so to speak.

/bryan

 

[P Smith]

Sometimes it's matter of internal software, like Dish 811.
If the HR20 use BCM4500 chips then it will possible (theoretically) too.