QAM tuner

suenmike · 05-25-2017, 01:37 PM

Can you purchase a separate QAM tuner that would fix the problem with the Seiki TV's not picking up cable channels at certain campgrounds, or is the final answer to purchase new TV's? I can’t believe that I might have to buy 3 new TV’s to replace what I have in my 1 year old motorhome, that’s insane!!!!

Laco · 05-25-2017, 01:47 PM

Don't know, but new smart TV's are pretty inexpensive, even for good ones like the Samsung. When the time comes, I will just replace the TV's. So far since 99% of the time we use satellite TV its not a problem for us.

suenmike · 05-25-2017, 01:58 PM

Probably the way we will go Laco, just can't wrap my head around replacing 3 brand new TV's on a brand new motorhome...

dcbenny · 05-25-2017, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suenmike

Can you purchase a separate QAM tuner that would fix the problem with the Seiki TV's not picking up cable channels at certain campgrounds, or is the final answer to purchase new TV's? I can’t believe that I might have to buy 3 new TV’s to replace what I have in my 1 year old motorhome, that’s insane!!!!

Yes you can on Amazon about 25.00 but you would need one for each tv if you want to watch different channels on each TV

suenmike · 05-25-2017, 02:22 PM

dcbenny, this would unscramble the cable line coming in from the campground?

JamieGeek · 05-25-2017, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suenmike

dcbenny, this would unscramble the cable line coming in from the campground?

Not unscramble: Simply tune to the channels that are not scrambled. Cable channels are broadcast in the QAM standard but they can still be encrypted (scrambled) or unencrypted (unscrambled) on top of that.

The only way to unscramble them is either with a cable box or a Cable Card--but I think the Cable Card's are going away.

suenmike · 05-25-2017, 02:42 PM

So JamieGeek, Do you feel I would be in much better shape buying this then I am now? It's not like we watch TV all day when camping, but I would at least like to receive what the campground has to offer. Right now the SEIKI TV's I have pick up nothing at some campgrounds. If I have to buy 3 of these tuners, it's better than buying 3 TV's.

JamieGeek · 05-25-2017, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suenmike

So JamieGeek, Do you feel I would be in much better shape buying this then I am now? It's not like we watch TV all day when camping, but I would at least like to receive what the campground has to offer. Right now the SEIKI TV's I have pick up nothing at some campgrounds. If I have to buy 3 of these tuners, it's better than buying 3 TV's.

As I see it you have a few options (pick one based on how much TV is important to you):

Go nuts and buy 3 TVs--everything is done once and you can move on to the next project
Replace one or two TVs--perhaps the most used one and then replace the others in time
Buy 3 Clear QAM tuners (Amazon) and put one on each TV
Buy 1 Clear QAM Tuner (Amazon) and move it around to the TV you're watching (or 2 if you need to watch 2 TVs on different channels at the same time)
Some combination: Replace the outside TV and buy a QAM tuner for the others--any combination will work
Do nothing, buy nothing, sit by the campfire--if it isn't raining

The QAM tuners are inexpensive enough that you almost can consider them disposable. Thus you can pick up one or two now and chuck them later when you eventually upgrade the TV (I know a lot of people are reading this going: Wha?? your saying throw away ~$30!!--sadly that is the times we're in). Oh and by "chuck" I mean recycle/dispose of responsibly!

We also have 2 Seiki TVs (don't have the outside TV) and haven't picked up anything like this--yet. Usually when we're camping we don't watch TV, but if the campground does have cable I'll hook up (and have noticed that one of our TVs has QAM and the other doesn't ! LOL) but we'll only use the TV if its raining, or at night. Our son also brings his Playstation so that is what usually is on the main TV anyway.

wredman · 05-25-2017, 03:34 PM

IF your TV a can display a channel via the QAM tuner, will it will be a standard definition signal??

Where you find the campground cable has signals requiring a QAM tuner, are those stations the same ones you could tune with your OTA antenna?

suenmike · 05-25-2017, 04:34 PM

QAM Tuner it is, thanks all!!!

dcbenny · 05-25-2017, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suenmike

QAM Tuner it is, thanks all!!!

the only other thing i would say is i was ready to spend 40.00 on a QAM tuner and than i found a Samsung 32" (non smart TV) at Sams for 90.00 so i bought the TV and switched out the main one TV only no need to add ad QAM tunner box there are options depends on what you want to spend

JamieGeek · 05-25-2017, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wredman

IF your TV a can display a channel via the QAM tuner, will it will be a standard definition signal??

Where you find the campground cable has signals requiring a QAM tuner, are those stations the same ones you could tune with your OTA antenna?

QAM is a method to encode the channels for cable. Any HDTV resolution channel can be encoded with QAM so your received channel will be 480i/p, 720i/p, or 1080i/p depending on its resolution (480 is approximately "standard definition") it all depends on the cable system you are hooked to. QAM is all digital so it isn't the old crappy NTSC.

(At my sticks and bricks house our cable has all of its unencrypted QAM channels encoded at 480i/p and the encrypted channels at 1080i/p so to get the best quality you need a cable box. They also pipe through any of the over-the-air channels at 1080i/p unencrypted.)

wredman · 05-25-2017, 08:01 PM

at my house, no channels come thru without the set top box anymore, its been more than a few years for me - I remember the analog channels looked terrible on a HDTV, and then the OTA HD feeds, along with more home shopping choices I could ever imagine came thru with good quality, and now - nothing.

My likely path will be satellite, or just stick with OTA locals. But, I don't stay in parks with cable TV much, if at all.

sage · 05-25-2017, 08:15 PM

My problem with the TV sets in my 2016 is that the mounts are not articulated - that is you can't move or re-position them at all. This means that getting at the other HDMI ports on the back of the set is all but impossible. I have a 3 port HDMI switch on the main TV over the door, but it's in the top cabinet over the sink, hooked to the one "exposed" HDMI port that lives there, and getting at it is also a pain. Just not impossible. I have an Amazon FireTV Stick on one of those 3 ports.

In the bedroom I have a 4th gen AppleTV and nothing on the outside set. All I'm really interested in from "television" is the news. What I really use the TV sets for is music and streaming movies.

**revjeffrey** · 05-25-2017, 08:42 PM

FYI.... I did use the Old "New Tv's" out of our 2017 Axis as Computer monitors in my office.

JamieGeek · 05-25-2017, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wredman

at my house, no channels come thru without the set top box anymore, its been more than a few years for me - I remember the analog channels looked terrible on a HDTV, and then the OTA HD feeds, along with more home shopping choices I could ever imagine came thru with good quality, and now - nothing.

My likely path will be satellite, or just stick with OTA locals. But, I don't stay in parks with cable TV much, if at all.

Almost all cable providers went to encrypted channels except one (that I know of): Wide Open West still has unencrypted channels but those are standard definition (480i/p) vs the HD channels you see via a cable box (yes this means that they have the same channel on their system more than once).

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