HVR-1600 setup for QAM?

[matthew_dickson]

After doing some research, I've come to the conclusion that your cableco most likely will be using one of the 3 frequency standards: STD, HRC, or IRC.

I've also seen forum posts from AVS ( http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthrea...ost6201269 ) and some mythtv forums (cant find em again) where they mention frequencies that are like HRC, but 3MHz higher in each one. In fact, when Krista thought she had found some frequencies for the HD locals, the frequencies she found were using this standard. I've even seen some professional QAM cable equipment ( http://www.rl-drake.com/digital/dd860.pdf in there, look at channel charts) using those frequencies. Heck even my cable modem is using 723MHz as channel 112 for downsteam.

So that makes it 4 possible standards. So I created 4 different qam.ini files, for the 4 different frequency sets. I'm pretty sure I got them correctly based on what I got from the below sites. For the channels over 125, I just added 6MHz and so on since I didnt notice anything special like the channels in the mid band and the low band.

http://www.jneuhaus.com/fccindex/cablech.html

http://cpan.uwinnipeg.ca/htdocs/Video-Ca...es.pm.html

So anyone who's having problems detecting channels, give these a try one by one. If you wish you can just edit the qam.ini files to scan from channels 65-135 to save you some time, but I'd rather scan it all now.

Before scanning, I'd suggest calling your cableco and asking which standard they use, STD, HRC, or IRC. I've noticed that my Analog cable from Comcast uses HRC, while I find the digital channels appear when scanning STD.

So here you go, 4 qam.ini files for your testing pleasure.

This did the trick for me . Thanks.

[toomanyhandles]

Before scanning, I'd suggest calling your cableco and asking which standard they use, STD, HRC, or IRC. I've noticed that my Analog cable from Comcast uses HRC, while I find the digital channels appear when scanning STD.

So, I thought that if I (when I am forced to) switch to digital cable (Comcast), I would have to get (rent) a box from them and use an IR Blaster to let GBPVR change channels; but now I can get the HVR-1600 and use that instead?

I don't care about HD particularly, I just want channels

Thanks!

[joe531]

You'll have to use a cable box if you want the whole lineup. Just using a clear qam tuner will only net you local channels. For instance, my clear qam lineup consists of channels 2-29, 74-78, 99, 101-116, 149, and 484.

You'll need a system that supports a cablecard tuner to get everything without using a cable box.

[toomanyhandles]

You'll have to use a cable box if you want the whole lineup. Just using a clear qam tuner will only net you local channels. For instance, my clear qam lineup consists of channels 2-29, 74-78, 99, 101-116, 149, and 484.

You'll need a system that supports a cablecard tuner to get everything without using a cable box.

hmm... that's more than I subscribe to currently, I just get a minimal bundle!

I guess it depends on the definition of "local".

I have setup questions but I'll move to the general hardware forum.

Thanks!

[joe531]

If that's the case, then clear qam would be perfect!

My "local" channels are the major broadcasters, like ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, etc. Plus, government channels, Univision and CBC, movieplex, The Weather Channel, TV Guide Channel, others like that.

[mvallevand]

Rogers, my cableco, just changed most Clear QAM channels that I was watching to Subscription, so now there is only music and the On Demand channels, and as far as I can tell 2 video channels. Without any legislation here in Canada to have any QAM content the HVR 1600 seems to be a waste of time. (I found this on the STB not GBPVR so it is not a driver issue.).

Martin

[joe531]

I've read around that the Canadian cc's are pretty stingy when it comes to this kind of thing. Even users of Vista's MCE w/ the CableCard tuner are pretty much left out in the cold.

[sub]

Rogers, my cableco, just changed most Clear QAM channels that I was watching to Subscription, so now there is only music and the On Demand channels, and as far as I can tell 2 video channels. Without any legislation here in Canada to have any QAM content the HVR 1600 seems to be a waste of time. (I found this on the STB not GBPVR so it is not a driver issue.).

Doh! That would piss me off. I feel for you.

[jmcentire]

Having trouble tuning QAM channels w/HVR-1600, I noticed as it is scanning, the strength and quality numbers jump around on some channels, but when it finishes it doesn't find any channels, is that normal? I have tried all four qam.ini files posted earlier, and have used the patch posted by sub, but still can't find any channels. Any ideas?
Thanks
Jake

[sub]

Zip and attach the logs and I'll take a look.