[dadspet]

Vizio 47" from SAMS has new QAM tuner. I get some of the Digital / HD channels on basic cable without having to pay extra for Digital or HD from Comcast. You won't get them all or you won't get the digital TV guide but if your want minimum $s for cable and not have to have an extra cable box this is a great feature to look for in a new HD TV. I think most of the lastest models but not all of them will have this feature but you need to ask or better yet check the spec or manual on the TV yourself. Most clerks in the stores won't have a clue unless its on the card by the TV and its not always on the spec card the store puts out. I think if your going to pay for Digital TV from Comcast and want the digital converter with a DVR this feature won't really buy you anything that I'm aware of and with Digital Cable all of your channels will be better quality.


I've attached the definition from Wikpedia Encyclopedia thats very good.


QAM tuner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



A QAM tuner is a device present in some digital televisions and similar devices which enables direct reception of digital cable channels without the use of a set-top box. QAM stands for "quadrature amplitude modulation," the format by which digital cable channels are encoded and transmitted via cable. QAM tuners can be likened to the cable equivalent of an ATSC tuner which is required to receive over-the-air (OTA) digital channels broadcast by local television stations. Many new digital televisions contain both and are labeled "with ATSC/QAM Tuner". Unlike the case with ATSC tuners there is no FCC requirement that QAM tuners be included in new television sets, but the same hardware is used for both and QAM is commonly included.

An integrated QAM tuner allows the free reception of unscrambled digital programming sent "in the clear" by cable providers, usually local broadcast stations; however most digital channels are scrambled because the providers consider them to be extra-cost options and not part of the "basic cable" package. Which channels are scrambled varies greatly from location to location, and can change over time. In the United States a television that is labeled digital cable ready can have a CableCARD installed by the cable provider to unscramble the protected channels, allowing subscribers to tune all authorized digital channels without the use of a set-top box.

QAM-based HD programming of local stations is sometimes available to analog cable subscribers, without paying the additional fees for a digital cable box. The availability of QAM HD programming is rarely described or publicized in cable company product literature.

Although technically most digital and high-definition programming on cable uses QAM, the term is generally reserved among viewers for discussions of unlabeled channels. These are not included in guide information on devices like TiVo DVRs, and can be unexpectedly moved from channel to channel. This makes watching QAM channels frustrating for the casual viewer, encouraging them to purchase a "digital cable package" which includes a set top box and guide data.