What can the Series 3 get with and without cable card?

[gastrof]

Correct me if these three are wrong, but I understand that-

It has an NTSC tuner for over the air analog.

It also has a digital over-the-air tuner for HD.

With cable card it can tune digital cable channels.


Now, that having been said, does it also have a cable-ready tuner to get analog cable channels above channel 13? (Like the Dual Tuner machine does?) Or does it have to have cable card to get ANY cable channels above 13?

[moyekj]

NTSC tuner can handle over the air analog or cable analog channels - same as the DT. So no, you don't need cablecard to tune/record analog channels on the S3. The ATSC (digital) tuner is for OTA digital channels in general, not just OTA HD channels (there are many SD digital OTA broadcasts out there). The S3 will also be able to tune unencrypted digital cable channels without cablecard (for example all the local channels broadcast locally have to be carried unencrypted by cable company), though it's unkown if this will be properly supported for the initial S3 release. This is a big factor for me in my S3 purchase decision since I would be happy to not have to pay digital cable fees to the cable company when the only digital channels I want from them are the network HD channels. If S3 can properly handle these unencrypted QAM channels I can drop digital cable from my monthly cable bill.

[Dan203]

Yes. Without a CableCARD you'll be able to record ALL OTA channels (both SD and HD) and all analog cable channels. The CableCARD is only required for digital cable channels. It might even be possible to tune unencrypted digital channels without a CableCARD. However to do that there has to be a way to map channels from their cryptic QAM channel numbers, to the cable assigned channel numbers. (i.e. NBC-HD is on 88.2 QAM, but it mapped to channel 785) The CableCARD does this automatically, but other cable devices like this offer a way to mapp the channels manually. TiVo may or may not offer something similar.

Dan

[drew2k]

It might even be possible to tune unencrypted digital channels without a CableCARD. However to do that there has to be a way to map channels from their cryptic QAM channel numbers, to the cable assigned channel numbers. (i.e. NBC-HD is on 88.2 QAM, but it mapped to channel 785) The CableCARD does this automatically, but other cable devices like this offer a way to mapp the channels manually. TiVo may or may not offer something similar.

DanPer speculation in another S3 thread, you may also be able to view your unencrypted digital QAM channels without having to do ANY mapping if your cable co sends the proper "map" with the PSIP stream.

My cable company sends the "mapping" info with the PSIP data stream (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Program_and_System_Information_Protocol), which is why my HD TV (without a cable card) can display my unencrypted digital QAM cable channels on the same channel as the OTA channels. (EX: Local CBS-HD OTA is 2-1, and through Cablevision, it is also 2-1.)

I think I'd rather pay the $2.50 a month for two cable cards as opposed to hoping that the S3 can access these unencrypted QAM channels AND get the right guide data mapped to them.

[Dan203]

I have a ton of encrypted channels, so I plan on getting CableCARDs either way. But others have expressed a need for access to the unencrypted QAM channels without using a CableCARD.

Dan

[jsmeeker]

I have a ton of encrypted channels, so I plan on getting CableCARDs either way. But others have expressed a need for access to the unencrypted QAM channels without using a CableCARD.

Dan



I'll be getting CableCard too since I have to get a digital lineup to get HD from my cable company. If I'm going to be getting more channels that are "encrypted/scrambled", I might as well be able to watch them. :)

[moyekj]

Per speculation in another S3 thread, you may also be able to view your unencrypted digital QAM channels without having to do ANY mapping if your cable co sends the proper "map" with the PSIP stream.
PSIP information is very sparse for my provider (Cox Orange County, CA). Only the major network OTA HD channels being re-transmitted by Cox have the information. There are a plethora of other unencrypted digital channels in my lineup that have no PSIP information (a bunch of digital simulcast channels). Certainly if the S3 can read the PSIP information that would be useful, but somehow I doubt it will be able to. Either way manual mapping of channels would be needed at least for channels without PSIP info.