weird cable behavior (semi-TiVo related)

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Okay, so I recently moved to a new place (in NJ) and got Comcast cable. I have my TiVo hooked up and working fine (Toshiba RS-TX20 - a DVD-R one). I took a splitter from the cable line and put one output to the cable box (I have digital and that then goes to the TiVo) and the other output just goes to the coax input on the back of the tv (a Sony Wega CRT 27").

Only problem is, the coax input, when I set the TV to that input, can only correctly tune up to channel 13. Nothing above that shows anything but fuzz. I took the splitter out of the equation and just ran direct to the tv coax input, and got the same story, so it doesn't seem to be the splitter.

So it seems like my cable is digital above channel 13 maybe? Not so fast. In the bedroom we have a DT TiVo and (I've tested) the analog tuner has no problem tuning up all the way to 99. Likewise, when we put that TiVo in standby, it seems to allow the cable signal to bypass direct to the tv (the TV in there is old with no composite input on the back, so the DT TiVo outputs to it via coax). When that's the case, that old bedroom tv has no problem tuning as high as channel 99 either.

Is it possible that my living room jack has (many) fewer analog channels than the one in the bedroom? Is there some other explanation? If not, is this something Comcast could do anything about?

(Note: No, the living room TV is not just set not to be programming to those channel. I've manually entered higher numbers and tried to scan the channels to reprogram the tv too, but I just get fuzz above 13).

 

Geez I feel like an idiot. I'd never even heard of that setting.

I've become very adept over the last few years of setting up audio/video setups, cables, and all, but obviously I'm no expert.

What exactly is the point of it? I assume cable lineups use different frequencies than would UHF tv channels of the equivalent number, or some such thing?

 

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I'm an engineer too... and yup. "Cable" setting was set to "Off" to be specific.