Clear QAM, cable tuners and digital TV reception, explained
QAM.net explains how digital cable TV reaches your television and what you can do with your own equipment. QAM, short for quadrature amplitude modulation, is the way cable systems in the United States carry digital TV channels over coaxial cable. A tuner that understands QAM can pick up any cable channels that are sent unencrypted, known as clear QAM, without a rented box.
Fewer channels are sent in the clear than in the past. The FCC now lets cable operators on all-digital systems encrypt even the basic tier, and many have done so. Clear QAM still matters, though: some systems carry clear channels, building and campus networks often use it, and the same tuners handle free over-the-air broadcasts from an antenna. These guides explain how it all fits together, what changed, and how to pick and set up equipment that works with the signal you actually have.
Start with the basics
- What Is QAM? How quadrature amplitude modulation packs digital TV into a 6 MHz cable channel.
- Clear QAM What clear QAM channels are, who still carries them and how to find them.
- QAM vs ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 Cable modulation compared with over-the-air broadcast standards.
- How Cable TV Tuners Work From the coax connector to a picture on screen.
Encryption, CableCARD and the rules
- Cable Encryption and Clear QAM Why clear QAM channels disappeared and what the FCC required.
- CableCARD The history of the cable security card and where it stands today.
- Boxee and Comcast An early agreement to keep third-party network tuners working.
Equipment and setup
- Choosing a TV Tuner Built-in, network, USB and CableCARD tuners compared.
- Channel Scanning and Virtual Channels Physical channels, program numbers and why channel numbers look odd on cable.
- Cable Signal Levels and Troubleshooting Power, signal-to-noise ratio and fixing pixelation.
- Coax, Splitters and Amplifiers How much signal each split costs and when an amplifier helps.
Antenna TV
- Over-the-Air Broadcast TV Free local channels with an antenna.
- Digital Converter Boxes Keeping an older analog TV working with digital broadcasts.
Reference
- Frequently Asked Questions Quick answers about clear QAM, tuners and encryption.
- Glossary Short definitions of cable and digital TV terms.
- FRS Radios Family Radio Service walkie-talkies, channels and realistic range.