Clear QAM

Cable service can include three kinds of channels: analog channels, clear digital channels (unencrypted QAM), and encrypted digital channels. Many systems have switched off their analog channels to free up capacity, so for most viewers today the question is whether any digital channels are sent in the clear.

What clear QAM means

Clear QAM channels are digital cable channels sent without encryption. A TV or tuner with a QAM tuner can receive them by connecting the coax directly and running a channel scan, with no set-top box, digital adapter or CableCARD. Encrypted channels cannot be watched that way, no matter what tuner you use.

How to check for clear QAM channels

  1. Confirm your TV or tuner supports QAM. Look for "QAM", "clear QAM", "digital cable" or "QAM64/256" in the specifications. Most TVs include an ATSC antenna tuner, but QAM support is not guaranteed.
  2. Connect the cable outlet directly to the TV or tuner, without a set-top box in between.
  3. Choose "cable" (not "antenna" or "air") as the signal source, and run an automatic channel scan.
  4. Look through what the scan found. Clear channels often appear under the cable system's physical channel and a program number rather than the number you are used to. See Channel Scanning and Virtual Channels.

If the scan finds nothing, or only channels that will not play, your system probably encrypts everything. Your provider can tell you whether it carries any clear channels in your area.

Why clear QAM became rare

For many years an FCC rule barred cable operators from encrypting the basic service tier, which is where local broadcast stations are carried. That meant a TV with a QAM tuner could often pick up local stations in HD straight from the wall. The FCC later allowed operators with all-digital systems to encrypt the basic tier, with temporary free equipment for affected customers. Many large operators then encrypted their lineups and offered small digital transport adapters (DTAs) or set-top boxes instead. The details are on Cable Encryption and Clear QAM.

Operators pointed to the benefits of encryption: service can be turned on and off remotely, fewer technician visits are needed, and theft of service is harder. Viewers lost the ability to use a TV's built-in tuner and often need one adapter or box per TV, which can mean rental fees beyond the first few outlets. Policies and fees vary by provider and change over time, so check yours directly. If you have a view on these rules, you can comment in FCC proceedings or contact your representatives.

Where clear QAM still turns up

  • Some smaller cable systems still send some channels in the clear.
  • Hotels, hospitals, campuses and apartment buildings often run private coax networks that send local or in-house channels as clear QAM.
  • Home and business modulators can put your own video sources on a QAM channel for distribution over coax.

Even if your cable system is fully encrypted, a QAM-capable tuner usually also receives free over-the-air broadcasts with an antenna. See Over-the-Air Broadcast TV.

Sources

Good to know. Cable lineups, encryption policies, equipment fees and device support are set by each provider and manufacturer and can change. Check with your provider and the sources listed before you buy equipment.
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