# Do cable companies pass on OTA signals?



## Presence (Mar 14, 2004)

Out-of-place topic on a DBS forum, but I know someone will have an answer.  

Do cable companies usually pass on OTA signals along with their cable programming? I ask because for Christmas I am bringing my parents into the 21st century by buying and installing for them an HDTV, but they only have basic cable from their local cable company. They will probably be fine with that to start, but I was hoping to at least get the local TV stations in high-def for them.

If cable companies do not, what can I do? Can I put up an antenna and somehow merge it into the cable signal via combiner or something?


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## Charles Munroe (Sep 20, 2007)

They normally don't pass the signals in the same format
as OTA that you would pick up with an antenna. They
are "re encoded" in QAM format. If your parents tv supports
QAM - check manual - then you might be able to receive the basic
programming on their cable system. Most cable systems do NOT
use the same channel numbers you would associate with the local
stations. For example, my ABC station Chanel 2 is on 98.3. You will have to step through the channels with the TV's
remote to find any "Clear - not encrypted" stations after scanning - see manual.
You can not combine cable and OTA signals - they share the same frequency space.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

Even their analog channels that are received OTA are processed and output on a different channel to avoid ghosting by leaks of ambient RF into the cable, so no, cable companies usually do not directly pass OTA signal through.

The local digital signals are also processed from ATSC to QAM and put on a different channel hopefully their cable system does not encrypt their locals so the new TV would be able to scan and display them.

The trick may be in finding those clear QAM channels among all the scrambled and audio channels.

Often the local deskjockeys at the cable company have no idea what you are talking about if you call them and ask what the true RF channels of their digital signals are, try to talk to an engineer, if they have one.


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## Kansas Zephyr (Jun 30, 2007)

Presence said:


> Out-of-place topic on a DBS forum, but I know someone will have an answer.
> 
> Do cable companies usually pass on OTA signals along with their cable programming? I ask because for Christmas I am bringing my parents into the 21st century by buying and installing for them an HDTV, but they only have basic cable from their local cable company. They will probably be fine with that to start, but I was hoping to at least get the local TV stations in high-def for them.
> 
> If cable companies do not, what can I do? Can I put up an antenna and somehow merge it into the cable signal via combiner or something?


Most higher-end HDTVs have dual RF inputs. So, the cable and antenna can both be connected, and the input switched via the remote.

Then you can switch between the old school cable, and OTA free digital TV, including HD, if available in your area..


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