# Dish and Comcast



## 7ferrari (Jan 25, 2007)

I have a 622 and a 921 hooked up in the same room. Dish does not offer ABC in my area, so I have Comcast cable for my ABC. (I have their Internet service and was required to get their basic cable.) Is there any way I can connect that cable to my DVR's, either the 622 or the 921 so I can record programs on ABC?


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## oljim (Aug 6, 2002)

NO but you can use an antenna


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## rkurtl (Jan 2, 2003)

7ferrari, I feel for you, I am also in Salinas and my 921 just died, I am waiting for the 622. Why can't you connect your cable to the OTA input? If you also have an antenna, use an antenna switch. By the way, I get good OTA HD reception in Corral de Tierra with a 6 ft yagi antenna just above my roof. If you are in town, rabbit ears should work for you. Maybe we should put a group together and start our own ABC affiliate.


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## oljim (Aug 6, 2002)

The 921 and 622 do not have tuner for cable.


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## ssmith10pn (Jul 6, 2005)

Boy that sure would be sweet if the 622 had a QAM tuner built in wouldn't it?


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## kbuente (Mar 25, 2007)

ssmith10pn said:


> Boy that sure would be sweet if the 622 had a QAM tuner built in wouldn't it?


That would be very nice because there are many places where you are too far from the TV broadcast towers and can't get OTA and you either don't have line of sight with 129 or your local HD channels aren't on E* but they may be on local cable QAM....and you don't want cable for everything else just your locals in HD.
I would think this would be a strong benefit and a significant reason to stay with E* or switch to it if they had such a receiver.


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## rkurtl (Jan 2, 2003)

7ferrari just has basic cable in Salinas (as do I) and ABC is on channel 7(analog VHF), same as OTA. It should work. OK, I just tested it on my My HD video card, switching the tuner from cable mode to air mode allowed the VHF channels to be tuned in, including channel 7. Give it a try. Unfortunately HD3 6 ABC is not available on digital Comcast in our area.


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

ssmith10pn said:


> Boy that sure would be sweet if the 622 had a QAM tuner built in wouldn't it?


Actually the chipset does support qam. Lots of luck seeing Dish enable it. For onething most Digital cable networks now require there own cable card for decryption.


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## kbuente (Mar 25, 2007)

rkurtl said:


> 7ferrari just has basic cable in Salinas (as do I) and ABC is on channel 7(analog VHF), same as OTA. It should work. OK, I just tested it on my My HD video card, switching the tuner from cable mode to air mode allowed the VHF channels to be tuned in, including channel 7. Give it a try. Unfortunately HD3 6 ABC is not available on digital Comcast in our area.


The way I understand however...is that many cable companies distribute local digital channels using frequencies probably above 900 MHz that are in the same range as your cable high speed internet.

The QAM tuner on most newer TV's will "map" the incoming digital channels to their VHF locations such as 7.1 or 7.2 in similar fashion as the 622 can map HD signals in the 6000 range down to it's known analog counterpart in SD. And in most areas you don't need a cable converter either just a subscription to at least basic cable. But the cable company won't tell you this either because they want you do rent/lease their box. This only works with cable channels that are not encrypted.

I've also heard the chip in the 622 is not physically or technologically able to handle QAM.


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

kbuente said:


> The way I understand however...is that many cable companies distribute local digital channels using frequencies probably above 900 MHz that are in the same range as your cable high speed internet.
> 
> The QAM tuner on most newer TV's will "map" the incoming digital channels to their VHF locations such as 7.1 or 7.2 in similar fashion as the 622 can map HD signals in the 6000 range down to it's known analog counterpart in SD. And in most areas you don't need a cable converter either just a subscription to at least basic cable. But the cable company won't tell you this either because they want you do rent/lease their box. This only works with cable channels that are not encrypted.
> 
> I've also heard the chip in the 622 is not physically or technologically able to handle QAM.


See Broadcoms info on the BCM3517 chip that is in the 622
http://www.broadcom.com/products/Satellite/Digital-TV-Solutions/BCM3517
QAM decoding is listed as one of its features.


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## ssmith10pn (Jul 6, 2005)

Every cable I have connected a QAM tuner to had all of the non premium channels in the clear.
Charter cable in Montgomery even had some porn in the clear! :eek2:


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## kbuente (Mar 25, 2007)

ssmith10pn said:


> Every cable I have connected a QAM tuner to had all of the non premium channels in the clear.
> Charter cable in Montgomery even had some porn in the clear! :eek2:


That is probably your neighbor's VOD you are seeing.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

oljim said:


> The 921 and 622 do not have tuner for cable.


The 921 has an NTSC tuner that can grab basic cable though it cannot record it.


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

harsh said:


> The 921 has an NTSC tuner that can grab basic cable though it cannot record it.


And in some locations the cable is carrying is carrying the ATSC signal. Getting rare, but if so the 622 can tune this.


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

tnsprin said:


> And in some locations the cable is carrying is carrying the ATSC signal.


Not trying to be disrespectful but your information is outdated by a few years.


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## tnsprin (Mar 16, 2003)

Bill R said:


> Not trying to be disrespectful but your information is outdated by a few years.


Nope, still know one that is doing so. But yes almost all have switched to QAM digital now.


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## INHUMANITY (Aug 8, 2005)

7ferrari said:


> I have their Internet service and was required to get their basic cable.


Curious... Here in the Bay Area I use Comcast for my Internet access, but was not required to sign up for any sort of TV programming.

I even got them to give me their Internet access for $25.99 after I told them I was considering DSL.

I wonder if it's a regional thing. Just thought I'd throw in my .02 cents.


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## 7ferrari (Jan 25, 2007)

rkurtl said:


> 7ferrari, I feel for you, I am also in Salinas and my 921 just died, I am waiting for the 622. Why can't you connect your cable to the OTA input? If you also have an antenna, use an antenna switch. By the way, I get good OTA HD reception in Corral de Tierra with a 6 ft yagi antenna just above my roof. If you are in town, rabbit ears should work for you. Maybe we should put a group together and start our own ABC affiliate.


I also live in Corral de Tierra, on top of Paseo Terrano. I have an OTA antennae that works fairly well, but, as you know, I can't get ABC. Connect the cable to the OTA? I think that is a good idea.

I just sent back a refurbished 921 to Dish. I have the extended warranty. Mine was alright, but the tech said I needed a new one. I have a lot of old Seinfelds, and movies that I haven't watched so I kept my old one. I traded in my wifes 500 for the 622 under their lease program. It is so much nicer than my 921. I pay extra, about 5 bucks a month, to use my 921.

Now I need a new TV with at least two HDMI inputs.


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