Rogers clear-QAM channels

[bmac.to]

Hello,
I have been a SageTV user for 7 months now and use it for OTA recording. My Sage box has two HVR-2250's that I connect to my antenna. However, I do have a cable feed from Rogers (Toronto area) that I was playing around with this weekend. I can get all of the analog cable channels through one of my HVR-2250's but then I tried to use the digital tuner on it to get the clear-QAM channels also on the cable feed. (find the list here http://www.remotecentral.com/hdtv/rogers.htm)

Although these are just the music stations, I can seem to tune any of them. Has anyone else had more luck? If so, could you upload your .frq file (created by the channel scan)?

Thanks.

[toony]

I am picking one of these cards up today. I'm also on rogers. Going to try the OTA HD soon, hopefully I will get something.

[wayner]

It really is a scam that all channel available on their Basic Cable package are not unencrypted. I really don't understand why that is - the CRTC should take action on this.

[toony]

It really is a scam that all channel available on their Basic Cable package are not unencrypted. I really don't understand why that is - the CRTC should take action on this.

Is that why the 2250 does not pick up more than 2 digital cable channels. I have basic extended but don't subscribe to digital. All the analog work fine.

Is there much quality difference on the 2250 between digital and analog? And I wonder if I can subscribe to digital channels without having one of their set top boxes.

[wayner]

There is no point in subscribing to digital with Rogers unless you get a box as there will be no channels accessible to you.

In terms of the quality difference between analog and digital - this will depend on a few things including the quality of wiring in your house. I have never really used analog cable with my HTPCs, just a digital box connected to my TV tuner via s-video, so I can't really compare the two.

[toony]

I had a couple HD boxes from them but got rid of them. I know there is a difference in digital and analogue when using there box, I was more curious with a digital tuner.

I got my HVR-2250 which has hardware mpeg encoding, and I can tell the difference as I upgrades from a pvr-500 which was software.

I am going to stick with basic and I am thinking about playing around with the OTA HD... not sure how much I will get out of that. I am thinking of getting a Free to Air satellite system running, and there is plenty of HD on that.

[gplasky]

I got my HVR-2250 which has hardware mpeg encoding, and I can tell the difference as I upgrades from a pvr-500 which was software.

A PVR 500 is a hardware mpeg encoder also. The difference is the PVR500 was using an analog signal where the 2250 can use a digital signal.

Gerry

[toony]

A PVR 500 is a hardware mpeg encoder also. The difference is the PVR500 was using an analog signal where the 2250 can use a digital signal.

Gerry

Yes your absolutely right, why did I think it was software?

[chughes]

There is no point in subscribing to digital with Rogers unless you get a box as there will be no channels accessible to you.
I disagree. I subscribe to Rogers Digital, and can tell you that you don't need the STB to get their SD analog channels. My box is getting dusty in a closet somewhere. I get the extended cable package, and simply forgoe PPV and the music stations - which I would never use anyway. This may not last long, but I can tell you that if you just plug your coax from the wall into a NTSC tuner, you should get a full range of SD channels. At some point Rogers may stop dual broadcasting their analog signal with the digital, but until then, I'm perfectly happy getting all the SD channels without the need to have multiple STBs and complicated USB-UIRT scenarios.
BTW, Rogers seems to know that the box isn't in use, I get mail periodically urging me to hook it up, and asking me if I am having technical difficulties doing so. Ha!

[wayner]

I disagree. I subscribe to Rogers Digital, and can tell you that you don't need the STB to get their SD analog channels. My box is getting dusty in a closet somewhere. I get the extended cable package, and simply forgoe PPV and the music stations - which I would never use anyway. This may not last long, but I can tell you that if you just plug your coax from the wall into a NTSC tuner, you should get a full range of SD channels. The title of this thread is "Rogers clear-QAM channels" therefore we are talking about being able to tune digital channels with a QAM tuner PC card. Yes, you can get all analog channels with an NTSC tuner but that is a bit different from what the OP was asking.

By the way, don't you pay more for Rogers digital than Rogers analog? There is usually a Digital Services fee that is $2.99 per month. Check your Rogers bill.

And using a digital box in conjunction with a PVR really isn't that hard to set up. I have done it with a TiVo Series 1 box, a HTPC running BeyondTV, a HTPC running XP MCE and a HTPC running Sage (actually I am on my second machine running Sage) with the MCE remote/IR blaster, the TiVo IR blaster and a USB-UIRT. I don't know that it ever takes more than 15 minutes to set up and you have the ability to get tons more channels including including the movie channels.

[chughes]

By the way, don't you pay more for Rogers digital than Rogers analog? There is usually a Digital Services fee that is $2.99 per month. Check your Rogers bill.When I subscribed to Rogers they wouldn't allow me to sign up for anything except digital. I asked. Repeatedly. So I was simply stating that you technically don't need the STB if you are comfortable with the analog signal, "digital" subscription or not. Obviously this has nothing to do with clear-QAM singals.

And using a digital box in conjunction with a PVR really isn't that hard to set up. I have done it with a TiVo Series 1 box, a HTPC running BeyondTV, a HTPC running XP MCE and a HTPC running Sage (actually I am on my second machine running Sage) with the MCE remote/IR blaster, the TiVo IR blaster and a USB-UIRT. I don't know that it ever takes more than 15 minutes to set up and you have the ability to get tons more channels including including the movie channels.Of course it can be done. I just don't need to for my admittedly low-tech HTPC needs.

[wayner]

chughes - Are you fairly new to Rogers. I did hear a little while ago that they will no longer be marketing Anaalog cable but I thought that you could still subscribe to it and all older customers were grandfathered. If you are paying the digital services fee then I would call and complain - escalate it beyond the first level of support if necessary.

[chughes]

I think I subscribed about 5 or 6 years ago. Believe me, I pushed and pushed for just an analog subscription, but by that point policy had changed.

[Igot6strings]

I'm in St. John's Newfoundland. With my HVR-1250 I pick up Clear QAM from Rogers over the analog cable line. We don't get any Clear QAM OTA here sadly. Atleast I havn't been able to find any. I get about 3 dozen Digital channels over QAM and a handful of HD. I used to get tons of music stations but can't get them to work anymore but thats not a big deal for me. I'm quite happy having all these extra channels while only paying for basic analog service.

[Lithium_177]

Hi,

Im in Ontario and have been poking around looking for digital stations. I have located the "Rogers on Demand" Channel. It asks me to press the "A" button to access this feature. Does anyone know how I'd go about pressing "A"? Is there a command I can map to a button?

[mozerd]

Im in Ontario and have been poking around looking for digital stations. I have located the "Rogers on Demand" Channel. It asks me to press the "A" button to access this feature. Does anyone know how I'd go about pressing "A"? Is there a command I can map to a button?
If you are using the Rogers provided Remote Control that comes with their digital cables boxes like the SA4250 or the SA8300HD the "A" button is the YELLOW key on the remote.

You can locate the Rogers digital channels for your area by going to this digital channels link (http://your.rogers.com/store/cable/ptv/programming/channelLineup.asp?cm_mmc=Redirects-_-CableTV-EN-_-ChannelLineups-_-channels)

[wayner]

If you are using the Rogers provided Remote Control that comes with their digital cables boxes like the SA4250 or the SA8300HD the "A" button is the YELLOW key on the remote.But I believe what Lithium_177 is saying is that the RoD channels show up as unencrypted QAM - in other words you don't need a cable box to get to the initial screen you just plug the cable into your HTPC tuner. But since you are not using a cable box how do you press the A key?

[mozerd]

All the Rogers TV stuff I get over cable is essentially encrypted. So if Lithium_177 is saying is that his RoD channels show up as unencrypted QAM that certainly is interesting -- but I suspect not. Outside of the Rogers remote I have zero idea which Key on other remotes represent the yellow "A" key.

Since I live in the Ottawa Area QAM selection is not an option that can be exploited.

[wayner]

I think the issue is how do you send a signal back to Rogers since RoD (and PPV) requires two-way communication as you have to enter a code or select a show. A Rogers box facilitates that two-way communication but without a box there is no way to send a signal, you can only receive.

The "welcome" screen for RoD channels may be unencrypted QAM but that is useless unless you can get to the underlying content. Apparently in some areas the PPV channels used to show up as unencrypted QAM channels - you could scan for channels and see what your neighbours had paid to watch - very interesting if you know what I mean!

[vikingisson]

It is a shame that there are no usable QAM channels on Rogers. TVs have tuners and almost nobody uses them. Cogeco has lots of QAM the last time I checked. So even if you buy the digital package you'll have analog and I don't see that going away for a while yet. Heck, we still have analog OTA...

So if you are forced into a digital package then use the box and a (not so ideal) HD-PVR, split the line and use the analog as well. A basic package gets you digital via the STB and analog via a tuner. Add free digital HD OTA and you have a cheap setup.

I don't know about PPV or any of their HD channels, I won't buy into that. OTA HD and online HD is a better value (free).